Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.
Job End Date
Ongoing
At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.
Job Description Summary
Responsible for archival and AtoM workflows and resolving/responding to complex problems relating to archival holdings, records and inventories for Rare Books & Special Collections (RBSC). Trains and supervises the work of undergraduate and graduate students. Performs quality control to improve findability of archival collections. Carries out preservation activities and responsible for preparing items for exhibitions/external loans. Provides public service at the RBSC circulation desk.
Organizational Status
Works under the general direction of the head of Rare Books and Special Collections. Works under the direct supervision of the Rare Books and Special Collections Senior Library Assistant and the RBSC Archivist. May receive direction from the RBSC Librarian, as workload permits, in consultation with the RBSC Senior Assistant.
Work Performed
Archival processing/AtoM
Oversees the operation of archival physical processing (ex. rehousing, identifiers, separation of materials, storage) and AtoM database (ex. metadata/database maintenance) in RBSC, a branch that performs majority of its own technical services (i.e. archival processing/metadata creation).
Establishes and implements operational procedures, and provides training (archival physical processing, AtoM, and finding aids, metadata, Voyager records) to RBSC student assistants, interns, volunteers and support staff.
Provides cross-branch AtoM support and coordination for University Archives and Okanagan Special Collections (RBSC, UA and OSC share one AtoM database).
Proactive and continuous identification, recommendation and implementation of procedures related to archival processing and AtoM workflows
Uses initiative, interpretation, and/or ingenuity to develop, implement, and evaluate innovative procedures, practices, standards, specifications, or projects.
In coordination with RBSC archivists and librarian, participates in the development and management of projects and disseminates information to staff.
Organizes and oversees processing/metadata projects for RBSC student assistants, volunteers, interns, and support staff.
Makes decisions regarding situations requiring deviation or exception from normal procedures (for work done by RBSC staff, student assistants, interns, and volunteers), such as manage photograph processing on a case-by-case basis due to irregularities and manage AtoM descriptions (ex. file/item level for materials with complex archival arrangement).
Prepares and updates training manuals and documentation related to RBSC archival physical processing and AtoM as well as special project workflows.
Responds to complex inquiries/problems from patrons, RBSC/DI staff, student assistants, interns and volunteers related to RBSC archival physical processing, AtoM, archival holdings, finding aids, metadata, and Voyager records.
Aids with the technical side of AtoM software, and is an integral asset during upgrades and with testing functionality, such as providing expertise on archival processes (finding aid templates, arrangement and description, accession records, etc.) and hone in on issues that someone with less knowledge may miss.
Supports RBSC Archivist (and student archivists) with intellectual control, such as managing crosswalks, CSV imports, and the metadata clean-up projects.
Conservation/Preservation/Exhibitions
Carries out basic preservation activities for archival materials and identifies items in need of special treatment or reformatting and works with conservator to determine treatments for archival materials.
Acts as one of the main contacts for conservation/preservation needs of RBSC and liaises with RBSC staff and conservator.
Refolders, reboxes and labels archival material including textual documents, audiovisual items, photographs, architectural plans, and artefacts.
Assists in basic physical processing of archival material by unpacking and conducting a preliminary sort of incoming material, labeling folders and boxes and participating in the preparation of the finding aid.
Prepares loan documents and condition reports for exhibition loans.
Following conservation best practices, prepares archival materials for in house and external exhibitions. This includes preparing items for transportation, creating custom boxes and liaising with the receiving gallery / curator.
Assists the Archivist with development of exhibitions, including selections items from the photographic collection and other archival material.
Provides day-to-day oversight of the Chung Collection Exhibition space by monitoring the humidity levels, maintaining the set-up of the displays and removing requested items.
Public Service
Provides Circulation services including charging and discharging, verifying patron ID, issuing Community Rare Books library cards, and changing addresses. Transacts renewals if required. Handles cash transactions at the circulation desk, makes change, processes credit/debit card transactions. Clears hold shelf of expired requests. Provides assistance or access to disabled users, couriers, and plant operations personnel. Assists in opening and closing the library.
Assists library users over the telephone and in person at the circulation desk by providing directional information and orienting them to the various online catalogues and print finding aids. Refers reference questions to the professional staff as required. Retrieves materials from the closed stacks, ASRS and reference area.
Provides backup to the primary document reproduction assistant during vacation or busy periods to copy RBSC documents according to specific timelines, calculates cost, produces invoices and processes payments for photocopy and digital reproduction services and alerts primary document reproduction assistant regarding patron requests for digital reproduction services.
Follows RBSC security protocols and monitors patrons using RBSC materials in the reading room; reports security concerns to RBSC Librarian.
Other Duties
Liaises with UBC Library branches/departments (Technical Services, Digital Initiatives, Marketing and Communications, Development, Facilities) on various tours, events and projects.
Participates in storage planning.
Assists with branch acquisitions activities by bibliographic and/or price searching of the Library catalogue, booksellers catalogues, sales catalogues, journal book reviews and bibliographies.
Performs other duties related to the qualifications and requirements of the job and backs-up other library assistants as required.
Consequence of Error/Judgement
Works independently in a team environment under minimal supervision. Supervises the work of student assistants to ensure materials are physically processed to archival preservation standards. Participates in strategic planning of archival workflow. Applies established guidelines and procedures in establishing priorities and carrying tasks through to completion. Carries out familiar phases of the work independently under general supervision. Resolves problems by choosing within defined standards, information and procedures. Refers complex or unusual problems to senior staff. Work is monitored to ensure adherence to established work procedures and the accomplishment of work goals. Consequence of error could lead to short term reduction of service to the public, adverse client relations, damage/deterioration/loss of rare materials and/or time spent by senior staff correcting the error. Work is subject to checking by the RBSC Archivist and the Senior Library Assistant.
Supervision Received
Reports to the head of Rare Books and Special Collections and receives supervision from the Rare Books and Special Collections Archivist and the Senior Library Assistant.
Supervision Given
Provides day to day functional supervision of approximately 5 undergraduate and/or graduate student assistants. Provides assistance or explains work procedures to employees in areas of specialty or when requested.
Minimum Qualifications
- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own
- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion
Preferred Qualifications
Experience handling archival materials preferred. Knowledge of UBC Library policies, procedures and integrated library systems. Familiar with RAD (Rules for Archival Description). Ability to effectively use MS Office, scanning software, Adobe Acrobat and integrated library systems applications (Voyager preferred) at an intermediate level. Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing. Ability to effectively manage multiple tasks and priorities. Ability to provide quality service to customers in a courteous, patient manner. Ability to maintain accuracy and attention to detail. Ability to operate the normal range of office, and library equipment, and audio-visual playback equipment. Ability to prioritize and work effectively under pressure to meet deadlines. Ability to work effectively independently and in a team environment. Ability to recognize, respect and work effectively with individuals and groups with diverse perspectives and backgrounds. Takes initiative in learning about language and issues relating to equity and diversity. Ability to develop and maintain cooperative and productive working relationships and engage in workplace culture. Ability to recognize and appreciate the contributions of colleagues. Committed to demonstrating respect to colleagues at every level by trusting in their abilities and knowledge to perform their roles and earning respect through meeting commitments. Models and demonstrates good communication through active listening and appreciative inquiry and open to providing and receiving timely, constructive feedback. Listens to, encourages and expresses creative and innovative ideas. Open to experiment and improvise with new ways of approaching processes, tasks or problems. Ability to lift and move up to 20 kgs of boxed materials and equipment. Ability to climb 5 rolling ladders and push fully loaded book trucks. Ability to handle fragile and rare materials in the appropriate manner. May be asked to work evenings, and weekends, as required.