Google Books Project Associate

The University of Iowa Libraries seeks to hire a Google Books Project Associate for a 3-year Specified Term position. The Project Associate will be responsible for directing the work of the approximately three-year term Google Books project, working independently to evaluate and process up to 300,000 individual items located throughout the University of Iowa Libraries, facilitating their shipment to Google for digitization. This large and complex project will result in hundreds of thousands of titles being added to both Google Books and HathiTrust.  Adding to the corpus of full-text resources greatly increases the capacity for the discovery of and research from library resources. 

This position is a full time (100% FTE) 3-year Specified Term position.

Key Areas of Responsibility and Specific Job Duties:

Communication and External Relations:

• Serves as the primary contact for the Google Books project, a large, complex project that strengthens the partnership between the University of Iowa and Google.
• Serves on the Collections and Storage team, a Libraries-wide group that communicates and recommends workflow and troubleshooting resolutions.
• Participates in regular meetings with Google Books staff and Google Books partners.
• Resolves problems and works with outside researchers and copyright holders.
• Coordinates logistics with local moving company and Google Books for shipment pick-up, return, and cart transfers.

Program Development and Administration:

• Oversees the entire workflow, from pulling materials from shelves to preparing these materials for shipment to students returning materials and reshelving.
• Coordinates with staff in Collection Fulfillment when further assistance is needed to meet deadlines.

Loans and Acquisitions:

• Processes hundreds of print volumes on a daily basis, independently evaluating books for size and condition, checking out books, creating book truck specific data, loading volumes on a specialized book cart, and checking in the returning volumes.
• Requires the use of the Libraries Integrated Library System, Alma.  Materials are located in 19 different collections in 8 different campus libraries and work is performed in coordination and cooperation with a variety of staff. Materials are shelved by 6 different systems (Library of Congress, Dewey, SuDoc, etc.) within these locations.  Work must be performed with strict deadlines.
• Unloads carts and returns materials at the Libraries Annex.  Assists in the ingestion process by placing duplicate barcodes on each piece.

Inventory, Catalog, and Database Management:

• Organizes books on carts for shipment and prepares cart for transport, working with specific packing materials. Shipment pick-ups will be distributed across 2-3 campus libraries.
• Creates bibliographic data tied to specific books on 40 book trucks, rotating through on a regular schedule.  Works with technology staff to provide files with required data points of materials for each item and to update the local catalog to an appropriate status to indicate unavailability.
• Works with cataloging staff to fix materials with incorrect bibliographic information.
• Maintains accurate statistics of project output, manipulating data to reflect the varied aspects of the project.  Would include generating statistics on a shipment level basis, statistics on number of items not found on the shelf, and statistics on number of items not meeting criteria for digitization.  Provides regular reports and graphics on progress of project, relaying impact and usage to Libraries leadership.
• Performs other, related, technical duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Maintain and Preserve Collection:

• Maintains records in Excel of materials not sent to Google, working with preservation staff to identify materials that can be repaired.
• Provide oversight of Google Books storage area/work room.

Required Qualifications:

• A Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience coordinating and monitoring a project(s), establishing priorities and managing frequent changes in tasks, as needed.
• Demonstrated attention to detail and accuracy.
• Demonstrated ability to successfully work both in a team and as a self-motivated individual, working independently and exercising discretion and effective decision-making.
• Demonstrated experience in providing excellent customer service.
• Basic knowledge and proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, and Excel).
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, access, and inclusion in an academic environment, in a workplace setting, and/or in the community.

Desired Qualifications: 

• Experience with library circulation or inventory management systems (i.e., ExLibris Alma).
• Basic knowledge of library and university policies, procedures, and rules.
• Supervisor experience, particularly of student workers.
• Ability (with or without a reasonable accommodation) to maneuver large unwieldy carts in various stages from empty to fully loaded.

Application Details:

In order to be eligible for interview, applicants must upload the following and mark them as "relevant files" when you upload the documents:

1. Cover letter that clearly addresses how you meet each of the required and any desired qualifications of this position. To ensure strongest consideration, applicants are encouraged to state directly how they meet each of the required qualifications.
2. Current resume
   

This job ad will be posted for a minimum of 14 calendar days and may be removed from posting and filled any time after the original posting period has ended. Successful candidates will be required to self-disclose any conviction history and will be subject to a criminal background check and credential/education verification. Up to 5 professional references will be requested at a later step in the recruitment process. 

For questions or additional information, please contact andrea-rost@uiowa.edu.

The hiring salary range for this position is $37,500 - $40,000 based on qualifications and experience. 

This position is eligible for hybrid work within Iowa, with the majority of work time being on campus, and will require a work arrangement form to be completed upon the start of your employment. Per policy, work arrangements will be reviewed annually, and must comply with the remote work program and related policies and employee travel policy when working at a remote location.