REFERENCE DESK M ANAGER The Organization The G eorgia Historical S ociety (GHS) is t he premier independent st atewide i nstitution responsible for collecting, examining, and teaching Georgia history. GHS houses t he ol dest and most distinguished collection of materials related exclusively to Georgia history in the na tion. To learn more, g o to www.georgiahisto ry.com. Position Summary The Reference D esk Manager is responsible for coordinating reference staffing, scheduling the day -to-day operations of reference services, providing in pe rson and remote re ference se rvices, and performing copy catalogin g and original ca taloging of library and arc hival materials a ccordin g to acce pted n ational st andards. This is a full-t ime position based in Savannah, Georgia. Duties and Responsibilities Includ e (in cumbent may perform other dut ies as assigned): Percentage of Role: 50%: Manage reference de sk associates, inter ns, and volunteer s. Coord inate re ference de sk staffing and scheduling 30 days i n advance an d ensure com munication with m anagement. E stablish goals and metrics, develop work pl ans, and monitor productivity of referenc e desk assoc iates. Effectively onboard and train st aff following established policies and procedures. Ensure all i nternal pol icies are adh ered to an d enforce c omp liance as n eeded. Handle st affing issues i n consultation with management and Human Re sources. Re sponsible for working with management to establish, maintain, and hold reference s taff accountable t o quality and produc tivity metrics. Responsible f or tracking and reporting reference project upd ates and other deliverables to mana gement. Percentage of Role: 35%: Manage re ference activities on a day- to-day basis by provid ing excellent cu stomer service and effec tive i nventory management . Evaluate and manage resources; enforce currently defined reading room proc edures w ith staff and patrons; report resources for collection development; direct and assist others w ith upda ting forms an d ready reference resources a s neede d. Oversee t he scheduling of research ap pointments an d orien tations; overall responsibility for managing the Re search C enter calendar. Work w ith refe renc e desk staff to r espond to incoming reference re quests i n a variety of formats ( email, telephone, in -person, an d mail) an d ensure a timel y turn -around response by logging incoming requests, monitoring response times, an d ensuring payment for research requests are p aid in fu ll. Present instructional or ientations of Research C enter resources t o groups an d individuals; participate in outreach activities, as necess ary. Percentage of Role: 15%: Assist in collections m anagement t asks for book and serial col lections i ncluding shel f reading, i nventorying, and deaccessioning projects. Consistently ensur e the Reading Room is clean, organized , and secure. Plan and execut e periodic facility and operational audit ing to e nsure proc esses, procedures, and facility maintenanc e are meeting the needs of the institution and researcher s. Supervisory Responsibilities Reference Desk Associate s, interns , and volunteers. Experience/Skills R equired: Knowledge , skills, and abilities: Must have prior expe rience a nd proven skill se t to supervise others t o include scheduling, performanc e manag ement, metrics cr eation, monitoring, and reporting, and impa ctful on boarding and training of others. Demonstrated ability to w ork independently and as a pa rt of a team, to or ganize, prioritize work, and act w ith initiative an d good judgment. Must be a self-starter w ith flexibility a nd a willingn ess to get the job done along with excellent pr oblem solving, inter personal, and c ommunication skills. Must be able to work well under pressure and with attention to detail. Must represent GHS in a professional manner and be able to work well with diverse groups of p eople including patrons, board members, d onors, volunteers, and sta ff. Experience assisting user s in finding information and p roviding reference ser vices in -person, through email, and over the telephone. Experience in developing and organizing referenc e resources. Kn owledge of Anglo -Amer ican Cataloging Rules 2nd Rev (AACR2r), Resource Description and Acc ess (RDA), and skilled application of Librar y of Congress Classifica tion and Subject Headings. Knowledge of the princip les and procedures of professional library work including methods, practices, and techniques of library cata loging and classification . Possess computerized cataloging as well as knowledg e of standard bibliogr aphic sources, MARC 21 bibliographic format, and verification tools. Education: Bachelor’s de gree o r equivalent com bination of education and experience Experience : Five to seven years of progressively responsible ex perience including a minimum of t hree years in a people management and/or an operational capacity. Special collections ex perience is strongly preferred, however experiences in aca demic, corporate , law library collections, or bookstore will be consid ered. Prior e xperience scheduling shifts for hourly workers required. Must be able to work occ asional evening s and the 1st and 3rd Saturday as scheduled. Physical Requirements: Must have the ability to al ternate b etween sitting and standing for extend ed periods w ith frequ ent walking . Will spend a significant a mount of the t ime standing to assi st patrons an d researchers. Must be able to reach with hands an d arms, lift an d carry ob jects u p to 50 pounds oc casiona lly, an d use hands t o manipulate ob jects including a keyboard /mouse and GHS col lection material. Must have good vision and hearing to pe rform t asks like reading documents an d communicating with col leagues, donors, patrons, and t he general p ublic in person and over the phone. Must be able to asc end an d descend ladders w hile c arrying objects, ascend a nd descend stair s and work i n semi-confined spaces. While pe rforming the du ties of this job, the employee m ay be regularly required to re ach, stoop , and kneel t o reach materials at v arious angles an d locations oc casionally. Must provide staff support w ith an annual e vent re quiring additional w ork hours and advanc ed walking, standing, rea ching, lifting, and carrying materials. This annual event w ill re quire an ab ility to hear accurately to i nterac t with the public, demonstrate cl arity of vision, judg e distance and space r elationships, and identi fy and distinguish co lors. To Apply Send cover l etter a nd resume to: Reference De sk Manager Georgia Historical S ociety 104 W est G aston Street Savannah, GA 3 1401 Fax: 912.651.2831 Email :
[email protected] om No p hone c alls please