At The Huntington, we believe that having a team of diverse backgrounds and voices working together will enable us to support and promote the appreciation of the humanities, the arts, and botanical science. The Huntington is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, disability, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal law.
Founded in 1919, The Huntington is a collections-based research and educational institution open to the public, housing world-class library, art, and botanical collections. Its mission is to support research and promote education in the arts, humanities, and botanical science and to display and interpret its extraordinary resources for diverse audiences.
Here we are committed to the highest of standards in all that we do – from preserving and protecting the collections, to exhibitions, educational and scholarly programming, visitor and reader services, and beyond. Achieving excellence across these pursuits requires a diversity of perspectives, expertise, experience, and methodologies.
At The Huntington, our organizational Culture is shaped by the following core values: Intellectual curiosity, Collaboration, Stewardship, Belonging, and Integrity.
Intellectual Curiosity: Knowledge, lifelong learning, and a spirit of inquiry are at the core of our mission and organizational culture.
Collaboration: Teamwork and a collaborative attitude are important at all levels of The Huntington. We foster relationships internally among our departments and externally with organizations throughout the community.
Stewardship: We are committed to the care and development of our collections, our financial and physical resources, our staff, and our community.
Belonging: We strive to attract and maintain a workforce of individuals with diverse talents, backgrounds, and perspectives. Our organizational culture promotes a sense of welcome, inclusion, and connection.
Integrity: We value respect and honesty, working to fulfill our mission with honor and ethical principles.
About the Role
Working under general direction and as part of a team, assists with the daily operation of the rare materials stacks, with responsibility for retrieval, shelving, recordkeeping, end processing, and physical maintenance of the collections. Under the direction of the Stacks Manager, works with staff in the Preservation; Curatorial; and Acquisitions, Cataloging & Metadata Services (Technical Services) departments. May work on a flexible and rotating schedule including early and evenings; position also eligible for 4/10 schedule. Reports to the Stacks Manager.
Essential Duties
Following established procedures, performs the smooth, efficient retrieval and safe return of all rare materials used by readers, library staff, and other departments of the Huntington such as Imaging Services, the Curatorial Department, and the Reader Services Reference Team.
Under the direction of the Stacks Manager, participates in shelving, end processing, and preservation projects as required. Performs accurate tracking of materials in the library’s circulation and inventory management systems, Aeon, Sierra, and CaiaSoft.
Assists with paging and organizing materials for use in the Ahmanson Reading Room. Staffs the reading room desk on a rotating basis. Ensures the safe delivery, return, and handling of rare materials in the reading room. Performs accurate tracking of materials in the library’s circulation system, Aeon.
Provides limited reference service to readers, prospective readers, staff, and the public. Assists library readers with use of the online catalog and provides basic training on library resources and equipment.
Provides backup for other library assistants as needed.
Candidate Requirements and Experience
Knowledge, skills, and abilities:
Excellent interpersonal skills. Must be able to communicate with readers and colleagues effectively, as well as work independently and as part of a team.
Ability to prioritize work in a unit that receives time-sensitive, high-volume requests and involved projects.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office, especially Excel. Experience with spreadsheets and data a plus.
Aptitude for learning library access control systems.
Must be able to lift and move heavy volumes and boxes safely. Ability to maneuver large book trucks; climb ladders.
Comfortable with routine and/or repetitive work.
A minimum of 1-year library paraprofessional experience, or general clerical office experience, preferably in a library setting required.
Experience handling rare materials preferred.
Associate’s degree preferred.
Library circulation work or paging experience preferred.
Working Conditions
Normal office environment, open stack library area, and secured special reading room. Much work is performed on a personal work issued computer. The incumbent will be required to handle heavy materials, book trucks, and valuable, fragile, and rare materials.
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required.
Compensation & Benefits
We provide competitive compensation, generous benefits and perks for all eligible employees including:
Pay Range: $20.00-$22.00/hr.
Medical, Dental, Vision
403(b) retirement plan and matching retirement plan with an outstanding employer match
Hybrid remote work schedule available for applicable positions
Considerable paid time off, including annual leave, sick leave, and holidays
Discounts for staff in The Huntington Store and restaurants
Free admission to various museums and cultural institutions
Free passes each month to welcome family and friends to visit the grounds
The Application Process
Visit us at https://huntington.org/careers to apply directly.
Please submit a cover letter and CV/resume as a single PDF attachment.
You will have the opportunity to submit additional documents on the “My Experience” section of the application.