17 Elementary Librarian Interview Questions and Answers

Librarians are the gatekeepers of knowledge. No matter what type of library you work in—school, public, or university—your job is to help people find the information they need.

If you’re an elementary school librarian, you play a vital role in teaching kids how to find and use information. You also help them develop a love of reading and learning. Before you can start your new job, you may need to go to a job interview.

One way to prepare for this important meeting is to learn how to answer elementary librarian interview questions. Employers will ask you questions about your experience working with kids, your teaching methods, and your knowledge of children’s literature. They’ll also want to know about your organizational skills and your ability to manage a library.

We’ve put together a list of common elementary librarian interview questions and answers to help you prepare for your interview.

Are you comfortable working with children of all ages?

Elementary school librarians often work with students of all ages. Interviewers want to know if you have experience working with children of different ages and how well you can manage multiple age groups at once. Use examples from your previous job to show that you are comfortable working with a variety of students.

Example: “I’ve worked in elementary schools for the past five years, so I am very familiar with working with kids of all ages. In my last position, I had two separate classrooms where I taught both kindergarten and third grade classes. I was responsible for teaching lessons to both age groups, but I also helped them transition between classes. I’m used to having younger kids around me, which makes it easier to work with older students.”

What are some of the most important qualities for an elementary librarian?

Interviewers may ask this question to learn more about your personality and how it fits with the school’s culture. They want to know that you are a good fit for their school, so they might ask questions like this one to see if you share their values. In your answer, try to describe what makes you unique as well as some of the qualities you think an elementary librarian should have.

Example: “I believe that empathy is one of the most important qualities for an elementary librarian. I feel that being able to understand and relate to students’ feelings can help me better support them when they need it. Another quality I think is essential is creativity. As an educator, I find that having a creative mind helps me come up with new ways to teach lessons and engage my students.”

How do you create a welcoming environment for students and teachers in the library?

The interviewer may ask this question to learn more about your interpersonal skills and how you interact with students, teachers and other staff members. Use examples from past experiences where you helped create a welcoming environment for others in the library or classroom.

Example: “I believe that creating a welcoming environment starts with having an inviting space. In my last role as elementary librarian, I made sure we had plenty of comfortable seating, interesting books and engaging activities for students to enjoy during their time in the library. I also made it a point to greet each student who came into the library by name and remember details about them, such as what sports teams they played on or if they were celebrating a birthday.”

What is your experience with managing digital resources for students?

The interviewer may ask this question to learn more about your experience with managing digital resources for students. Use examples from previous jobs or school experiences to explain how you’ve used technology in the classroom and library.

Example: “In my current role, I manage a database of online resources that teachers can use during class time. Teachers can search through the database by subject matter or grade level to find websites they can use to supplement their lessons. I also have an extensive collection of educational apps on my computer that I can recommend to teachers who are looking for new ways to engage their students.”

Provide an example of a time when you helped a student find a book they enjoyed reading.

Interviewers may ask this question to learn more about your reading skills and how you can help students find books they enjoy. Use examples from your experience as an elementary librarian that show you know what types of books students like to read.

Example: “When I first started working at my current school, I noticed a lot of the students would check out books in the same genre. For example, many students checked out books about dinosaurs. I decided to create a display with dinosaur-themed books for kids to browse through. After creating the display, I saw that students were checking out books in different genres. They also began asking me questions about which books they should read next.”

If a student was struggling to find a book they liked, how would you help them find a new title?

The interviewer may ask you a question like this to assess your ability to help students find books they enjoy. Use examples from past experiences where you helped students find new titles and encouraged them to read more often.

Example: “I once had a student who was struggling to find a book that interested him. I asked him what he liked about the books he usually read, and we talked about some of his favorite characters and plot elements. Then, I showed him several different books with similar characters or plots. He found one he really enjoyed, and it inspired him to try other books in the series.”

What would you do if a student was being disruptive in the library?

The interviewer may ask you this question to assess your conflict resolution skills. Use examples from past experiences where you helped students focus on their work and get back to studying.

Example: “If a student was being disruptive, I would first try to redirect them by asking them to come with me to the front of the library so we could talk privately. If that didn’t work, I would take them to the principal’s office for further discussion. In my experience as an elementary librarian, I’ve only had to do this once when a student wouldn’t stop talking during independent reading time. The principal talked to the student about disrupting others while they were trying to study.”

How well do you communicate with teachers about the needs of their classes?

The interviewer may ask this question to learn more about your communication skills and how you work with others. Use examples from your experience to show the interviewer that you can communicate effectively, collaborate with teachers and solve problems together.

Example: “In my previous role as elementary librarian, I worked closely with all of the teachers in the school district. We had a weekly meeting where we discussed any issues or concerns they had regarding their students’ research projects. Teachers would also come to me if they needed help finding resources for their lessons or wanted recommendations for books to read aloud to their classes. I always made myself available to them so they could get the support they needed.”

Do you have experience creating displays or other promotional materials to get students excited about reading?

Interviewers may ask this question to learn more about your creativity and how you can use it to promote reading in the library. Use examples from past experience to show that you have a creative side and are willing to put it to good use for the benefit of students.

Example: “I’ve always enjoyed creating displays, especially ones that get kids excited about reading. In my last role as an elementary librarian, I created a display every month with books that were popular among students. Each display had a theme, like animals or outer space, and included books that fit into those themes. Students loved coming to the library each month to see what new books we added to our collection.”

When organizing the library’s collection, how do you decide what to keep and what to remove?

The interviewer may ask you this question to learn more about your decision-making process and how it relates to the school’s collection. Use examples from past experiences where you evaluated a library’s collection and removed items that were outdated or no longer relevant.

Example: “I recently worked at a small elementary school where we had an extensive collection of books, but many of them were out of date. I started by organizing the collection by grade level and subject matter, which helped me identify areas where we needed more resources. For example, we didn’t have any nonfiction books for second graders on dinosaurs, so I ordered some new titles to fill in those gaps. This allowed us to remove older books that weren’t as useful.”

We want to increase our outreach to the community. How would you use our library to promote literacy in our neighborhood?

The interviewer may ask you this question to assess your community involvement and how you can help the library connect with its patrons. Use examples from your experience of working in a library that promotes literacy in the community.

Example: “I think it’s important for libraries to reach out to their communities, especially when they’re looking to promote literacy. In my last position, I helped organize several events at our library where we invited local authors to speak about their books and sign copies for children. We also hosted story time sessions where parents could bring their kids to hear stories read aloud by professional actors. These types of outreach programs are great ways to get people interested in the library.”

Describe your process for evaluating the library’s collection and making purchases.

The interviewer may ask you this question to understand how you use your professional judgment and evaluate the quality of materials. Your answer should show that you have a process for evaluating resources, can make decisions based on evidence and are willing to spend money on high-quality resources.

Example: “I start by reviewing our collection’s strengths and weaknesses. I then look at reviews from other sources like Common Sense Media and Scholastic Parent & Child to see what they say about the books we own. If there is a book I want but don’t already own, I check out reviews from multiple sources before making a purchase. This helps me ensure that I am spending my budget wisely and getting the best possible resources for students.”

What makes you qualified for this position?

Employers ask this question to learn more about your qualifications for the position. They want to know what skills you have that make you a good fit for their school. Before your interview, think about which skills and experiences you have that would be beneficial in this role. Consider highlighting these skills in your answer.

Example: “I am passionate about helping students find books they enjoy reading. I also love working with children of all ages, so I feel like I would be a great fit for this elementary librarian position. Throughout my career as an elementary teacher, I’ve learned how important it is to create a fun learning environment for kids. I believe I can do this by creating engaging programs and activities for students.”

Which types of books do you recommend to elementary students?

Interviewers may ask this question to learn more about your knowledge of elementary school reading levels and interests. Use your answer to highlight the types of books you enjoy working with, as well as any specific skills or techniques you use when recommending books to students.

Example: “I recommend a wide variety of books for my elementary students because I want them to find something they love to read. For example, if a student is struggling with reading level five books, I might suggest that we start by reading some easier books before moving on to more challenging ones. I also encourage students to try different genres and authors so they can discover new things they like to read.”

What do you think is the most important role an elementary librarian can play in a school?

Interviewers ask this question to learn more about your understanding of the role of an elementary librarian. They want to know that you understand how important it is for students to have access to a well-stocked library and knowledgeable librarian. When answering this question, make sure to emphasize the importance of libraries in schools and the impact they can have on student learning.

Example: “I think the most important role an elementary school librarian plays is providing students with access to books and other resources. A good library is essential for helping students develop their reading skills and find information when they need it. I also believe that librarians play an important role in encouraging children to read by modeling positive behaviors and creating a fun environment.”

How often do you update the library’s website or social media accounts?

The interviewer may ask this question to learn more about your digital skills and how you use them in the library. If you have experience updating a website or social media accounts, describe what you did and why it was important for the library.

Example: “I update our school’s website at least once per month with new information about upcoming events, book recommendations and other resources that teachers can use in their classrooms. I also post updates on our Facebook page and Twitter account so parents and students can see what we are doing in the library. This helps me connect with the community and show people all of the great things happening in our school.”

There is a discrepancy between the number of copies of a book in the library’s collection and the number of copies the publisher says they printed. What do you do?

This question is a test of your honesty and integrity. It’s important to be honest in all aspects of the job, including when you find discrepancies between library records and publisher records.

Example: “I would immediately contact the publisher to ask about the discrepancy. I would also check with other libraries that have this book to see if they have more copies than we do. If there are no answers from either source, I would report it as an error to my supervisor so that we can correct our records.”