Is being a library associate really a social worker/customer service job

I wouldn't have asked if I didn't personally think it mattered but that's fine.

If it's near a bus stop, expect to work with a lot of houseless patrons. If it's closer to the suburbs / out of the city sprawl it will probably be quiet (especially the wealthier areas). If it's closer to the inner city, then you might have people needing more help (in the social work sense). I know of one branch where teens set books on fire and several branches have regular "problem" reports. The branches where I worked were always very nice and very rarely had any problematic patrons (although it still sometimes happened).

The technical service roles are very inward-facing and you don't directly work with patrons (which would be what most stereotypical introverts would like). But you won't get those straight away without some prior library experience for sure. I'm introverted but I always enjoyed helping patrons and working with them one-on-one. For me it was a great way to get into the library world and get my feet wet in that career path.

/r/Libraries Thread Parent