Please excuse any cross postings.
Columbia University Libraries invites applications and nominations for the
position of Order Unit Librarian.
Reporting to the Head, Monographs Acquisitions Services, the Order Unit
Librarian oversees and administers the management of the Order and Receiving
Unit. The Order Unit Librarian directly supervises a staff of four and is the
point person for the acquisition of material for classes, students and
faculty. The Order and Receiving Unit has a materials budget of $1m and
processes orders for print monographs, audio-visual material and other formats
for Columbia's collections.
Primary Responsibilities Include:
• Managing and coordinating all activities of the Order and Receiving
Unit, including placing orders, payment, receiving of material, claiming open
orders, vendor correspondence, cancellations, processing credits and resolving
issues with regards to orders and payment. Orders include requests for
difficult-to-find items requiring a deep knowledge of the book and publishing
trade and rush orders requiring quick handling to ensure timely fulfillment
for courses and patron requests.
• Assisting the Head, Monographs Acquisitions Services with operations
of the department including the opening and closing of fiscal years,
preparation and payment of material received on approval, overseeing the
receipt of shelf-ready material, applying minimal corrections to vendor-
provided bibliographic records and reconciling order and payment issues
reflected in quarterly reports.
• Supervising four FTE union staff members, including interviewing,
hiring, evaluating performance, setting schedules, monitoring attendance and
providing leadership to the Unit relating to office discipline and morale.
Assigning work based on changing needs of the department, revising work to
ensure quality and consistency with accepted policies.
• Training staff in new procedures and keeping them current as
procedures evolve. Collaborate with Department Head and colleagues in
Monographs Processing Services Division to draft procedures streamlining
workflows and creating greater efficiencies within the Division.
• Developing and maintaining effective relationships with vendors and
reviewing vendor performance in areas of service and pricing. Communicating
with vendors to resolve issues with regards to orders and payments.
• Communicating and interacting with Columbia's subject liaisons and
members of the Libraries' cataloging and electronic resources divisions.
• Actively participating in Libraries' internal committees and groups
relating to acquisitions, selection of material for the collection, materials
budgets and technical services.
• Gathering and consolidating statistics for dissemination to other
divisions and Libraries' administration.
The ideal candidate should have excellent communication skills, be able to
work effectively in a diverse team environment, be self-motivated, possess a
service-oriented outlook and strong interpersonal skills, have strong problem
solving skills and an in-depth understanding of the book trade and the
publishing industry.
Minimum Qualifications:
- M.L.S. from an ALA accredited institution
- Demonstrated supervisory experience
- Strong computer skills and experience with spreadsheets
- Knowledge of basic accounting principles
- Knowledge of basic cataloging principles
- Working knowledge of at least one Western European language
Preferred Qualifications:
- Basic knowledge of an additional foreign language
- Accounting and financial management experience
- Knowledge of library systems and bibliographic utilities
- Experience with MARC21 format and Library of Congress Classification and
cataloging/description standards (RDA, AACR2, LCSH, etc.)
- Strong foreign language skills
- Strong analytical skills and familiarity working with data
- Experience in instruction and training
Columbia University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.
Position is available immediately.
Matthew Pavlick
Head, Monographs Acquisitions Services
Columbia University Libraries
212.854.3530
Received on Tue Oct 11 2016 - 19:20:32 EDT