Access Services Librarian
Department: Law Library
Rank and Salary:
§ Associate Librarian ($53, 116 – $83,546)
Position Availability: Immediately
Application deadline for first consideration: October 16, 2015
Description of Institution and Library
As one of the world's great public research universities, UCLA integrates education, research, and public service so that each enriches and extends the others. From its beautiful neighborhood campus in a uniquely diverse and vibrant city on the Pacific Rim, teaching and research extend beyond the classroom, office, and lab through active engagement with communities, organizations, projects, and partnerships throughout the region and around the world.
UCLA’s diverse community of scholars encompasses nearly 30,000 undergraduates pursuing 125 majors, 13,000 graduate students in fifty-nine research programs, and 4,000 faculty members including Nobel Laureates; Rhodes Scholars; MacArthur Fellows; winners of the Fields Medal, National Medal of Science, Pritzer Prize, and Pulitzer Prize; and recipients of Oscars, Emmys, Tonys, and Golden Globes. UCLA ranks tenth in the Times of London Higher Education World Reputation Rankings, twelfth in the Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and fifth in the U.S. by Washington Monthly. The National Research Council ranks forty of its graduate and doctoral research programs among its top ten.
To enable these accomplished students, faculty, and staff to create, disseminate, and apply knowledge for the benefit of global society, the UCLA Library is re-envisioning how it is acquired, synthesized, and shared across academic audiences and with the public. It was among the first academic libraries to develop subject-specialist librarians and to launch a program to enhance students’ research skills. Its Special Collections pioneered the acquisition by public institutions of rare and unique books, children’s literature, pulp and detective fiction, works by or about women and minorities, screenplays, architectural plans, and Los Angeles-related materials and today leads the way in collecting archival resources in digital format such as emails and manuscripts. It has launched innovative data management services and an affordable course materials initiative that have served as models for other libraries.
The Library serves UCLA students, faculty, and staff whenever and wherever they need its resources and expertise. Reconfigured, high-tech spaces and services in its ten campus libraries enable users and librarians to explore and work with print and digital materials collaboratively or individually, pursue new lines of inquiry, and develop new pedagogical approaches as well as novel forms of scholarship. More than 3.5 million people visit annually, while an additional 3.4 million visitors enter online through its virtual front doors.
Whether on campus or online, the Library forms the intellectual heart of UCLA, a hub for cutting-edge discovery, scholarship, and instruction.
The Law Library is one of the larger professional school libraries on campus. It currently has a staff of 17 librarians and 16 staff personnel, as well as many part-time student employees. It contains over 600,000 bound volumes and documents and over 20,000 microform titles. The administration of the Law Library is headed by the Law Library Director who reports to the Dean of the UCLA School of Law. The day-to-day functions of the Library have been divided into four sections, each headed by an Assistant Law Librarian: Access & Information Services (AIS), Bibliographic Services & Collection Management, Scholarship Support & RA Program, and Reference & Research Services.
Description of Position and Duties
Reporting to and under the general direction of the Director, Access & Information Services (AIS), the Access Services Librarian participates in the delivery of services to the Law Library's users. This includes working from the Circulation Desk to provide basic research and reference services to School of Law faculty and students and other library visitors, creating training materials for the entire department, and liaising with other departments to provide library services. The Access Services Librarian coordinates the development, maintenance and updating of the Law Library Intranet and makes significant contributions to its content. The Access Services Librarian serves as Assistant Department Head and is responsible for the daily management of the Circulation Desk, hard copy and electronic reserve services, billing, stacks maintenance, and processing and posting course and event recordings. The Access Services Librarian directly supervises four full-time staff members and indirectly supervises one full time staff member and the approximately 15 part-time student assistants assigned to circulation, shelving, and document delivery services. The Access Services Librarian administers the Library’s Limited Access Policy, including coordinating CSO coverage of the library’s access control desk and the After Hours Reading Room; heads the library’s emergency preparedness efforts. In consultation with the Head of Collection Development, the Access Services Librarian creates, implements and maintains the Law Library’s preservation and archival policies and procedures for both print and digital formats, as well as manage and assist with curation of the Law School History Archives.
These responsibilities require in-depth knowledge of library circulation policies and procedures and a basic knowledge of complex legal sources in a variety of formats, including online databases, as well as the ability to contribute to making the Library hospitable and responsive to the needs of the law school community. The Access Services Librarian supervises the Circulation & Stacks Coordinator, the Circulation & Reserves Coordinator, the Evening Circulation Coordinator and, indirectly, the Evening Circulation Supervisor, the Circulation Assistant, as well as assists the AIS director in overseeing all of the daily operations of the AIS department. Responsibilities also include assisting the AIS director in the development and enforcement of all department policies and procedures with the goal of furthering the service mission of the library.
Required Qualifications:
- ALA-accredited Master's Degree in Library or Information Science OR significant graduate-level coursework toward such a degree OR equivalent education and experience (subject expertise combined with professional library education and/or experience);
· Minimum two years’ experience working in an academic and/or law library;
· Experience providing basic reference service and in using online databases, library catalogs, etc.
· Minimum two years’ experience working in a library access services or circulation department;
· Demonstrated commitment to service for students, staff and faculty and willingness to actively collaborate with colleagues in the Library and across the campus community;
· Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills in order to communicate effectively and confidently with colleagues, faculty, students, and staff;
· Strong customer service skills;
· Creativity and strong analytical and problem-solving skills;
· Ability to quickly learn new skills;
- Demonstrated departmental management and staff supervisory skills;
- Demonstrated organizational and project management skills;
· Ability to quickly learn and apply new technical skills;
· Experience with databases and spreadsheet programs (such as Access and Excel)
- Ability to work creatively, collaboratively, and effectively both as a team member and independently and to promote teamwork among colleagues.
- The ideal candidate will possess: enthusiasm for and commitment to exploring and assessing ways to improve and expand services and procedures; demonstrated ability to implement new programs; analytical skills to critically assess their effectiveness, and the flexibility to adapt them as needed.
- Interest in and willingness to meet the criteria of, and to participate in, UCLA’s peer review processes for the advancement of those appointed to the Librarian series at UC.
General Information
Professional librarians at UCLA are academic appointees. Librarians at UCLA are represented by an exclusive bargaining agent, University Council – American Federation of Teachers (UC-AFT). They are entitled to appropriate professional leave, two days per month of vacation leave, one day per month of sick leave, and all other benefits granted to non-faculty academic personnel. The University has an excellent retirement system and sponsors a variety of group health, dental, vision, and life insurance plans in addition to other benefits. Relocation assistance provided.
Appointees to the librarian series at UC shall have professional backgrounds that demonstrate a high degree of creativity, teamwork, and flexibility. Such background will normally include a professional degree from an ALA-accredited library and information science graduate program. In addition to professional competence and quality of service within the library in the primary job, advancement in the librarian series requires professional involvement and contributions outside of the library, and/or university and community service, and/or scholarly activities. Candidates must show evidence or promise of such contributions.
Application Procedures
Anyone wishing to be considered for this position should apply here: https://recruit.apo.ucla.edu/apply/JPF01652
Applications must include:
§ a cover letter describing qualifications and experience;
§ a current resume/vitae detailing education and relevant experience; and
§ the names and contact information for at least three professional references, including a current or previous supervisor.
Candidates applying by October 16, 2015 to be given first considered for this position. UCLA welcomes and encourages diversity and seeks applications and nominations from women and minorities. UCLA seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce as a reflection of our commitment to serve the people of California, to maintain the excellence of the university, and to offer our students richly varied disciplines, perspectives, and ways of knowing and learning.
The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see: UC Nondiscrimination and Affirmative Action Policy at http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct
Employment is contingent upon completion of satisfactory background investigation.
Visit the UCLA Library Employment and Human Resources website at: http://library.ucla.edu/about/employment-human-resources
Maurita Ploesch
Assistant Director, Academic Human Resources
22478 Charles E. Young Research Library Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575
Office: (310) 825-7095
Fax: (310) 825-6174
mploesch@library.ucla.edu
