Library Services Associate IV

Position Highlights

The University Libraries’ Access and Information Services department seeks a Library Services Associate (LSA) to provide excellent customer service in coordinating activities at various public service sites, working in a fast-paced environment for the purpose of supporting efforts to create an environment conducive for academic and scholarly endeavors in the various libraries. The incumbent in this position assists customers with basic research needs, providing information, reference, technology, and circulation assistance that facilitates customer access to the collections of the University of Arizona Libraries.

The LSA serves as the operational lead responsible for ensuring adequate student-level operations staffing at the Main and Weaver Science and Engineering Libraries front-line service sites. They oversee daily operations at the service sites, supervise 20–25 part-time student employees, and ensure adherence to library and university policies and procedures. In collaboration with budget officers, supervisors, managers, and other operational leads, they support the development and implementation of staffing models, training content, and operational guidelines, and address service issues and user-related incidents. This role also includes providing feedback, facilitating employee meetings, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, and service on departmental and library-wide projects and initiatives.

The LSA performs all work necessary to meet the changing needs of the Libraries’ customers. As a result of those needs, work patterns and schedules may change.

Work schedule: Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (opening backup responsibilities, Mon – Fri, 6:45 a.m. – 3:45 p.m.).

CHARACTERISTIC DUTIES

• Supervises 20-25 part-time student employees, including onboarding, orientation, training, directing work, scheduling, providing feedback, performance management, and timecard approval.
• Oversees front-line services operations, ensuring adequate staffing based on historical patterns and data.
• Liaison with budget officers, supervisors, managers, and other operational leads to develop and implement staffing models, training content, and subsequent adherence. Follows up on incidents involving library users, and leads regular employee meetings to respond to and gather feedback to continually make improvements.
• Provides customers with reference, technology and circulation assistance (in-person, online via chat, phone and email), including locating library information, resources, materials and services; negotiating overdue accounts and answering billing and collections questions; and troubleshooting software, computers, laptops, projectors and other emerging technology; direct the work of student employees who assist with this work; and liaise with the department’s resource sharing and technology leads.
• Supports efforts to create an environment conducive for study, meetings, and collaboration (i.e., academic and scholarly endeavors) by enforcing compliance with the Libraries Code of Conduct policies and through application of other pertinent Libraries and University policies and procedures.
• Acts as a liaison with University Police Department (in regard to reporting criminal activity or emergency situations), Campus and Library Facilities (in regard to building problems), Library Systems (in regard to library equipment problems), and as needed Risk Management (in regard to reporting incidents) during evening and weekend hours.
• Backup support for opening procedures for the Main and Weaver Science and Engineering Libraries.
• Keeps informed of departmental regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Supports the ongoing collection, management and analysis of departmental and library use and needs assessment data including data required for departmental and library projects and strategic planning.
• Facilitates meetings, makes presentations as needed, and participates in data-based decision making. This includes the ability to think holistically and respond to user needs by carefully analyzing information in support of continual service improvement.
• The UA Libraries support the UA’s diversity and inclusiveness strategic initiatives designed to create an inclusive environment for all faculty, staff, and students.  The candidate is expected to support diversity and inclusiveness efforts in the department and college.
• Other duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, & ABILITIES

• Knowledge of supervisory principles.
• Ability to create effective training documentation.
• Ability to exercise excellent initiative, organization, and time management skills.
• Knowledge of computer/digital fluency (hardware/software) to guide student employees.
• Knowledge of library reference resources (i.e., library catalog, indexes, search engines, print resources, etc.) and their appropriate use, including understanding the difference between primary and secondary resources.
• Excellent customer service skills, including the ability to collaborate with peers to meet customers’ needs and ensure customer satisfaction.
• Ability to understand and apply policies and procedures, including the ability to resolve situations using trauma-informed-driven enforcement of policies.
• Ability to handle difficult customer interactions.
• Ability to maintain appropriate security and confidentiality of information created or encountered in the performance of assigned duties.
• Excellent observation skills and a high level of attention to detail.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Ability to perform duties independently under general supervision.
• Evidence of the use of good judgment and solid analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to think holistically and respond to user needs by carefully analyzing information in support of continual service improvement.
• Ability to work in a highly collaborative and inclusive environment, one that values and leverages the benefits of diverse perspectives.
• Positive attitude and strong demonstration of Our Values: Collaboration, Continuous Learning, Diversity, Innovation, and Integrity.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 3 years of relevant work experience.
• Preferred Qualifications
• Experience overseeing student employees, including scheduling, training, approving payroll, developing and tracking wage budget, and daily supervision.
• Experience with issues pertaining to circulation and library code of conduct procedures.
• Experience searching integrated library systems and record interpretation (e.g., Ex Libris Alma/Primo).
• Experience providing reference assistance utilizing various research methodologies and online databases (e.g., ProQuest, IEEE Xplore, Science Direct).
• Experience with the most current version of Microsoft Office suite.
• Experience using and troubleshooting computer hardware and software.
• Experience gathering and analyzing internal and external data (qualitative and quantitative).