People Strategy, Equity, and Culture

Library Technical Services Specialist

  • Title: Library Technical Services Specialist
  • Class: Classified
  • Exempt Status: Non-Exempt
  • Grade: 18

Job Summary

Under the direction of the Library Technology Manager, the incumbent serves as the primary staff member responsible for library resource management in an assigned area (e.g. cataloging or serials). Additional duties may include training, guiding, coaching, and reviewing the work of student, volunteer, and casual employees.

Typical Duties and Responsibilities

  1. Recommends and implements local practice to ensure data interoperability with local, consortial, and international standards.
  2. Maintains the library’s unified resource management system records pertaining to resource management, discoverability, and accessibility.
  3. Responsible for data maintenance and cleanup within the unified management system.
  4. Prepares physical items for fulfillment according to local procedures including: labeling, stamping, packaging, and programming and troubleshooting RFID tags.
  5. Creates and maintains procedural documentation for the department.
  6. Creates reports for local and national audiences including legally required auditing reporting as needed.
  7. Works with Access Services and Orbis Cascade Alliance staff to provide optimal data management.
  8. Coordinates withdrawal of library materials from multiple systems as needed; works with external vendors to remove withdrawn items.
  9. Participates in the hiring and supervision of student workers, volunteers, and on-call employees.  Trains and coaches these positions in technical services procedures. Creates training materials.
  10. Manage departmental supplies and equipment.
  11. Stays current on library technical services technology and methodology.
  12. May participate in college or consortial committees, taskforces, and projects.
  13. Performs other duties as assigned.
Cataloging Specialist
  1. Performs copy and original cataloging at the network level using a bibliographic utility for new materials acquired by the library in a variety of material formats.
  2. Appropriately applies cataloging rules such as found in Anglo-American Cataloging Rules (AACR2), Resource Description and Access (RDA), Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH), Dewey Decimal Classification, and MARC21.
Serials Specialist
  1. Coordinates the acquisition and maintenance of the library’s print and electronic serials collection.
  2. Collaborates with library faculty to assess, select, and deselect serials content for the library.
  3. Serves as institutional liaison with serials vendors and coordinates acquisition and maintenance of that collection.
  4. Creates and maintains serial holdings records in multiple systems, processes payments, tracks expenditures.
  5. Oversees the donation acceptance program; supports the materials review process in conjunction with library faculty.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements

Work is primarily performed in a library and is fast-paced with regular interruptions. Duties of this position are usually performed in an indoor environment.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to sit. The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and push/pull up to 16-20 pounds initially, 10-15 pounds sustained, 25-35 pounds up thresholds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision and ability to adjust focus.

Some assignments involve lifting of materials (25 to 50 pounds) and use of carts and hand trucks.  Some assignments involve transporting materials from loading docks, between rooms, and within the library.

Minimum Qualifications

Associate’s degree and two years of relevant library experience.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge of:
  • National and international cataloging rules and standards;
  • Library classification schemes;
  • Authority control principles;
  • Unified resource management or integrated library systems;
  • Manual and automated processes for database management.
Skills in:
  • Critical thinking;
  • Good time management.
Ability to:
  • Interact positively with staff to enhance effectiveness and promote quality service;
  • Maintain effective working relationships with coworkers;
  • Organize and maintain records;
  • Be collaborative and an active listener;
  • Analyze and resolve problems with minimal supervision;
  • Prepare reports and perform data analysis;
  • Remain calm in high pressure situations;
  • Effectively communicate orally and in writing;
  • Follow Protocols and escalation procedures;
  • Work with multiple priorities in a fast-paced and changing environment;
  • Create queries and processes to perform data maintenance.

Reviewed: 12/18

  • Revised: 05/2014
  • New: 02/2014