Little attention has been paid in the literature to library assistants in Swedish public libraries. In this bachelor thesis, the professional role, work duties, career prospects and status of library assistants are examined at two public libraries. Because of a scarcity of published information on the development of this profession in Swedish public libraries, retired library assistants, as well as currently employed library assistants, librarians and a library head were interviewed. Since the ‘80s, work duties of library assistants have changed, with a reduction in some of the more manual aspects of library work, the development of new duties and, overall, an increasing similarity in the duties performed by library assistants and librarians. Additionally, the public perception of library assistants as a category distinct from librarians was investigated by distributing questionnaires to library patrons. Contrary to expectations prompted by statements in the literature, a substantial portion of visitors was found to be aware of the two separate categories. Library assistants at Swedish libraries have no career prospects, unless they undertake studies in their own free time and at their own cost, and obtain a librarian degree. A difference between the situation of library assistants in Sweden and corresponding professional categories in a few other countries is that, at present and for several years, no formal education for library assistants has been available in Sweden. Plans for a reintroduction of such education were indefinitely shelved in 2004, principally because of the opposition of librarians’ professional associations and trade unions.