Special Collections & Archives Assistant

CSU Careers•Fresno, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Under the supervision and overall direction of the Head of Special Collections Research Center at the Fresno State Library, the Special Collections and Archives Assistant position in Special Collections oversees the operations of the research reading room for all Special Collections researchers. The incumbent takes the lead in answering reference and research questions in various modes (e.g. email, phone or in-person) and scheduling research visits. The incumbent hires, trains, schedules and oversees the work of student assistants in the unit. The incumbent also keeps track of the balances of various Foundation and state accounts for Special Collections. Additionally, this position serves an active and engaged role in all of the unit’s ongoing initiatives, projects, events and exhibitions. This is an in-office position Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Requirements

Thorough knowledge of and ability to interpret overall library policies and procedures and an in-depth knowledge of library operations, policies and procedures pertaining to assigned functional area, including a solid understanding of individual work functions and the ability to adapt work procedures.
Working knowledge of library collection and its organization, as well as classification schemes.
Demonstrated expertise in creating and correcting bibliographic records.
Thorough knowledge of external on-line databases, systems, and resources, including the ability to perform complex on-line searches.
Thorough knowledge of institution’s and library’s policies and practices associated with the ethical use of and access to library and on-line resources.
Working knowledge of national standards pertaining to library operations, including a thorough knowledge of institutional standards pertaining to copyright and intellectual property protection and the ability to interpret and apply them, as well as explain them to patrons, to ensure compliance.
Demonstrated expertise in using library automated system(s), especially subsystem(s) pertaining to the functional area, including database maintenance.
Strong written and verbal communication skills to be able to prepare internal library reports and written and visual presentations on library resources and present them to library patrons, including students.
Strong communication and interpretive skills to be able to interview patrons regarding their information needs and guide them in the use of more complex library and on-line resources.
Strong organizational skills to oversee and lead workflow in assigned areas.
Thorough knowledge of all aspects of lead work direction including assisting in employee selection, training employees in new work procedures, assigning work, organizing workflow, and establishing priorities, reviewing work, providing input to performance evaluations, and promoting teamwork to optimize effectiveness.
Working knowledge of campus human resource practices and payroll procedures.
Ability to investigate and research more complex problems, including analyzing and interpreting information.
Completion of a high school education or equivalent certification.
Two years of related library experience.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree.
Professional or volunteer experience in a library, especially an academic library and/or a special collections department or archives.
Full proficiency in the use of automated library system(s) and subsystem(s) pertaining to the Special Collections Research Center (e.g. OCLC, Ex Libris Primo, Samvera, Omeka and ArchivesSpace).
Shelving experience in a library using the Library of Congress (LC) call number classification.
Knowledge of local, regional and California history and/or Fresno State history.
Experience with: 1. LC subject headings and other controlled vocabularies 2. Inputting metadata into a database 3. Scanning and image editing 4. Software programs such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, PowerPoint and Microsoft Excel.

Responsibilities

Oversees the operations of the research reading room for all Special Collections researchers.
Takes the lead in answering reference and research questions in various modes (e.g. email, phone or in-person) and scheduling research visits.
Hires, trains, schedules and oversees the work of student assistants in the unit.
Keeps track of the balances of various Foundation and state accounts for Special Collections.
Serves an active and engaged role in all of the unit’s ongoing initiatives, projects, events and exhibitions.