Job Description

Public Services Assistant

Alfred University Libraries Public Services Team's mission is to provide students, staff, faculty, and community guest users with welcoming, inclusive, and safe access to the library spaces and collections. Public Services is responsible for opening, staffing, and closing the building, and for user and staff safety and security during regular and extended hours. The Public Services Library Assistant is an integral member of the team. Duties include: providing courteous, friendly services; assisting patrons in finding information; facilitating access to library resources and borrowing activities; implementing and modeling library policies and procedures; training and supervising student employees; and organizing and maintaining the circulating collections.

The libraries are looking for two Public Services Assistants, one for the Scholes Library and one for Herrick Library. Rate: $17.50, 12-15 hours per week.

Essential Functions

• While this position does oversee evening/weekend student workers to ensure completion of tasks, it has no supervisor authority.
• Customer Service:
  • Acts as a library ambassador during evening and weekend hours, offering information about library services to guests, prospective students, and the public. Ensures students, faculty, staff and the public are afforded excellent customer service in person, via email or on the phone.
  • Assists patrons in using the library, locating materials, and overseeing the accurate circulation of library materials.
  • Assists patrons in locating information for research needs by teaching the use of library specific tools (e.g., Google Scholar, library catalog and web page, Library of Congress Classification system, and other bibliographic tools).
  • Facilitates and supervises patron access to the rare library materials in Special Collections.
  • Instructs patrons in the operation of public computers, copiers, printers, scanners, microfilm reader, and AV equipment, including assisting patrons with technology questions regarding software and printing processes.
• Supervision:
  • Supervises on-duty student workers and oversee their performance and projects. Carries out mentorship approach of supervision with the mission of preparing student employees for post-graduation employment by modelling and coaching professional conduct and customer service.
  • Supports the Scholes Public Services Coordinator in training of evening/weekend college work-study students.
  • Supports the Scholes Public Services Coordinator to ensure adequate service desk scheduling and staffing. May work additional evening/weekend hours to cover absences or during periods of extended hours, such as finals week. Acts as back-up closer in the absence of the evening/weekend student closers.
• Public Services:
  • Helps maintain the aesthetics and proper functioning of the library public spaces and equipment and reports problems to the Director of Libraries, Public Services Coordinator, ITS or custodian as appropriate.
  • Responds to immediate building or security issues by calling Public Safety or the facilities after hours number.
  • Assists Scholes Public Services Coordinator in circulation management tasks such as tracking overdue notices, searching for missing and lost items and retrieving request materials and processing for pick up.
  • Supports the Scholes Public Services Coordinator through projects such as Reserve processing, creating displays and acting as library representative during evening/weekend programming in the libraries.
  • Actively contributes to and supports a unified Scholes and Herrick Library Public Services Team by keeping up to date with policy, service, and workflow changes and identifying making recommendations for innovation to the Public Services Librarian.
  • Assists in collection, recording, and tracking of library use statistics.

Other Duties & Responsibilities

• Supports and assists in creating an evolving culture of mentoring and rich engagement opportunities for faculty, staff, and students.
• Maintains a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and a high degree of cultural competence and respect for a wide range of identities and experiences, therefore welcoming and supporting all faculty, staff, and students and expanding access to the AU experience.
• Participates in all required assigned training, including safety training and will comply with safety rules, regulations, and protocols.
• Effective written and oral communication skills.
• Contributes to the overall success of the University by performing other duties as assigned.

Qualifications-Education & Experience, Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Associate's degree or college experience is required. A combination of education and relevant customer service experience may be substituted in lieu of education requirement.
• A minimum of 1 year of customer service experience is required. Previous experience working in an academic or library environment and/or previous supervisory experience is highly desirable. Experience or ability to perform college-level research is highly preferred.
• Additional Knowledge/Skills:
  • Flexibility and problem-solving skills are essential.
  • Poise in dealing with the public, including the ability to exercise independent judgment, and a strong service orientation with an emphasis on providing excellent customer service.
  • Because libraries are technical environments, proficiency with computers, including Microsoft Outlook, Word, and Excel, familiarity with Internet searching and knowledge of office machines such as printers, copiers and scanners is required.
  • Ability to learn new software and tools.
  • Attention to detail and good oral and written communication skills are necessary.
  • Ability to collect statistical data and keep records accurately. Ability to work on a team in collaboration with colleagues.
  • Ability and interest in working within a diverse, open and inclusive environment.
  • Ability and interest in supervising and working with college students.
  • Ability to manage multiple ongoing projects and work with interruptions.
  • Support Alfred University Libraries' values of free and open pursuit of knowledge and the Libraries' commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Anti-Racism.

Physical Demands & Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Personal Protective Equipment must be worn when required. A respiratory function test and the ability to use respirators may be required. Stairs and uneven surfaces may be present; artificial lifts, etc. may or may not be available. The position may require the incumbent to walk outdoors in all types of weather to other buildings or offices located on the campus. The Campus is located in an area that contains numerous hills and slopes and may not always be fully accessible for mobility impaired individuals.

About Alfred University

Lighting the way for students since 1836. "We've always been a place for makers, especially those who make the future. Our commitment to independent thinking, creativity, academic rigor and community have made us a unique kind of leader since 1836." Alfred University (AU) was founded on principles of social justice in 1836 by liberal, independent thinkers who placed high value on education for all citizens. The University has retained and built upon the strong values of its founders, developing as an institution of national and international renown that is responsive to the needs of contemporary society while remaining consistent with the spirit of its origins. Alfred University is the second oldest coeducational college in the United States as well as one of the earliest nineteenth century colleges to have enrolled African American and Native American students. It has a long-standing history of educating socially conscious students who make a difference in their professions and their communities. Over the course of the twentieth century, Alfred University evolved into a complex institution offering a full range of programs in the liberal arts and sciences, art and design, engineering, business, education, counseling, and school psychology to its nearly 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students that live, learn, and play on a 232-acre campus located in an idyllic, creative valley in Western New York. To learn more, visit alfred.edu.

Alfred University actively subscribes to a policy of equal employment opportunity, and will not discriminate against any employee, student or applicant because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, gender identification or expression, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry or national origin, marital status, genetic information, military or veteran status, domestic violence victim status, criminal conviction status, political affiliation or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

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