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Information and Technical Services Library Assistant, Harvard Library, Cambridge, MA

Posted June 13, 2017

ID 42665BR

Information and Technical Services actively supports the teaching and research mission of the Harvard Library by managing monograph, serial and e-resource acquisitions, metadata creation, and metadata management for the Harvard Library. As a member of the Serials Acquisitions unit within the Serials Section, under the supervision of the Manager for Serials Acquisitions, the incumbent provides timely access to Harvard Library collections by performing activities in support of the acquisition, receipt, and maintenance of continuing resources acquired for the Harvard Library’s collections. Priorities will be set to maximize contributions to the overall goals of the Information and Technical Services Department of the Harvard Library. Due to the varied nature and volume of the work in ITS, all ITS staff may be called upon to contribute to work in any unit or team of the ITS department, as organizational needs warrant.

Duties and Responsibilities

  • Receives routine and complex continuing resources in all formats, checking for accuracy and missing items, verifying accuracy of vendor invoices and issuing payments in online system, escalating problems and errors for additional follow-up and resolution, as appropriate
  • Communicates with vendors, publishers, bibliographers and financial personnel; conducts professional correspondence when needed to solve problems or follow up on orders, including invoice payment issues.
  • Triages incoming materials from other units within the libraries, directing them into appropriate workflows or to Collection Development staff, as appropriate.
  • Works on resolution of routine and some complex order, receipt, invoice, bibliographic and holdings problems Initiates claims for missing materials and takes other corrective action for problem titles as needed, including correcting and updating records and collaborating with selectors, catalogers, and other ITS staff, as appropriate.
  • Serves as a source of information on established policies and procedures for other library staff.
  • May perform routine and more complex monograph copy cataloging and may serve as primary resource for the team for copy cataloging issues and bringing unresolved questions to the manager.
  • May contribute to or oversee special projects, including documentation and statistics Works according to changing daily priorities, demonstrates flexibility and ability to shift between multiple tasks effectively
  • Participates in unit-wide planning and implementation of new policies and procedures
  • Suggests innovations and generates ideas for improving workflows and creating efficiencies
  • Assists with developing training and procedural documentation for unit
  • May assist in hiring, training, scheduling, and distributing work to other staff or student workers.
  • Contributes to the overall goals of the department as appropriate.

Basic Qualifications

  • High school diploma or equivalent required
  • Proficiency with Microsoft Windows operating system and Windows software
  • Demonstrated facility with automated systems, including using online databases, working with spreadsheets and knowledge of file management techniques
  • Demonstrated experience using technology to perform daily tasks
  • Competency in keyboarding Previous library or related work experience required

Additional Qualifications

  • College degree preferred
  • Must have excellent organizational, written communication and analytical skills
  • Experience in library acquisitions and/or basic cataloging experience with continuing resource publications strongly preferred
  • Work experience in a production-oriented and technology-enhanced environment preferred
  • Must have excellent oral and interpersonal communication skills
  • Must have excellent English language communication skills; familiarity with Western European languages required
  • Ability to perform repetitive work accurately with fine attention to detail
  • Ability to work productively and cooperatively in a team environment, with flexibility and versatility in an evolving work situation.
  • In addition, the ability to work independently to perform complex tasks and meet project deadlines Facility with automated library systems preferred
  • Commitment to be part of a continuous learning environment, updating skills as required to perform job duties

Physical Demands

  • Keyboarding for at least 6 hours a day may be required.
  • Employee must be able handle books and other library material, including moving and shifting these materials between workstations, shelves, book trucks and boxes.
  • Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Work Environment

This is an office environment located in a library office setting, there may be limited exposure to dust and dirt.

Additional Information

At the Harvard Library, our work is enriched by our diverse campus community. Our unique and wide-ranging abilities, experiences, and perspectives are integral to achieving Harvard University’s mission of excellence in research, teaching, and learning for our patrons, our collections, and our workplace. We believe that an inclusive environment that cultivates and promotes understanding, respect, and collaboration across our diverse workforce enables our success. We encourage individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences and abilities to apply to be a part of our community of over 700 staff members. Our work with faculty, students and researchers to explore answers to intellectual questions, enduring and new, and to seek solutions to the world’s most consequential problems, requires that we not only reflect, but also champion our diverse society. Learn more about our contributions to the academic enterprise by visiting us at http://lib.harvard.edu/about-us and about the Harvard University community at http://hr.harvard.edu/why-harvard. The Harvard Library is a proud member of the ACRL Diversity Alliance

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EEO Statement

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by law.

To learn more or apply for these roles, please visit:

http://hr.harvard.edu/search-jobs

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