Academic library assistant interview questions?

[penguinflippers]

I currently work as a library assistant in a council-run library but I've got an interview coming up for a similar position in a university library - just wondering if anyone who works as an academic library assistant can remember the sort of things they were asked at interview?
Also any suggestions for relevant questions to ask the interviewers at the end would be welcome as I can never think of anything suitably intelligent to ask.
Thanks

A quick Google search brought up this University website with lots of questions about library roles which you can tailor to your specific job spec - I would start with a list of the skills they need for your target job, then map them to any relevant experience you already have.

The questions here are quite general but hopefully will help you get into the zone

mrlibrarydude.wordpress.com/nailing-the-library-interview/library-interview-questions/

I have worked in this area in multiple institutions. There is a step change happening in Academic Library sector. A lot more focus on customer service, widening the support available and much more than just focus on books.
It does depend on the Institution you are applying for and how forward thinking they are. However I would be interested in:
Understanding the needs of the Library members
Social Media experience
IT appreciation, bare in mind that most Academic Libraries also are the main IT labs for students on campus
Widening outreach
A positive, can do attitude
Flexibility
Customer service experience

One of the main differences I found between public and academic libraries was that there was less emphasis on books than in public libraries, because there are so many academic journals (which are often online these days.)

My experience was mostly about 900 years ago, mind you. (There are many benefits to chained libraries from a library assistant's point of view. I was good at finding books students had hidden down behind other books and so on. Chained libraries - or possibly students - could have avoided that need to hunt for missing books.)

They may also ask about teaching experience or a desire to do some teaching - in terms of teaching students how to use the resources in the library - if you've worked in a public library you may have done stuff like book reading sessions with pre-schoolers, or helped elderly people use the computers - anything like that is worth mentioning. I know a librarian in HE who has recently become a lecturer.

Thanks everyone, this is all really helpful! Now I just need to try and focus on not being ridiculously nervous in the interview 😬

They can only ask you about questions linked to the person specification.

One Question is likely to be on equal opportunities.

Yes to Customer Services- who are your "customers" comes into this.

No to chained libraries, it's all about the open access.

No to teaching, unless it's on the person spec. If it's on the person spec I hope the jobs advertised at a high grade and it's unlikely to be a lib ast post. Remember your place, you'll pass stuff up the food chain;)

Have you looked at their catalogue? To include all the online stuff?

IT to include the Word packages. LMS packages, have you used acquisitions and collections or just circulation?

At the end I ask if there is anything I could expand on.

Good luck

No to chained libraries, it's all about the open access.

I wasn't serious. I was referring to my experience being 900 years ago, which also wasn't serious.