Student Assistant Program
Gain job skills at your Library.
The Student Assistant Program provides jobs for high school, G.E.D., undergraduate and vocational school students to gain work experience in a public library. Student Assistant positions are available at the Central Library and branches throughout Seattle.
Who can participate
To be eligible for the Student Assistant Program, you must be at least 16 years old, currently enrolled in high school, college (undergraduate), vocational school, or a G.E.D. program.
Student Assistants work at the Library from 12 to 15 hours per week. Their positions are temporary and can be held for up to two years (if they are enrolled in school).
High school students must be available to work for a minimum of four consecutive months. Undergraduate students must be available to work for a minimum of three consecutive academic quarters/semesters.
If you would like to learn more about the Student Assistant Program, watch the 'Hacks for Getting a Student Job at the Library' video on our YouTube page. This information session took place on January 5, 2022.
How you can apply
Thank you for your interest in the Student Assistant Program. We are not accepting applications at this time. This page will be updated when information is available about the next expected application period. Please contact Human Resources at job.applications@spl.org with any questions.
How you can prepare for the required skills assessment
Before you take the assessments, you will have a chance to study for and take practice versions of the assessments. To help you prepare for the required skills assessment exercises we are including several resources below. (Note that many of these resources are from other library systems. Shelves at The Seattle Public Library may look slightly different.)
Study Materials: The following links for videos and games will help you become familiar with the systems the Library uses to shelve materials and will help you prepare to take the required skills assessment exercises.
Videos:
- Shelving Non Fiction Library Books: How to shelve nonfiction books in order by call number (a call number is like an address--it tells us where to find items in the library.)
- Shelving Fiction Library Books: How to shelve fiction books in order by call number.
Games: