Library Assistant

TO APPLY: Interested candidates should attach a cover letter and resume, both as PDF documents, to their application in the Newberry Career Center. Applications sent without both a resume and cover letter will not be considered. To be considered for this role, applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship. If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable to apply for a job on this site as a result of your disability. You can request reasonable accommodations by email.

ABOUT THE NEWBERRY: The Newberry collection—some 1.6 million books, 600,000 maps, and five million manuscript pages—is a portal to more than six centuries of human history, from the Middle Ages to the present. We connect researchers and visitors with our collection in the Newberry’s reading rooms, exhibition galleries, program spaces, classrooms, and online digital resources.

Since its founding in 1887, the Newberry has remained dedicated to deepening our collective understanding of ourselves and the world around us. As individuals engage with Newberry collections and staff, they discover stories that bridge the past and present and illuminate the human condition.

The Newberry’s community of discovery is driven by a shared commitment to promoting research, inspiring learning, and using inquiry across the humanities as a tool to engage critically in a vibrant democratic society.

SUMMARY: Reporting to the Reading Room Librarian for Public Service or the Reading Room Librarian for Collection Management, the Library Assistant assists in the public service of the reading rooms.

This position is part of a bargaining unit represented by AFSCME Council 31.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Circulation and Collection Maintenance
  • Locate, charge, and deliver materials from the closed bookstacks to readers in the reading rooms and throughout the building.
  • Reshelve returned materials and shelve new materials
  • Assist readers with the proper handling of materials
  • Evaluate materials for ownership markings and or/conservation treatment and route as appropriate
  • Maintain closed and open stacks by participating in shifts and other stacks management projects
• Circulation Desk
  • Serve as the circulation desk attendant providing orientation, direction, and assistance, including some reference help, to a wide variety of readers
  • Accurately maintain circulation database through routing and charging of material requests and signing readers into the reading room (Aeon, online circulation system)
  • Interpret and enforce Newberry Library policy and regulations as they apply to the reading room
  • Monitor use of the reading rooms
  • Organize and direct tasks for paging materials
  • Assist readers and staff with requests and orders for digital images
• Other Duties
  • Process reproduction orders using a book-friendly scanner
  • Answer correspondence including reference research and copy requests
  • Assist with the training of student workers, new Library staff, and volunteers
  • Assist curators and librarians with additional potential projects in other areas of the Library including Reference, Collection Services, and Conservation
  • All other duties as assigned to meet departmental and organizational goals

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Required:
  • High school diploma or GED certificate required;
  • Commitment to providing high quality library services to a diverse group of students, scholars, staff, and researchers;
  • Ability to communicate with diverse library users and staff in person, by email, and by telephone;
  • Ability to work effectively with others in a team environment;
  • Ability to work quickly and accurately within a high level of activity;
  • Ability to sustain close attention to detail;
  • Excellent organizational and problem-solving skills;
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills;
  • Previous library and/or public service work experience.
• Preferred:
  • Minimum of two years of college;
  • Strong interest in the humanities;