Library Operations Associate

Funk ACES Library

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Library

FUNCTION: This position serves a critical role in the public services and technical services of the Funk ACES Library, a hub library open over 100 hours/week. This position involves daily management of operations, including supervision of staff members and student assistants; oversight of all aspects of circulation; oversight of all technical services functions; and close collaboration with the unit head and other Funk employees.

Duties and Responsibilities

Unit Manager

• Manages operations at the Funk ACES Library. Recruits, interviews, hires, schedules, supervises, and disciplines all student assistants. Monitors the hourly wage budget. Participate in interviewing and hiring new staff members.
• Supervises and coordinates schedules of all staff members and completes annual staff performance evaluations.
• Monitors staffing coverage for all hours Funk is open; must be available to staff members and Graduate Assistants (GA) (via email/phone/text) at all hours in the event of an emergency, illness, or coverage issue.
• Manages payroll and approves time sheets for all staff members, graduate hourly, and student assistants.
• Trains or supervises the training of new employees.
• Works a regular shift supervising the Funk circulation desk.
• Meets regularly with the Head of Funk and attends Funk staff meetings.
• Identifies and provides timely information for Funk employees regarding scheduling, technology, circulation policy, library-wide issues/information that directly affect Funk.
• Identifies projects and oversees student and staff work. Oversee all aspects of circulation and billing.
• Coordinates training GAs on all aspects of circulation along with GA Supervisor.
• Provides backup for Veterinary Medicine Library operations (i.e., circulation and billing). Provides reference service as needed.
• Creates/maintains and documents all policies for Funk, including, but not limited to staff/student employment expectations, disciplinary procedures, timesheet procedures, circulation policy, and collection maintenance policy and workflow.
• Contributes to Funk activities (e.g., annual panel event, exhibits).
• Coordinates emergency procedures for Funk and serves as an emergency contact for Funk.
• Serves as the liaison to College of ACES departments also located in the ACES Library, Information and Alumni Center (LIAC) to communicate and coordinate operations and activities.

Technical Services and Collection Management Manager

• Performs or supervises all technical services functions at Funk.
• Serves as the liaison to Collection Management Services (CMS) and Acquisitions and Cataloging Services (ACS).
• Performs all serial and monographic cataloging.
• Supervises all aspects of monographic and serial accession, cataloging, correction, withdrawal, and circulation.
• Trains and supervise staff in collection maintenance practices.
• Supervises all aspects of routine collection management (shelving, cleaning, shifting, re-labeling) and develops and negotiates the workflow for more complicated stacks and collection management situations (e.g., large-scale withdrawals to Oak Street by CMS, large-scale accessions and any sizeable stacks shifting that will result from these situations).

Minimum Qualifications

1. High school diploma or equivalent.
2. Any combination totaling four (4) years (48 months) from the following categories:
1. work experience in a library or equivalent setting.
2. college course work in any field as measured by the following conversion table:
• 30 semester hours equals one (1) year (12 months)
• Associate’s Degree (60 semester hours) equals eighteen months (18 months)
• 90 semester hours equals two (2) years (24 months)
• Bachelor’s Degree (120 semester hours) equals three (3) years (36 months)
3. A total of two (2) years (24 months) work experience in a library or equivalent setting performing progressively more responsible work consistent with the next lower level of this series.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Must have extensive knowledge of many facets of Library operations, including Alma circulation, cataloging. and acquisitions.
• Must have advanced cataloging skills.
• Must know procedures for hiring, training, supervising, scheduling, and payroll.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

Difficulty:

Complexity

This is a complex job requiring strong interpersonal skills, supervisory experience, leadership skills, knowledge of library operations, the ability to manage multiple tasks concurrently, and attention to detail.

Scope and Effect

The performance of this job affects the operations of Funk Library, the availability of the collection, and the experience of library colleagues and patrons. Funk Library has 5 full-time staff members (including this position) and about 20 undergraduate student assistants. Funk Library is open over 100 hours per week, until 2am five nights per week during the academic year.

Personal Relationships:

Personal Contacts

This position has wide-ranging personal contacts, including library colleagues, library administrators, student assistants, Graduate Assistants, and library patrons. These communications may be in-person or written. This position supervises individuals (staff and students) with little or no overlap in schedules, because of late-night and/or weekend shifts.

Purpose

These contacts are related to supervision, managing library operations, providing high-quality patron services, and maintaining communication within the University Library.

Environmental Demands:

Physical Requirements

Some moving and lifting or books and other library materials is necessary. The ability to deal with dust and paper without problems. The possibility of on-site night and/or weekend work as needed.

Work Environment

The Funk ACES Library is a safe, pleasant environment in which to work. The job is performed in a staff work area and at the Funk Circulation Desk.

Supervisory Controls:

Reports to the unit head and works closely with librarians, staff members, graduate students, and student assistants. Organizes their own work and is responsible for supervising library operations within the guidelines and procedures set by the unit head and the University Library.

Guidelines:

Guidelines are set by the University, University Library, and the unit head.