Job Summary
The Public Services & Circulation Supervisor is responsible for managing and supervising daily operations and work flow of the circulation department and its integrated functions with resource sharing (ILL), Alliance consortial borrowing (Summit), and Alliance resource sharing activities (RSF group); overseeing day-to-day functioning of the ILS circulation system, its maintenance and periodic upgrading; as well as supervision of the library building and student employees.
Job Responsibilities
Circulation Department Operations | 70%
- Supervise public services & ILL lending. Oversee tasks for student assistants.
- Supervise, or perform when needed, operations of the circulation department: providing service to students and faculty; responding to and resolving patron and university staff queries on policy and procedure, collection of fines and fees; verify current patron status and register non-Whitworth patrons.
- Hire, train, schedule, and directly supervise approximately 18 student assistants per semester to staff the circulation desk, who perform a full range of circulation task functions, re-shelve materials, and assist with maintaining the library collection; schedule circulation desk coverage; oversee shelf-reading of main library collection; monitor and approve student assistant timecards.
- Manage the reserve collection for faculty and student use; correspond with faculty and consult with the Library team on copyright compliance, as needed.
- Oversee interlibrary loan lending (but not ILL borrowing) processing through OCLC WorldShare and RapidILL; oversee Summit lending and borrowing; facilitate and serve as principal contact for reciprocal borrowing among Alliance consortium libraries; coordinate aspects of courier services, mailing, or shipping of library materials. Serve as backup for interlibrary loan borrowing.
- Prepare, or oversee the preparation of, overdue and fine notices using the ILS system; process billing of fines and lost book fees to student accounts in coordination with the business office; handle overdue and lost procedures for the Alliance and ILL materials; trace, bill, and initiate replacement for lost, missing, or damaged library materials; resolve lost book reports, write missing book reports and new book reports.
- Maintain circulation policy and patron record databases in the ILS circulation system; activate monthly patron file uploads; generate reports and record statistics.
- Perform periodic ILS circulation client maintenance; upgrades, tests, and revision of system parameters; troubleshoot problems in coordination with Alliance staff.
- Maintain up-to-date circulation policy and procedures manual; create and update training materials for student assistants; provide updates and training as needed to designated library staff on circulation procedures and policies necessary to provide back-up at the circulation desk.
- Assist in the planning and evaluation of circulation services; recommend policy changes to the Library Dean; work with the library team members to develop policies and procedures for resource sharing, lending, and courier services.
- Keep current on new technologies, databases, and circulation procedures by participating in conferences and professional development activities.
- Facilitate monthly book displays as proposed by librarians.
Educational/Experiential Requirements
- Associate degree in library technology; bachelor’s degree desired; (an equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered).
- Ability and willingness to work a flexible schedule that may include weekends or evenings.
- A personal commitment to the Christian faith and to the integration of faith and learning.
- Demonstrated growth in cultural competence, awareness of societal and structural inequities and proven experience in effectively establishing relationships and positive communications with students and other constituents across multiple dimensions of diversity including, but not limited to, race, gender, varying abilities, nationality, sexual orientation, gender identity, class or religious perspectives.
- A commitment to the educational mission of Whitworth University as a comprehensive Christian liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian church.
- Computer proficiency and familiarity with OCLC library network functions, and ExLibris or a comparable integrated library system (ILS).
- Supervisory experience.
- Ability to establish and maintain a positive attitude and good working relationships with faculty, staff, students, and the public.
- Aptitude for attention to detail and accurate record keeping; ability to work cooperatively.
- Ability to coordinate multiple functions and prioritize resources to adapt to the variable workloads in an academic library environment.
- Flexibility and initiative in adapting to a constantly changing library and information environment.