Special Collections Assistant

**Closes: August 12, 2025**:
**Position Title**:

- Special Collections Assistant

**Job Number**:

- 86

**Department**:

- Special Collections: Archives and Rare Books, John M. Kelly Library, University of St. Michael’s College

**Supervisor**
- Digital Archivist, Special Collections

**Compensation**:

- Hiring Rate: $34.69 per hour / 35-hour week, Pay Band 8

**Hours**:

- 35-hour work week (Monday to Friday; 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.). Hours may vary.

**Terms**:

- Permanent /Full-Time (6 month probation period)This is not a remote position.

**Posting Date**:

- July 15, 2025

**Closing Date**:

- August 12, 2025Applications should address the selection criteria with a letter of interest and curriculum vitae that includes the names and contact information for three references. Please submit these items as a single PDF with a file name that begins with applicant’s last name.

**ABOUT THE JOHN M. KELLY LIBRAR**Y

One of over 40 libraries at the University of Toronto, the John M. Kelly Library is the largest Federated college library at the University. The collection is strong in the humanities, including Catholic theology, the Middle Ages, book history and media studies, Celtic Studies, and English, French, Italian, Slavic and German literature.

The John M. Kelly Library’s Special Collections: Archives and Rare Books house the University of St. Michael’s College’s specialized collections. The archival holdings focus on the areas of Catholicism, Christianity, Christian spirituality, and literature and language. Highlights include the archives of spiritual writer Henri Nouwen (The Henri J.M. Nouwen Archives and Research Collection), L’Arche Canada and L’Arche Daybreak collections, an extensive array of 19th century French literature materials, and the personal archives and library of the Canadian modernist writer Sheila Watson. These collections and others actively support the teaching, learning and research needs of USMC students and faculty from all disciplines, and the wider scholarly community.

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A core member of the Special Collections function unit, the Special Collections Assistant supports the daily operations of the John M. Kelly Library’s Special Collections: Archives and Rare Book division, which includes the library’s rare book and archival materials. The incumbent will also be cross trained to support the library’s Access and Information team and work in partnership with other functional teams across the library to support patron services.

This position will start as soon as possible.

**DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES**

**Opening and closing the library.** This position may, from time to time, be responsible for the regular opening and closing of the library. This includes unlocking and locking doors; changing signage; turning on/off computers, photocopiers, and other equipment; and other tasks as required.

**Opening and closing the Reading Room.** This position will be responsible for the regular opening and closing of the Special Collections Reading Room. This includes unlocking and locking doors; changing signage; turning on/off computers, photocopiers, and other equipment; and other tasks as required.

**Researcher registration.** This position will be responsible for overseeing the registration of Special Collections researchers. This includes administering registration procedures, implementing and maintaining researcher registration and appointment booking systems, verifying researcher identity, and instructing researchers in reading room rules and procedures.

**Reading room procedures.** This position will oversee the security and safe handling of materials by researchers in the Special Collections Reading Room. This includes instructing researchers in reading room rules and procedures. This position will also ensure the general good order and cleanliness of reading room spaces and resources.

**Maintaining statistics and preparing reports.** This position is responsible for maintaining usage statistics and preparing reports as required. This may include tracking reading room usage, number of questions answered, reference and retrieval statistics, preparing usage reports, and other recording of work done.

**Maintaining library equipment.** This position will assist patrons with the use of electronic equipment as necessary (e.g., laptop wireless connections, computer workstations, photocopiers, printers, microfilm readers, TCards). The Special Collections Assistant will also be responsible for requesting maintenance from outside contractors and ordering supplies as necessary.

**Maintaining archival and special collections materials.** This position will retrieve and return materials from closed stacks, shelve new acquisitions, perform general collections maintenance, and always ensure the security of items through careful attention to security and access to storage spaces.

**Processing of materials.** This position may, from time to time, and under the supervision of an Archivist