Library Technician - Public Services

at  Douglas College

WORK ARRANGEMENTS

This regular full-time (35 hours per week) position is available starting June 2024. Regular work hours are Tuesday to Friday, 8:30 am – 4:00 pm, Saturday, 9:00 am – 5 pm in the Fall and Winter Semesters. Monday to Friday, 9:30 am to 5:00 pm in the Summer Semester. Shift days and times may change depending on the Department’s needs. Occasional evening and/or weekend work may be required. The position is located at the Coquitlam campus; however, the successful candidate must be available for work at the New West campus when needed.
Douglas College (DC) is committed to supporting a healthy work/life balance for employees. A modified schedule may be considered. Details to be determined.

WHAT DOUGLAS OFFERS

DO what you love. Be good at it. That’s how Douglas College defines a great career. It’s a philosophy that resonates through our classrooms, our offices and our boardrooms. It inspires our students and drives us to make Douglas College one of BC’s Top Employers. We love what we do. And we’re looking for passionate, motivated people to join us in making one of Canada’s best colleges even better.

2. A sound working knowledge of:

• standard library techniques, vocabulary and organization, including Library of Congress Classification and bibliographic conventions, and student oriented service delivery.
• various types of media equipment and software used in post-secondary education

THE ROLE

Library Technicians contribute to the success of the Learning Resources Department at Douglas College by supporting its services, programs and strategic directions. The Library Technician, Public Services provides direct and accessible service to the public using a range of complex departmental processes in areas such as: circulation, collections, cataloguing and technical support. In a rapidly changing environment, the incumbent provides exceptional client-centred service to a diverse community of users with a wide range of abilities, ethnic backgrounds, language skills, and learning styles.

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Public Support: responsible for providing access and direction to materials and information, to students, faculty, and staff as well as members of the public and external institutions.
   a. exercises a high degree of integrity and confidentiality of all patron records;
   b. Interprets, applies and communicates library, college and external policies and procedures (e.g. copyright, Compass) by answering questions on behalf of the College via phone, e-mail and in person from both internal and external clients;
   c. collects fines, damages and replacement fees, settles payments, handles cash, processes.
   d. refunds; transacts sales;
   e. creates and maintains delinquency records; negotiates or forgives fines within set policies, ascertains when a student is in good standing and removes Banner blocks;
   f. maintains first-line contact answering all informational questions, and refers patrons needing further assistance to other Library, College or community resources internally or externally;
   g. demonstrates to patrons how to navigate the library’s website, how to reserve online library preview and study rooms, use electronic library resources college services (e.g. college network account, password resets); and external resources (e.g. other libraries, Compass, etc.);
   h. supports patrons in difficult and stressful situations on a daily basis. Regularly deals with students who are upset over fines, lost items or damaged equipment, unavailable resources, library policies, noise complaints, out of order technologies, and other college problems not related to the library;
   i. takes actions to tactfully halt disruption of library activities by problem patrons and evaluates risk and/or need to forward to Operations Supervisor or Director;
   j. identifies service request patterns for evaluation and works in collaboration with key campus partners in order to remedy repetitious problems that impacts front line service to new and returning patrons;
   k. responsible for daily transactions of checking in/out and renewing materials and equipment; reserving a variety of media types (i.e. Books, time sensitive DVD’s/equipment); monitoring the security system; securely receives, logs and forwards student term papers;
   l. using Banner and the library database, checks patron registration status, registers and/or updates patron information, issues ID validation stickers, and borrower cards to the general public;
   m. regularly handles lifts and/or relocates odd-sized and heavy library collections and audio-visual equipment such as large screens, flipcharts, monitors, etc.
2. Technical Support: provides in-person, telephone, and on-line first level technical support for all educational and computer related technology installed in, or on loan from Learning Resources. This includes, but is not limited to, computers, printers, scanners, photocopiers, Smart boards, and equipment for loan (i.e., laptops, peripherals, cameras, display technology, video recording equipment, audio equipment, microphones, speaker phones etc.)
   a. provides reliable, timely technical assistance to students, staff, faculty and community users, for a wide variety of equipment (see above under 2. Technical Support)
   b. informs and monitors that all equipment and software is used with copyright and licensing agreements;
   c. instructs and assists users on the use of various equipment (see above under 2. Technical Support), software programs (e.g. Word, Excel, PowerPoint), and Network accounts;
   d. identifies technical issues concerning equipment, software, and Network accounts used in the library. Troubleshoots and documents issues. Liaises with CEIT to provide reliable solutions to resolve complex problems;
   e. maintains current familiarity with new technologies pertaining to public services such as upgrades to computer software on student computers, WIFI access, new printers, photocopiers, and various mobile devices (e.g. IOS, Android etc.).
3. Learning Resources Departmental Support:
   a. promotes and provides patrons with information on library and College activities, services, and facilities;
   b. participates in division meetings, projects and committees; recommends changes to improve library resources, processes and accessibility to patrons;
   c. establishes and documents procedures;
   d. collects and collates statistics for a variety of functions related to library public services.
4. Additional Responsibilities.
   a. opens/closes the library including library system log on/off;
   b. trains and may supervise student employees;
   c. reports all safety concerns, assists with emergency procedures;
   d. responsible for the safety of students/patrons within the Library when no supervisor on site
   e. may backup duties for staff in technical services;
   f. other duties and participation in special projects required.
5. Area Specific Duties.
   a. responsible for performing assigned duties whereby materials are obtained/maintained or instruction is provided to students and faculty in order to further enhance, and enrich existing services, and resources.
6. Reserve Collection-Responsible for high demand, time-sensitive electronic and physical reserve collection within a continuously changing electronic and copyright environment.
   a. analyzes and anticipates demand of course related materials to determine requirement for placing on Reserve;
   b. processes and maintains control of reserve materials as requested by instructional faculty;
   c. interprets and applies Canadian copyright policies, procedures, practices and standards and communicates this to individual faculty;
   d. utilizes the ILS (Integrated Library System) to create files and course pages, link websites and on-line articles for access through library’s online catalogue.
7. Instructional Support
   a. schedules and organizes library and course specific research instruction;
   b. communicates diplomatically with library and instructional faculty to match required level of instruction, library faculty availability and curriculum subject focus of classes;
   c. accepts, marks and records student library assignments;
   d. assesses, tests or creates library and citation assignments and answer keys;
   e. monitors and addresses plagiarism issues that arise out of marking of library assignments;
   f. monitors and provides input on information literacy curriculum, handouts, and online resources used in library instruction;
   g. maintains up-to-date repository of all instructional faculty-submitted assignments and historical records of library assignments;
   h. manages the study-room bookings module calendar in alignment with room booking policy; schedules closures in advance and liaises with CSD to schedule advance room bookings for tutoring sessions;
   i. maintains print stock of style guides.
8. Interlibrary Loans
   a. performs and analyzes all electronic searches and selects appropriate source based on availability and/or monetary costs from regional, national, and international libraries;
   b. works in compliance with established policies of all affiliated working groups (e.g. lending libraries, film distributors, adaptive technologies) as well as current copyright laws and public performance rights; often dealing with loans that are time sensitive;
   c. monitors, analyzes and reconciles invoices to appropriate orders for payment and forwards coded invoices for departmental signature. Prepares and maintains billing advices, receives payments and forwards billing advices and payments to Finance;
   d. maintains manual and computer files pertaining to Interlibrary Loans and prepares all received materials for circulation/distribution;
   e. adhering to strict timelines, catalogues and processes all received materials for circulation/distribution, upon return deletes catalogued records from database and prepares materials for return to lending institution.
9. Holds, Bookings and Delinquencies
   a. uses the ILS (Integrated Library System) to fulfill and track requests;
   b. schedules internal or external courier services to pickup/deliver time sensitive media materials to internal/external clients to meet viewing dates;
   c. tracks high demand requests and delinquencies, contacting patrons and initiating Banner blocks as necessary;
   d. refers patrons to Collection Agency in accordance with established policy.

12. CASH TRANSACTIONS (PRINTING, MEMBERSHIP FEES, SALES, COPY CARD PURCHASES, ETC.) RESPONSIBLE FOR:

a. collecting and reconciling money from cash register, debit card dispensers and photocopiers;
b. creates summary of cash received and preparing bank deposit;
c. maintains supply of, paper and debit cards for a varied collection of MFDs and printers, both for public and office use.

TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THIS ROLE YOU WILL NEED

1. A minimum of a Library or Media Technician diploma from an accredited two year program plus two to three years’ current related work experience in an automated integrated library system environment, preferably in a high-volume academic library. An equivalent combination of education, training and experience may be considered.

2. A sound working knowledge of:

• standard library techniques, vocabulary and organization, including Library of Congress Classification and bibliographic conventions, and student oriented service delivery.
• various types of media equipment and software used in post-secondary education.

1. A familiarity with automated circulation systems and the ability to interpret, monitor and contribute to library procedures, policies and systems.

2. Excellent interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills including written and verbal fluency in the English language.

3. A demonstrated ability to:

• speak effectively to small groups in both informal and formal settings.
• deliver training and presentations to students, faculty and the public on media equipment and software used in post secondary education.
• troubleshoot media equipment, computers, printers, and multi-functional devices.
• interact effectively and tactfully with people of various backgrounds and cultures, including students, college employees and the broader community.
• develop, establish and maintain good working relationships.
• work as an effective team member.
• collect and record information accurately.
• plan and organize work in order to meet deadlines.
• work independently with minimal supervision.
• exercise sound judgment and maintain a high degree of confidentiality.
• use computer applications such as Word and Excel, email and the Internet, keyboard at 45 w.p.m. and enter data accurately at an intermediate level.
• sit at a computer workstation and handle library materials for extended periods of time.
• collect, generate and report relevant statistics.