Temporary Support Assistant

Position Summary:
 

Reporting to the Director of the Music Library, collaborates with the Weekend/Evening Supervisor to coordinate operations at the service desk in the Music Library. The Temporary Support Assistant is responsible for managing the library services, operations, programs, and collections of the Music Library. The position provides quality customer service in all circulation, reserve, and reference activities and works with student assistants to complete special projects. Part-time, 20 hours per week with two evening shifts per week.
 

About the Work Unit:

The Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries at Vanderbilt University is comprised of nine libraries, as well as service departments in technical services, scholarly communications, IT infrastructure, and digital scholarship. We seek to create a welcoming environment and serve as a partner in research and scholarship. The libraries are dynamic places for faculty, staff, students, and alumni to reflect and discover. We also strive to be a workplace in which staff at every level continuously grow in knowledge and skills, staying abreast of advances and trends in librarianship to power relevant, vibrant research libraries.

The Temporary Support Assistant works in the Wilson Music Library, one of nine campus libraries within the Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries. The library’s primary user base are faculty, students, and pre-college students located in the Blair School of Music but inclusive of general university students interested in music. The music library staff work closely as a team, planning and delivering services to their constituents and making collections decisions together.

The Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries are fundamental to the university’s goal of advancing scholarship and learning. We collect, preserve and make accessible a wide variety of resources, we partner with faculty and students to shape research, and we encourage the development of informed scholars and engaged citizens.

Key Functions and Expected Performance:

• Performs all circulation functions and coordinates all operations of the service desk.
• Provides music subject expertise for reference services during hours when librarians are not present; exercising independent judgment, interviews library users to determine scope and depth of requests, then responds to or refers requests for appropriate action.
• Responsible for the physical and organizational maintenance of the Music Library’s print materials collection.
• Develops and maintains system to review shelving for accuracy; responsible for shelving quality control; keeps statistics related to shelving to establish workflow metrics.
• In the absence of the Weekend/Evening Supervisor, supervises and participates in the training of student employees.
• Develops friendly, cooperative working relationships with library users; promotes a positive library image in contact with the public.
• Instructs library users in the use of audio-visual equipment, and printers as needed; resolves problems with this equipment.
• Provides support for outreach activities/events including staffing when needed.
• Supports student desk attendants in resolving customer service issues in a user-focused, equitable way.
• Responds to emergency situations as appropriate per established guidelines and procedures.
• Processes sound and video files in support of digital projects.

Communications:

• Internal: Frequent contact and complex communication with various departments, staff, and faculty members
• External: Some contact with outside researchers and community partners
• Student/Faculty/Patron: Frequent contact with students, faculty and library users

Supervisory Relationships:

This position does not have supervisory responsibility; this position reports administratively and functionally to the Director of the Music Library

Education and Certifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree or 5 years of equivalent work experience in lieu of minimum education

Experience and Skills:

• 1 year of work experience in an academic or research library
• Ability to interact and communicate tactfully and effectively with library users with varied research and instructional needs; demonstrated ability to provide excellent customer service, preferably in a library setting or in a fast-paced service environment
• Knowledge of music and experience handling music-related material
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, email and internet browsers; proficiency in using Library catalogs and Integrated Library Systems; ability to learn and apply new technologies to existing operations
• Ability to independently manage multiple priorities and tasks
• Strong verbal and written communication skills

Preferred Experience and Skills

• Degree or background in music
• Music library experience, preferably with an automated circulation system
• Reading ability of a foreign language
• Knowledge of sound recording media, recorded sound history and/or musical discography
• Familiarity with audio-visual equipment
• Project management experience