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How much do special collections student assistant jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 11, 2026, the average hourly pay for special collections student assistant in the United States is $20.03, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $16.11 and $23.08 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are Special Collections Student Assistants?

Special Collections Student Assistants are students employed by libraries, archives, or museums to help manage, preserve, and provide access to rare or unique materials. Their duties often include assisting patrons, shelving or retrieving items, processing archival collections, and helping with exhibits or digitization projects. They gain hands-on experience working with historical documents, rare books, manuscripts, and other valuable materials while supporting the daily operations of the Special Collections department.

What are some typical tasks and challenges a Special Collections Student Assistant may encounter during a shift?

Special Collections Student Assistants often handle a variety of responsibilities, including assisting patrons with locating rare or archival materials, managing the security and proper handling of delicate items, and supporting collection organization or digitization projects. One common challenge is balancing customer service with the need to enforce strict usage policies to protect valuable resources. Assistants must also quickly learn specialized catalog systems and adapt to a highly detail-oriented environment, working both independently and as part of a small team of librarians and archivists.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Special Collections Student Assistant, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Special Collections Student Assistant, you generally need strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and familiarity with library procedures, often supplemented by enrollment in a college or university. Experience with library management systems, digital archives, and basic cataloging tools is typically required. Excellent communication, discretion, and a customer-service mindset help you interact effectively with patrons and staff while handling rare or fragile materials. These skills ensure the preservation, accessibility, and proper management of valuable collections while providing reliable support to library operations.
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Special Collections Student Assistant jobs near you
Infographic showing various Special Collections Student Assistant job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 98% Full Time, and 2% Part Time. Highlights an 98% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 1% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $41,672 per year, or $20 per hour.
Assistant Professor - Special and Digital Collections Librarian - #132738

Assistant Professor - Special and Digital Collections Librarian - #132738

Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement

Posted 9 days ago

Western Carolina University rating

8.4

Company rating: 8.4 out of 10

Based on 10 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

75th of 535 rated colleges and universities

Job description

Posting Information
Posting Number FAC885P Quick Link for Internal Postings https://wcu-sb.peopleadmin.com/postings/32807 Classification Title Assistant Professor Working Title Assistant Professor - Special and Digital Collections Librarian - #132738 Department Content Org and Mgt, eRes, & Tech About WCU
Western Carolina University continues to rank high on Forbes 'Best Employers' lists each year. Including:
2025 - Ranked 1st in the top 100 employers in North Carolina in Forbes 'America's Best Employers by State' list.
2024 - Ranking in the top 8.5% on Forbes 'America's Best Midsize Employers' list, WCU was ranked 34 out of the top 400 employers across all industries.
2023 - Ranked in the top 20% on Forbes 'America's Best Midsize Employers' list, WCU was ranked 97 out of the top 500 employers across all industries.
2022 - Ranked 14th in the top 100 employers in North Carolina in Forbes 'America's Best Employers by State' list.
Western Carolina University is the UNC system's westernmost campus and has been consistently ranked as one of the top 15 public regional institutions in the South.
Employees of WCU are provided a comprehensive benefits package as well as other resources, policies and programs to ensure a happy and healthy work/life balance. Benefit eligible employees have access to dental, vision and health insurance plans - eligibility begins on the first of the month following date of hire. Retirement plan contributions begin on the eligibility date following election and include employer contributions for either a defined contribution or a defined benefit plan. Optional disability plans are also available.
Eligible employees have access to tuition waivers for up to three courses per academic year; employee may enroll at any of the constituent UNC System campuses. Also offered are free group exercise classes multiple times per week, a discounted membership to the campus recreation center, free vaccine and booster shots offered on campus, pretax flexible spending accounts, 12 paid holidays and 24 hours of paid community service leave each year. Leave earning employees (staff and 12-month faculty) who work at least half of the working days of their first month of employment will begin accruing vacation and sick leave immediately. Paid parental leave after 12 months of continuous service.
WCU offers an abundance of training and development programs, certifications, workshops and conferences - many of which are offered free of charge.
Position Summary
The primary location of this position is on the main Cullowhee, NC campus.
Western Carolina University's Hunter Library seeks an enthusiastic and service-oriented individual to serve as the Special and Digital Collections Librarian.
This tenure track, twelve-month, Assistant Professor faculty position will support the university and the community by building, preserving, and providing access to historically significant collections that represent the region's history, culture, literature, and geography. The position will coordinate the planning, implementation, maintenance, expansion, and promotion of digital content, including creating new digital collections and developing digital preservation strategies. The faculty member will engage students with archival collections by teaching class groups and coordinating digital humanities projects with groups or individuals, including student interns. They will remain current with trends in special collections and archives, digital library technologies, curation practices, and preservation formats and standards.
Other responsibilities include direct supervision of 1 staff member; management of a 4-person unit, increasing diversity and representation in archival and digital collections; outreach to potential and existing community partners and donors; providing on- and off-campus support to patrons, including staffing the Special Collections reading room and related reference services.
Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities Required for this Position
  1. Manages the daily operation of the Digital and Special Collections unit, consisting of 3.75 FTE technical processing staff and student assistants. 
  2. Oversees the library's unique collections of manuscripts, photographs, transmissives, and rare books, including communicating with potential donors, evaluating collections both on site and at donor's homes, executing donation paperwork and communicating the same with the university development office, providing programs and talks, and coordinating with faculty, students, and community members to leverage the collections for maximum research impact. 
  3. Collaborates with the digital scholarship unit in the management of QI, the library's hosted digital collections platform, as well as the Southern Appalachian Digital Collections (SADC) webpage. Serves as a member of the SADC Steering Committee. 
  4. Works closely with the metadata librarian and cataloging unit staff to maintain consistent descriptive metadata for digitized collections. 
  5. Collaborates with the library's Web developer to develop and maintain digital collections websites. 
  6. Seeks out potential grant sources to facilitate funding of projects. 
  7. Keeps current with trends in digital library technologies, digital curation practices, preservation formats and standards, and archival best practices. 
  8. Demonstrates and facilitates effective communication throughout Hunter Library and across the University with the various colleges, departments, and faculty. 
  9. Meeting the expectations of a tenure-track faculty member as outlined in the COMET Departmental Collegial Review Document. 
Minimum Qualifications
Master's degree in library and/or information science from an ALA-accredited program or equivalent; two years of experience in a library, museum or archival setting; demonstrated customer service orientation with strong collegiality and communication skills; demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with colleagues; demonstrated ability to provide prompt and thorough reference services to patrons; demonstrated potential to meet the library's requirement for scholarship and service.
Preferred Qualifications
At least one year supervisory experience; demonstrated ability to provide outreach to donors and members of the community; experience with project management; experience with grant writing; experience providing research help and instruction to individuals or groups; experience with digitization or digital collections; demonstrated knowledge of the history and culture of Southern Appalachia.
Position Type Permanent Full-Time Number of Hours Per Week 40 Number of Months Per Year 12
Posting Text
Open Date 02/02/2026 Close Date Open Until Filled Yes Special Instructions to Applicants
Application materials must be submitted online. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until a candidate has been selected for hire. Salary information available upon request.

Please include a cover letter, current resume and a list of three professional references with complete contact information.

For questions or additional information please contact Beth Thompson at bthompson@email.wcu.edu
Background/E-Verify
Final candidates are subject to criminal & sex offender background checks. Some vacancies also require credit or motor vehicle checks.
Western Carolina University uses E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify. Proper documentation of identity and employability are required at the time of employment.
Credential Verification
All new employees are required to have listed credentials/degrees verified within 30 days of employment. All new employees who will be teaching are required to provide official transcripts within 30 days of employment. Transcripts should be provided for the highest earned degree and/or the degree which is being used to satisfy credential/qualification requirements.
EOE
Western Carolina University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race; color; ethnicity; religion; sex; pregnancy; sexual orientation; gender identity or expression; national origin; age; disability; genetic information; political affiliation; National Guard or veteran status, consistent with applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations, and policies, and the policies of The University of North Carolina. Persons with disabilities requiring accommodations in the application and interview process please call (828) 227-7218 or email at jobs@email.wcu.edu.
University Safety
The Western Carolina University Annual Safety Report is available online at University Annual Safety Report or in hard-copy by request at the office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, 227 HFR Administration Building, Cullowhee, NC 28723 (828-227-7147) or the Office of University Police, 111 Camp Annex, Cullowhee, NC 28723 (828-227-7301). The report, required of all universities participating in Title IV student financial aid programs, discusses crime statistics, procedures for reporting suspicious or criminal activity, security, police authority, crime prevention strategies, university policies on substance abuse and sexual offenses, workplace violence and fire safety.

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