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Library Services Student Employment: Job Descriptions

Research and Access

Duties:

  • Charging and discharging books and reserve materials for patrons, and assisting patrons with finding books, journals and other materials in the Library.
  • Answering questions at the Information Desk, by telephone or in-person.
  • Monitoring the library's live chat system.
  • Referring in-depth research questions to a Reference Librarian or other staff member.
  • Assisting library users with computers, printers and databases.
  • Restocking paper in LC printers as needed.
  • Shelving some library materials and maintaining good order at the Information desk.
  • Understanding and applying Library policies and procedures.
  • Carry out other projects assigned by Public Services staff.

Qualifications:

  • Approval for campus employment by the Financial Aid Office.
  • Verbal and written proficiency in the English language.
  • Good customer service skills.
  • Computer experience and comfort with technology required.
  • Ability to work proactively with a diverse community of library users.
  • Availability to work assigned weekly schedule as well as weekend hours and nights. It is the student employee’s responsibility to find substitutes or exchange hours with someone when unable to work.

Shelving and Stacks Maintenance

Duties:

  • Re-shelving books and media,
  • Shelf-reading specific areas to keep items in proper order
  • Special stack maintenance projects, as needed
  • Picking up unshelved items
  • Keeping books upright and orderly by means of shelf-reading, straightening, installation of necessary bookends, etc.

Qualifications:

  • Availability to work a daily schedule with evening or late afternoon hours (flexible times)
  • Reliable
  • Ability to lift sometimes heavy items
  • Attention to detail and ability to focus
  • Ability to work independently

Collections and Metadata

Duties:

  • Retrieving books from stacks for inter-library loan (ILL) and hold requests.
  • Retrieving periodicals from stacks (hard copy) for ILL requests.
  • Scanning articles for electronic delivery.
  • Preparing books and articles for delivery to requesting libraries and regional students.
  • Checking in received journal issues.
  • Checking titles for confirmation in Discovery catalog and other online databases.
  • Withdrawing books.
  • Recycling withdrawn materials.
  • Stamping and labeling new materials.
  • Shelving and shelf-reading of periodical stacks.
  • Deliver and retrieve materials between Library Annex and Judd Gymnasia.
  • Any special projects that may arise.

Qualifications:

  • Approval for campus employment by the Financial Aid Office.
  • Verbal and written proficiency in the English language.
  • Readable handwriting.
  • Computer experience and comfort with technology required.
  • Ability to work at repetitive tasks with a high degree of accuracy.
  • Available to work between the hours of 8:30 and 4:30 Monday through Friday
  • Availability to work assigned weekly schedule as requested.

Archives and Special Collections Archives Assistant

Purpose:

This position provides support to the Springfield College Archives in the development and operation of the archives program. Under the direction of the College Archivist, assist with basic archival functions including the collection, arrangement and description, preservation, reference, and promotion of holdings. Because of the fragile, confidential, and sensitive nature of the historical materials in Archives and Special Collections, hiring an SC student worker with the strongest qualifications (including discretion, independent judgment, and specialized knowledge) is desirable to meet the high expectations inherent in the position.

Responsibilities include:

  • Helping with the accessioning, cataloging, and development of indexes and other finding aids of books, manuscripts, photographs, maps, and other archival material to make collections more accessible to the College community and general public.
  • Learning and carrying out a variety of duties relating to the preservation of archival documents, maps, photographs, etc.
  • Assisting with answering research inquiries made by mail, phone, email, and visiting researchers.

Qualifications and skills:

  • Approval for campus employment by the Financial Aid Office
  • Undergraduates who have successfully completed one year of college course work or equivalent work experience.
  • Strong verbal and written proficiency in English. Legible handwriting.
  • Availability to work weekly schedule, Tuesday – Friday, from 9-4
  • Knowledge of common office software applications  (MS Office, Excel, Access, Photoshop), experience with Internet-based research as well as typing and data entry skills
  • Ability to work independently and discreetly with fragile, sensitive and/or confidential documents and materials.
  • Ability to lift and carry a 40-pound box
  • Qualified students will be hired on the basis of outstanding aptitude, reliability, and maturity

Archives Reading Room Assistant

Purpose:

This position provides support to the Springfield College Archives for running and monitoring the Archives Reading Room. The Reading Room Assistant will help students, faculty members, and outside researchers to find and use our unique and valuable materials while ensuring that the materials are safe and secure. The reading room assistant will also provide support to the archivist in the maintenance and preservation of the archival materials and rare books.

Responsibilities include:

  • Retrieve materials from the Rare Book Collection and processed Archival Collections.
  • Assist researchers to locate materials in the rare book collection and archival collections.
  • Monitor the reading room while reading room is open.
  • Ensure security and preservation of materials used in the reading room; assist the archivist in opening and closing the reading room.
  • Re-shelve rare book and archival materials.
  • Assist in the basic arrangement of archival materials.
  • Assisting with answering research inquiries made by mail, phone, email, and visiting researchers.

Qualifications and skills:

  • Approval for campus employment by the Financial Aid Office.
  • Undergraduates who have successfully completed one year of college course work or equivalent work experience.
  • Strong verbal and written proficiency in English. Legible handwriting.
  • Availability to work weekly schedule, Tuesday-Thursday, from 12:30-4.
  • Experience with Internet-based research as well as typing and data entry skills
  • Ability to work independently and discreetly with fragile, sensitive and/or confidential documents and materials.
  • Ability to lift and carry a 40-pound box.
  • Qualified students will be hired on the basis of outstanding aptitude, reliability, and maturity

Archives Graduate Assistant

The Springfield College Archives and Special Collections is looking for a Graduate Assistant. The position requires 10 hours per week for a total of 30 weeks (around 15 weeks each semester). Hours can also be worked during winter break. Work hours can be arranged around your academic schedule, and may be split outside and inside the Archive depending on the task. Hours worked in the Archive will be from Tuesday to Friday between 9 and 4. The position receives a cash stipend of $4500 (paid monthly). This position does not carry any tuition credit. International students are welcome to apply.

To apply please deliver a resume, cover letter and a brief 150 word description of the James Naismith Statue seated outside the Richard B. Flynn Campus Center (written as you would describe it for our digital collections) to Jeffrey Monseau, College Archivist. Call 413-748-3309 or email jmonseau@springfieldcollege.edu to apply or if you have any questions.

Reports to:           College Archivist – Jeff Monseau

Basic function: The Digital Collections Assistant will work on the creation of digital materials using the unique historical materials related to Springfield College, the YMCA, AAHPERD, and other collections held in the Springfield College Archives.

Duties: Under the direction of the College Archivist, the Digital Collections Assistant will work to create digital materials for Springfield College’s Digital Collections while maintaining the security and integrity of all documents handled during digitization. The Digital Collections Assistant will also research digitized materials using information from the collections in the Archive and online to describe the history, contents, and uniqueness of that object and how it relates to the history of Springfield College, write clear, concise descriptions of photographs, pamphlets, and documents that have been digitized, and collect and enter all data into CONTENTdm Digital Management Systems on each item created. In addition, the Digital Collections Assistant will document procedures used for the creation of digital materials in a technical manual, communicate regularly with College Archivist about concerns, issues, or ideas arising from the digitization of materials, and help with research questions and processing demands when needed.

 Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s Degree
  • Strong writing and grammatical skills
  • Experience with historical research
  • Excellent organizational, analytical, and communication skills
  • Experience with digital creation software, such as Photoshop and Adobe Acrobat
  • Knowledge of common office software such as Excel and Word
  • Typing and data entry skills
  • Discretion needed to handle confidential records located in the Archives
  • Flexible to changing situation
  • Reliable, responsible and detail oriented
  • Able to work independently
  • Able to accept supervision and critiques
  • Ability to interact well with a variety of people from all aspects of the college and community
  • Ability to lift 30 lbs