Library Assistant

**Schedule**
Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm

**Education Level**
Bachelor's Degree in relevant field

**Career Level**

Requires a minimum of 4 years of relevant experience, including two years for the completion of a diploma in Library and Information Technology.

**General Description**

Responsible for providing a variety of services to users including research help, circulation and reserve, interlibrary loans, collection maintenance, and the safe keeping of library resources. Requires a thorough knowledge of library policies,procedures, and systems.

**Representative Duties & Responsibilities**

needs.

Provide circulation, reserve, and interlibrary loan services.

Provide in-depth research help by interpreting patron requests for research materials and finding solutions to their research needs by constructing complex search queries of various online systems and networks.

Refer requests to appropriate internal and external sources and offer alternatives as required.

Extract, interpret, and integrate information from a wide variety of traditional and non-traditional resources.

Search online databases to identify and determine the correct bibliographic entries for research materials.

Interpret bibliographic references to determine if the library owns the specific materials.

Update and maintain all files and databases required to provide access to and control over course material and circulating collections.

Scrutinize reserve reading lists, call numbers and publication information for errors and omissions.

Create and maintain the reserve database to make sure materials are available to students when required.

Liaise with faculty and adjust library materials according to course demands.

Locate and obtain requested materials and inform patrons of alternative sources of information, as required.

Provide interlibrary loans service to students and faculty at the University and from libraries outside of the McMaster

community which requires requesting, receiving, and distributing resources to and from other libraries.

Respond to shipping and tracking inquiries of University library materials forwarded to other libraries.

Maintain accurate financial, patron, and processing records for all incoming and outgoing interlibrary loans materials.

national and international institutions, to follow up on information requests.

Calculate statistics for research help, interlibrary loan, circulation, and reserve transactions. Calculate fines and

variations in currency exchange rates.

Track overdue materials that have not been returned by patrons and contact them to request the return of materials.

Determine eligibility for borrower cards for non-University users.

Maintain accurate system records for patrons and materials circulating in the library system.

Maintain the confidentiality of patron information.

Collect payments for borrower cards, fines, and replacement charges.

Review circumstances and determine if fines will be charged, reduced, or waived. Calculate charges, including administrative charges, and process journal entries related to reserve fines, recall fines, and replacement book costs.

Investigate circumstances regarding fine disputes to determine if the fine should be reduced or waived.

Use a point of sale machine to process financial transactions.

Shelve library materials and maintain condition of library collections.

Open and close the building and liaise with Security Services as required.

Read, understand, and remain current with legislative and policy documents regarding copyright restrictions.

Update and maintain knowledge of the operational and administrative processes relating to the functions of local

departmental and library-wide policies and procedures.

Exchange library system and procedure information with colleagues and users.

Adapt to incremental changes to library technology and knowledge base.

Track and report photocopying requests according to established access copyright requirements.

Assist students who have encountered difficult situations such as lost or stolen personal items in the library.

Assist library staff and patrons with campus fleet photocopier, printer and fax problems.

Set up and maintain filing systems, both electronic and hard copy.

Assist patrons with problems in accessing resources and report systems problems to the Library and Learning

Technologies staff.

Report building maintenance problems.

Maintain First-Aid qualification.

**Supervision**

Ensure adherence to quality standards and procedures for short-term staff and volunteers.

Provide orientation and show procedures to others.

Supervise short-term staff, in the absence of supervisor, during mínimal staffing times.

**Qualifications**

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field.

2 year Community College diploma in Library and Information Technology.

Requires a minimum of 4 years of relevant experience, including two years for the completion of a diploma in Library

and Inform