User Services Assistant, Special Collections & Academic Engagement

Job Description

The Boston University Libraries seeks a User Services Assistant who can deliver responsive customer service to the University and extended visitor communities. Providing access to library services, resources, collections, and equipment at one or more of the Libraries’ service points, the User Services Assistant actively listens to questions and requests from the user community, interprets policies and procedures, and provides referrals to the Libraries' services and resources to address patron needs. 

This position would work the following hours:

•       Mugar Library (Days)

o   Tuesday – Friday

§  9am-5pm

o   Saturday

§  9:45am-5:45pm

Responsibilities

• Interacts with faculty, students, and other patrons concerning all circulation functions including loans of library materials, reserve items, finding resources at consortial libraries, resolving issues about fines and missing items, and assistance with requesting materials through interlibrary loan or digitization.
• Answers questions about access to materials, demonstrates how to find library resources such as journal articles, and refers patron to the appropriate librarians for consultations and in-depth research support.
• Routes visitors and additional members of the user community to appropriate borrowing privileges. 
• Completes activities such as book searching, shelving, collecting statistics, handling financial transactions, sorting & delivering library materials and identifying opportunities for service improvements.
• Performs some processing of materials for stacks or reserves and works with staff to resolve problems, correct errors, and maintain the physical condition of collections or records within the library services platform (Alma).
• Participates in the pick-up, sorting, delivery, check-in & return of materials between library units on the Charles River Campus. 
• Assists in the supervision and training of student employees at the branch. Guides student employees, assigns them work, and assists student employees as needed. 
• Assists with special projects such as stacks maintenance, storage retrieval, shelf-reading, resolution of issues such as lost/missing items, delivery of mail within the branch or tracking of statistics. 

A resume and cover letter are required to be considered. This position will remain open until filled.

Required Skills

• Bachelor’s degree
• 1-3 years of relevant experience

Working at Boston University Libraries 

Boston University Libraries is a learning organization that supports BU librarians, archivists, and information and subject specialists seeking and sharing knowledge, practices, and perspectives that advance library collections services, and their own professional development. In a collaborative, supportive, and engaging work environment, BU Libraries expert staff assist multidisciplinary research and exploration, build distinctive collections and archives of enduring research value, and empower users to thrive amid an ever-changing information environment. 

Located in the heart of Boston, the BU Libraries are embedded in numerous vibrant regional and national library and information specialist networks. The BU Libraries are active members within the Boston Library Consortium (BLC), the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), the Northeast Research Libraries Consortium (NERL), HathiTrust, ArchivesSpace, and the Coalition for Networked Information (CNI), and library staff at BU serve as engaged thought-leaders on a wide breadth of library management and service areas across diverse communities.  

Boston University, a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), is one of the leading private research and teaching institutions in the world, with three primary campuses in the heart of Boston and programs around the globe. Chartered in 1869, the University is home to more than 33,000 students from more than 130 countries, 375,000 living alumni, 10,000 faculty and staff, and 17 schools and colleges.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, natural or protective hairstyle, religion, sex, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, military service, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, or because of marital, parental, or veteran status. We are a VEVRAA Federal Contractor.