Access Services Interest Group

Amherst has taken a leadership role among highly selective liberal arts colleges and universities in successfully diversifying the racial, socio-economic, and geographic profile of its student body. The College is similarly committed to enriching its educational experience and its culture through the diversity of its faculty, administration and staff.

Job Summary: Amherst College invites applications for the Weekend Access Services Associate position. The Weekend Access Services associate is a part-time, 20 hour per week position. Given Amherst's distinction as one of the most diverse liberal arts colleges in the country, the successful candidate will demonstrate the ways in which they bring value to and will work towards supporting a broadly diverse community.

Maintains 20-hour weekly schedule, Thursday 2-9 pm, Friday-Saturday 3-11 pm. The position is 9-months, mid-August to mid-May.

Oversees the weekend evening operations of the Robert Frost Library, including full responsibility for the library during some periods.  Supervises a diverse group of weekend Access Services student assistants, who are performing a wide array of tasks. Supports print and electronic reserve services during peak times. Participates fully as a member of the Access Services department and serves regularly scheduled hours at the front desk.

Summary of Duties and Responsibilities

Student Training and Supervision

• On Friday and Saturday evenings, serves as student supervisor on duty, ensuring an inclusive work culture and consistent desk staffing.
• Assists in training student assistants, ensuring that they understand and carry out library policies and procedures.

Scheduled hours at the Frost Front Desk

• Provides services and assistance to a highly diverse group of library users, including charging/discharging materials, maintaining borrower accounts, explaining policies and procedures, answering questions and referring patrons to other departments within the library or on campus as appropriate.
• Maintains working knowledge of library policies and procedures. Engages in departmental discussions about best practices and policy changes, and creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all.
• Supports student desk attendants in resolving customer service issues in a user-focused, equitable way.

Supports reserves operations during peak times

• Processes print reserve material, adding items to course lists, adjusting online records, and labeling physical items.
• Performs link checking to ensure quality control for eReserves.

Stack and Equipment Maintenance

• Participates in ensuring shelving accuracy by newly trained stack maintenance students.
• Maintains stock of circulating equipment, ensuring functionality and adequate supply
• Arranges access to thesis lockers, communicating with borrowers and desk staff, changing locks annually, and coordinating renewals.
• Organizes charging and finishing stations, maintaining signage, ensuring supplies and hardware functionality.

Patron Record Management

• Expires patrons from monthly staff departure lists, following up on checked out library material.
• Updates unaffiliated patrons

Performs other duties/functions as requested

• Attends regular department, library, division, and collegewide meetings.
• Shares monitoring of and responding to messages in the library circulation email account.

Qualifications

Required:

• Associate's degree, or 3-5 years of experience in lieu of degree
• Demonstrated exceptional customer service, including creative problem-solving and a commitment to equitable access
• Demonstrated close attention to detail
• Proficiency with MS Office and/or Google Suite and ability to learn new technologies and incorporate them into existing operations
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
• Strong interpersonal, organizational, and verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to effectively supporting a broadly diverse and intentionally inclusive community

Preferred:

• Bachelor's degree
• Experience working in an academic or research library
  
  

Amherst College requires all employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 (medical and religious exemptions may apply).

Amherst College is pleased to provide a comprehensive, highly competitive benefits package that meets the needs of staff and faculty and their families. Benefits are an important part of our overall compensation, so it is critical that you review all of the options to ensure it meets your total compensation requirements. Click here for Benefits Information.

Interested candidates are asked to submit a resume and cover letter online at https://amherst.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/Amherst_Jobs . Please be sure to upload all requested documents prior to clicking Submit. Applications cannot be revised once submitted. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.