When you are looking at working as a page at a library, you should keep in mind that this is not a job where you will need a high school diploma, though one will likely be handy. This is often a job that is staffed by high school students and as such it will likely only be part time work. Take some time and make sure that you consider what your options are going to be with this job. If you want to get back into the flow of working full time through working a part time job, this might be something that works for you, or if you want to round out a schedule that will help you figure out what your options are going to be, this is another thing to keep in mind. Also remember that there are some cities where the position of library pages are restricted to those who currently in school.
What does it take to be a public library page? In the first place, you should be a fairly organized person. Depending on the job, you will need to hunt down the books in the shelves and return them to the front desk, or, depending on the duties that are required of you, you may also be in a place where you can shelve the books back into Dewey decimal order. You also need to be someone who is extremely diligent about their job; working at a library means doing your utmost to make sure that you are in a place where you are going to be able to keep things in order. As you might guess, you will also find that being a quick learner and being able to take direction is definitely something that will help you.
You should also be someone who is willing and able to work with people and with the public in general. While working as a library page is not exactly working in retail, you will find that you are in a great place to interact with the public. As you shelve or as you run books around, you will find that there are a number of people who will ask you different questions about what you are doing and where they can find the books that they need. This means that you need to be patient and that you also need to be willing to answer the same question over and over again! Your library might have different rules on what you can and cannot do to help. In some cases, you can help them, and in others, you will simply be asked to refer them to the reference desk.
If you are working at the front desk of the library, you will find that you need to check books in and out, to fill out hold requests, and let patrons know when their books are available. In some cases, you will also need to collect late fines when the books are due and you will need to keep on top of the clerical duties that are available at the front desk. In some cases, you may even be called upon to make recommendations about the different books that patrons have requested or to let them know which the next books in the series are.
If you are a library page, you may also find yourself doing some basic housekeeping, like changing out the displays, dusting the shelves, or watering the plants. You can learn to mend library material or to arrange furniture and you may be asked to check the doors before they get locked.
Being a library page can be a wonderfully rewarding job, so see if it is something that works well for you!
