Library Resources Technician

Job Description

Join our dynamic team at the Department of Administrative Services (DAS), State Historical Society of Iowa (SHSI) Library and Archives office in Iowa City as a permanent part time Library Resources Technician and play a key role in the preservation of Iowa’s history.
Key Responsibilities:
Collection Management and Maintenance.

• Assists with development and execution of plans to assess, organize, arrange, catalog and describe special collections and historical library materials.
• Assists with the intellectual and location control of physical and digital storage.
• Prepares as needed appropriate indexes and/or finding aids to assure future researchers and staff will locate necessary documents.
• Assists in describing traditional archival collections, which may include: Removal of duplicates and rehousing of items in acid-free folders; Arranging and describing items, including where original order is not present or is incomplete; Separating items designated for removal. Classifies un-indexed materials to enable quick access by patrons through analytics, accessioning and cataloging.
• Assists in the processing of "born-digital" and digitized records. Leads efforts to creating digital files through scanning or format conversion into locally approved formats and media types.
• Learns and uses the Iowa History Collection management system.
• Supports division processing, curation and exhibition efforts in Des Moines and elsewhere as needed.

• Creates catalog records in the Iowa History Collections Catalog.
• Operates a wide variety of digitization, camera, film, audio and video equipment to scan and convert photographic, manuscript, film/video, audio and other historical resource formats to digital.
• Understands the principals of metadata development and application to analog and digital records.

• Provide back up to Research Center staff and participate in staff weekend rotation as needed.
• Provide reference assistance in response to on and off-site reference inquiries.
• Assists Research Center patrons by explaining the arrangement and resources of the library and special collections, informing patrons of materials to promote an understanding of the Research Center and its resources.
• Assesses information resources; identifies and locates materials and provides factual data and assistance in locating materials for patrons using indexes, abstracting services, computer data bases, census data and government documents.
• Uses the online reference management system to track, manage, invoice and fulfill asset reproduction orders. Provide technical assistance support for collections.
• Retrieving and accurately re-file of special collections materials used by patrons for research in the Research Center or reproduced for online access or preservation.
• Assist the bureau chief and staff with the ongoing maintenance and management tasks at the Centennial Building including monitoring operations, lights and restrooms.

• Customer Service Excellence: Demonstrate a commitment to providing exceptional customer service, meeting quality standards, and ensuring customer satisfaction.
• Critical Thinking: Utilize logical reasoning to identify effective solutions and approaches to collection management challenges.
• Effective Communication: Clearly convey information verbally and in writing, facilitating smooth communication with team members and external stakeholders.
• Time Management: Efficiently manage your own time and prioritize tasks to ensure deadlines are met consistently.

• Previous experience performing technical tasks in a special collection repository.
• Strong familiarity with audio video formats and the playback equipment in a collections management & preservation environment including but not limited to 16mm motion picture film, all manner video tape formats, reel to reel audio, all manner of photographic positive and negative print types.
• Strong familiarity with front and back end use of collection catalog systems, trusted digital repositories and online public access catalogs.
• Familiarity with using customer relationship management systems to manage interactions with the public.
• Ability to maintain accurate records related to and accounts related to mail processing activities.

Selectives

358 Library Science
6 months’ experience, 12 semester hours, or a combination of both in the interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary field that applies the practices, perspectives, and tools of management, information technology, education, and other areas to libraries; the collection, organization, preservation, and dissemination of information resources; and the political economy of information.

Minimum Qualification Requirements

Graduation or the equivalent from an accredited college or university and one year of full-time professional experience in work requiring research, use of reference sources and people contact, or book/paper preservation or conservation work;