Public Services Assistant, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Posted February 27, 2020
Houghton Library, Harvard’s world-class rare books and manuscripts library, is seeking a motivated library and information science graduate student to join our Public Services team. Houghton is home to the world famous and the almost entirely unknown, the ancient and the contemporary, the enduring and the ephemeral. Papyrus fragments, Civil War board games, Black Panther posters, medieval books of hours, and theatrical costume designs all share room on our shelves.
The Public Services department at Houghton is responsible for assisting researchers in the reading room and online, an active instruction program, and management of the library’s collections in the stacks. Our staff is ready to share their expertise with graduate students interested in a career in special collections. In addition to helping make collections available to researchers in our busy reading room and for our many classes, the public services assistant has the unique opportunity to learn first-hand from the inspiring collections and staff at Houghton.
Houghton is currently (until September 2020) undergoing a renovation to make the building more accessible and welcoming while enhancing research and teaching spaces. The public services assistant will have the opportunity to help transition from our temporary space in Widener Library back to Houghton, and make an impact on our improved services to users.
Duties
- Greet and assist researchers in the use of the library, and explain library policies and procedures.
- Provide in-person reference assistance and answer email and telephone queries.
- Monitor researchers to ensure proper handling of collections in the reading room.
- Work in the stacks, paging and reshelving and helping to maintain order in a complex system with materials that inhabit multiple physical locations and classifications systems
- Assist with the Houghton teaching program by gathering materials for classes and helping setup and monitor classes
- Additional projects are possible, depending on interest and availability. These may include involvement in social media and blogging, assisting with virtual and physical exhibitions, and assisting other departments with processing and cataloging of material.
Qualifications
Required
- A strong public services orientation and interest in developing reference skills
- Aptitude for detail, accuracy, and efficiency; good organizational skills.
- Ability to lift boxes weighing up to 40 pounds.
Preferred
- Strong interest in a career in archives and special collections work.
- Completion of courses in archives and special collections and/or reference.
- Prior library experience.
Hours
A regular schedule of 14 hours a week, including 5-7pm Tue, Wed, Thu. Starting September 2020, the schedule will also include Sat 9-5.
Salary: $17.00/hour
To Apply
Submit cover letter, resume, and references to James Capobianco, Reference Librarian, [email protected]