Acquisitions Librarian

Primary Purpose of Job & Essential Duties/Responsibilities

Primary Purpose of Job

The primary purpose of this position is to obtain new materials and refurbish the library collection for use by all patrons and to support library activities. This position also performs duties which support circulation, reference services, and the promotion of all library services to the community. This position also will perform the daily tasks associated with the operations of a library.

Under the direct supervision of the Library Director, the employee works independently on assigned duties and responsibilities.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Recommends, acquires, and manages the acquisition of a diverse range of materials and supplies for the various patron groups and library activities working with other library staff in particular the Youth and Adult Services librarians to purchase and replace materials

• Creates policies and procedures and maintains department documentation related to all aspects of library acquisitions

• Maintains accurate budget records of all acquisitions and monitors the destruction of such records in accordance with CBS Retention Schedule

• Provides regular reports on acquisition activities and maintains statistics for related areas

• Oversees Alaska Library Consortium circulation such as outgoing and incoming materials, track items in transit, trains staff on mail procedures, and contacts other consortium libraries to resolve issues

• Evaluates vendors for selection, assigns vendor fund codes for purchase and payment, and maintains relationships to ensure the finalizing negotiations of licenses, ordering, and managing access to electronic resources as well as any prompt resolution of problems

• Performs cash reconciliation of all monies collected, maintains petty cash fund, transfers cash to the finance office, and performs related accounting procedures

• Performs the Library Assistant duties

• Performs other related duties as assigned

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

Knowledge of:

• Modern methods, tools, and materials of library science

• Standard library practices and procedures.

• Best practices handling cash and with basic bookkeeping

• General budgeting principles and practices

Skills In:

• Operating a personal computer using standard software applications appropriate to assigned tasks, including Excel, Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint and other customized library-related software

• Providing strong customer service to a diverse group of people with varying cultures and backgrounds

• Dealing with a wide range of persons, including situations in which individuals may be upset over some issue where they are upset or disagree with a decision

• General mathematics such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and deriving percentages

• Multi-task, being able to stay organized

• Organization and time management, and ability to focus on details

• Writing correspondence, professional emails, and reports of a professional nature

Ability to:

• Provide communicate information and interact effectively to co-workers and the public to maintain library policies and public safety

• Empathize and manage sensitive or contentious issues with patrons professionally

• Recognize and maintain confidential information

• Maintain professional relationships across the organization and in the community

• Work as a team with results-driven approach

• Communicate well with others, both orally and in writing, using both technical and non-technical language

• Understand and follow oral and written policies, procedures and instructions

• Use logical and creative thought processes to develop solutions according to written specifications and oral instructions

• Perform a wide variety of duties and responsibilities with accuracy and speed under pressure of time sensitive deadlines and changing priorities

• Quickly learn and put to use new skills and knowledge

Minimum Qualifications & Other Job Requirements/Expectations

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor Degree in Library or Information Science or related field, Masters Degree, preferred;

and

• One year of experience working in Sitka Public library or other library system;

and

• One year of experience working in bookkeeping, handling cash, or budgeting;

or

• Any equivalent combination of experience, education and training which provides the knowledge,

skills, and abilities necessary to perform the work.

Other Job Requirements or Expectations

• Requires working some split shifts and on evenings, weekends, and holidays

Working Conditions & Physical Requirements

Working Conditions:

• Indoors, in a library

Specific Physical Requirements:

• Frequent stooping, bending, reaching, and stretching when performing work such as rearranging furniture or putting away library books and other materials

• Lifting boxes weighing up to 50 pounds, with or without assistance of proper equipment or the help from another

• Pushing fully loaded book trucks which weigh up to 50 pounds but can weigh more

• Standing or sitting at a workstation majority of shift

General Physical Requirements:

• Sufficient clarity of speech and hearing or other communication capabilities which permits the employee to communicate effectively

• Sufficient vision and powers of observation which permits the employee to review a wide variety of written documents, fulfill patron requests, and related material in both electronic and hardcopy form and to ensure the safety and security of the library and its patrons

• Sufficient manual dexterity and strength which permits the employee to operate a keyboard and produce hand-written materials and notations and move books, materials, and other library equipment

• Sufficient personal mobility and physical reflexes which permits the employee to perform the duties

associated with retrieving and reshelving library books and materials