Library Associate I: Evening Circulation & Stacks Maintenance

Summary

Provides evening and weekend Circulation Desk management, often acting as the sole library associate present, to answer patron questions and check out materials.  Entails student worker training and supervision.  Supervises and coordinates ongoing stacks maintenance and projects involving the physical collection. Assists with Interlibrary Loan as needed.  Monitors and reports library maintenance and space needs and ensures a safe and professional environment for patrons. Troubleshoots and communicates library and facility issues as they arise.  Position schedule is generally Sunday through Thursday. 

Description

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Operates Circulation Desk for regularly scheduled time periods and performs essential circulation duties including answering questions, checking material in/out, and other related tasks. Instructs, assists, and informs on the use of library services, products, and equipment.   
  • Creates and implements stacks maintenance processes and procedures including shelving, shifting, shelf reading, missing item searches, and inventorying the collections.  Reports issues with stacks maintenance related issues.  Supports all functions related to stacks maintenance in collaboration with the Resources & Systems Department.
  • Assists with Interlibrary Loan procedures and functions as needed. 
  • Monitors and reports library maintenance needs to the L&LS Office Manager and serves as a point of contact for space configuration needs.
  • Monitors the library to ensure a safe and professional environment for patrons.
  • Troubleshoots and communicates any library issues that arise during work hours.
  • May be required to work on-site during unscheduled university closures or delays, such as for inclement weather.

OTHER DUTIES AND ASSIGNMENTS

  • Collaborates on or leads a variety of teams, task forces, and committees within L&LS, across the University, and within consortia.
  • Performs other duties as assigned.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Education Bachelor’s degree or combination of education and relevant experience.

Experience One to three years of related experience.  

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each duty satisfactorily.  Must be able to work independently with limited supervision and must be able to work collaboratively on teams.  Excellent communication, interpersonal, organizational, analytical, and time management skills.  Computing skills including Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and database searching required.  The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

Licenses or Certifications None.

Financial Responsibility None. 

Supervision Basic supervision of student employees required. 

Special Knowledge Ability to use library services platforms, integrated library systems, and discovery systems.  Alma and PrimoVE experience preferred, specifically circulation modules.  Familiarity with stacks maintenance best practices.  Excellent customer service skills and ability to work effectively with diverse groups.  Commitment to collaboration in a dynamic work environment.

SPECIAL WORKING CONDITIONS 

  • None.

Library Assistant

Summary

BASIC FUNCTIONS:

The Moorland-Spingarn Research Center is a repository of rare and recently published books, periodicals, serials and vertical files related to the global black experience. Founded in 1914, the MSRC is the world's largest and most comprehensive collection of books, artifacts, manuscripts, and ephemera of the Black African diaspora. The Library Assistant works as a first line of contact for the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center – greeting visitors, providing customer service support and assisting with the day-to-day operations of a busy research center. The ideal candidate must have a friendly and energetic personality, a strong work ethic, and operate with impeccable integrity.

 

 

Description

SUPERVISORY ACCOUNTABILITY:

N/A

 

NATURE AND SCOPE:

The Library Assistant is the presumable “face” of the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center. The individual must greet visitors to the center in the historic Readers Room and assist librarians in a variety of library tasks.

 

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:

  • Welcome visitors, students, faculty, and administrators to the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center.
  • Regular timely attendance.
  • Ensure all visitors to the Moorland-Spingarn follow protocols.
  • Assists with the inventory of rare books, periodicals, and vertical files.
  • Provides stack maintenance for rare and historically significant collections.
  • Maintains library shelves in proper order.
  • Retrieves books and materials for patrons on request.
  • Assists library patrons with the use of library equipment.
  • Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite and Library Automation software (ex. Alma)
  • Receives mail and shipments.
  • Assist in the preparation of donated books for accessions.
  • Assists in the setup and take down of library events and programs.
  • Assists in the setup and take down of library displays.
  • Assists in the creation of print and digital marketing materials for the library.
  • Assists in tracking statistical data of the library division.
  • Reclassifies books to the stacks
  • Ability to shift stacks
  • Generate monthly reports detailing assignments done and projects worked on.
  • Participates in professional development.
  • Work closely with other divisions to ensure institutional consistency.
  • Ability to move medium weight boxes, carts, and equipment.
  • Strong interpersonal, conflict resolution and problem-solving skills.
  • Assist other staff members and students in whatever area help is needed.
  • Perform other related duties as assigned.

 

CORE COMPETENCIES:

  • Microsoft Office Suite
  • Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in a team environment to meet planned goals
  • Strong interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills
  • Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
  • Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

  • High School Diploma. 
  • At least 2 years' experience working in a library. 

 

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Subject area expertise or educational background in any of the following: African American History/Studies/Literature, Africana Studies, or cultural studies. 
  • Experience working with rare books and/or special collections.

Cataloger

Summary

The Moorland-Spingarn Research Center is a repository of rare and recently published books, periodicals, serials and vertical files related to the global black experience. Founded in 1914, the MSRC is the world's largest and most comprehensive collection of books, artifacts, manuscripts, and ephemera of the Black African diaspora. Cataloging is essential to process and make library materials organized and accessible to faculty, students, alums, administrators, researchers, and staff. As the MSRC continues to receive a high volume of materials, a highly qualified individual is needed to catalog the MSRC's treasured collections. The Cataloger must have experience creating original and complex copy cataloging, including descriptive and subject cataloging and authoritative bibliography related to the Black experience, with a preference for cataloging rare books and serials. The desired candidate must be able to work with other technical services departments to maintain consistency.


 

Description

NATURE AND SCOPE:

The Cataloger assigns subject headings to books and other library materials, verifies or establishes the standard form of names of authors and institutions, and classifies materials to establish their shelving location. While adhering to cataloging rules and styles, catalogers must also be creative when needed and able to adjust the rules when a new type of material or cataloging situation presents itself. Cataloging librarians often deal with large backlogs of materials needing processing, so it is vital for them to communicate with other library staff members to find out what materials are the highest priority and need cataloging first.

 

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:

  • Develop and implement goals and objectives for cataloging activities
  • Respond to cataloging-related inquiries or problems
  • Perform original and complex copy cataloging of library materials, including rare books, reference books, and serials 
  • Interpret and apply relevant standards such as Library of Congress subject headings, Library of Congress classification, AACR2, RDA, and OCLC
  • Create, import, and update bibliographic records
  • Search and download MARC records from OCLC Connexion to the local ILS (Sierra) and contribute original MARC records to OCLC
  • Maintain accuracy of bibliographic records for serials by creating/loading new catalog records for title changes and updating existing records of former titles
  • When a book or other item arrives at the library, the Cataloger must manage the entry into the inventory collection.
  •  In the case of donated items, the Cataloger must determine whether or not it is suitable for the library's collection. If so, they check to see if the library is already in possession of the item and compare the condition, the edition, type of cover, and printing date, and, in the case of duplicates, determine if extra items are needed.
  • Determine the accurate description of the item (including author, title, publisher, publication date, and series to which the item may belong.
  • Adhere to CONSER standards for participation in the Library of Congress PCC/BIBCO cataloging program
  • Create a new name and corporate authority records and update existing ones based on current RDA standards. Furthermore, if authorized, make proposals for new LC subject headings appropriate to the library's scope.
  • Prepare statistical reports
  • Manage special cataloging projects such as the elimination of backlogs 
  • Determine the classification number to determine where the book will be shelved.
  • Classify or reclassify items as necessary.
  • Analyze, improve and expand pre-existing bibliographic records in the library database to ensure that these records will fully and accurately represent the library materials in the library's catalog.
  • Assure that the records will be accessible through various automated search techniques.
  • Keep abreast of continuing developments in cataloging.
  • Work closely with other library departments' catalogers, reference, and processing staff to provide enhanced access to collections and institutional consistency.
  • Work on catalog maintenance projects as assigned, such as reclassifying materials, changing call numbers, or correcting and enhancing pre-existing records in the library's catalog. 
  • Delete items/records from the database when the Chief Librarian instructs
  • Provide bibliographic clarification and problem-solving to staff members.
  • Provide overall maintenance and repair of library materials.
  • Assist other staff members and students in whatever area help is needed. 
  • Perform other related duties as assigned.

CORE COMPENTENCIES:

  • Demonstrated knowledge of RDA standards and AACR2
  • Demonstrated knowledge of Library of Congress Subject Headings
  • Knowledge of CONSER standards and practices
  • Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in a team environment to meet planned goals
  • Strong interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills
  • Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
  • Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

  • ALA-accredited Master's degree (MLS, MLIS) in Library and Information Studies. 
  • Demonstrated experience using OCLC Connexion for both copy and original bibliographic record creation. 
  • Demonstrated experience using an integrated library system (ILS) such as Ex Libris Alma. 
  • At least 3-5 years experience as a cataloger. 
  • Knowledge of one or more languages other than English is desirable. 
  • Experience with serials cataloging. 

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Subject area expertise or educational background in any of the following: African American History/Studies/Literature, Africana Studies, or cultural studies.

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