Library Assistant

Georgetown University; Qatar; On-site; QAR 78,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) seeks a library services professional to support front counter operations and access services in Doha. This term position covers day, evening, and weekend shifts and focuses on circulation, materials handling, and student worker support for faculty, students, and campus partners.

The role requires a bachelor’s degree, 2+ years of library experience, and strong customer service and written/spoken English.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Two or more years of library or related experience.
• Experience delivering customer service.
• Strong English communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Perform library circulation and service desk duties.
• Open and close library; manage check-in/check-out.
• Process, shelve, and maintain library materials.
• Fulfill interlibrary loans and document delivery.
• Assist in training student workers and daily task assignment.
• Support course reserves processing and equipment maintenance.
• Participate in special projects and library committees.

Skills

Academic library basics

Customer service

Organization & accuracy

English communication

Independent/teamwork

MS Office / Google Workspace

Technical troubleshooting

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) is dedicated to fulfilling Georgetown University’s mission of promoting intellectual, ethical and spiritual understanding through serious and sustained discourse among people of different faiths, cultures, and beliefs. Embodying this spirit of the University, Georgetown’s Qatar campus undertakes education, research, and service in order to advance knowledge and provide students and the community with a holistic educational experience that produces global citizens committed to the service of humankind. We demonstrate the values of Georgetown University; seek to build upon the world‑class reputation of the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service; and work with our partner, Qatar Foundation, in its endeavors to achieve the Qatar National Vision 2030.

Requirements

This position provides front counter library service and supports activities in the library access and technical services area. The position requires working a variety of shifts, including daytime, evening, and weekend hours. This is a term position for one year, eligible for renewal. As this position is based in Qatar and offers no relocation assistance, GU-Q is looking for locally based candidates only.

Key Accountabilities

• Perform library circulation and other service desk duties.
• Responsible for library opening and closing procedures.
• Assist in receiving, processing, circulating, organizing, shelving, and maintaining library materials.
• Fulfill interlibrary loans, document delivery, and scan requests for university faculty, students, and campus partners.
• Support student worker training and daily task assignment.
• Support course reserves processing, basic administrative tasks, and equipment maintenance.
• Undertake special projects and serve on library committees as assigned.

Key Activities

Service Desk & Patron Operations

• Check in and check out library materials.
• Ensure that the library is orderly and conducive to study.
• Answer service desk queries and refer reference requests appropriately.
• Responsible for library opening and closing procedures.
• Monitor library activities and oversee the library during late evening and weekend hours.
• Report issues with spaces and facilities.
• Maintain a strong customer service focus by applying library policies and procedures.
• Register alumni users; collect fee payments, and create and edit patron records in the library system.
• Monitor the departmental inbox, conduct scheduled patron counts, log service desk transactions, and handle student clearance records.
• Enforce room booking calendar policies, provide patron technology troubleshooting, and grant student clearance in the library system.

Collection Management & Stacks Maintenance

• Sort, shelve, and maintain physical collections in classified order.
• Undertake the processing of library materials (e.g., RFID tagging, relamination, spine labeling, and new book processing).
• Maintain and update records for library materials, including serials, withdrawn items, and missing items.
• Perform regular shelf reading and stack shifting, and inspect student worker shelving.

Interlibrary Loans & Document Delivery

• Retrieve and process interlibrary loan requests.
• Support the shipping of books to and from the main campus.
• Fulfill faculty scan requests.

Student Workers Assist

• Assist with training student workers and delegating daily tasks.

Course Reserves, Equipment & Administrative Support

• Support Course Reserves processing.
• Monitor print stations and group study spaces.
• Support Kindle maintenance (charging, clearing, and syncing).
• Support library supplies maintenance.
• Prepare procedure documentation in the assigned area of responsibility as needed.

Knowledge and Skills

• Some knowledge of academic library functions and practices.
• Strong customer service focus.
• Strong organizational skills with attention to detail and accuracy.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.
• Ability to work independently or as part of a team.
• Proficiency with productivity and collaboration tools (e.g., MS Office, Google Workspace).
• Technical aptitude, including troubleshooting computer hardware/software and operating office equipment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree.

Experience

• 2+ years of library experience or other relevant work experience.
• Experience in providing customer service.

EEO Statement

GU is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply, and will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, citizenship, color, disability, family responsibilities, gender identity and expression, genetic information, marital status, matriculation, national origin, race, religion, personal appearance, political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Benefits

Georgetown University offers a wide variety of comprehensive and competitive benefits. Benefits packages include comprehensive health, dental and vision plans, disability and life insurance coverage, retirement savings programs, tuition assistance, voluntary insurance options (including group legal, accident, and critical illness), and much more. Whatever your need, the Office of Faculty and Staff Benefits will be standing by to support you. You can learn more about the benefits offered to eligible faculty and staff at https://benefits.georgetown.edu or view the online interactive benefits guide for more information.

Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) is located on the Education City campus in Doha, Qatar and offers a variety of lifelong learning opportunities for the community. The four-year Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service (BSFS) degree program is delivered by the world renowned Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service with a curriculum that is identical to that offered to students in Washington, D. C. Each year, GU-Q admits a class of approximately 100 students, primarily from the Middle East, South Asia and Southeast Asia. GU-Q is sponsored by Qatar Foundation and is one of six American universities located within Education City. All students have access to a superb range of recreational and housing facilities offered by Qatar Foundation and they take classes in classrooms equipped with state of the art technology. The campus currently boasts the presence of one of the largest public access libraries in Qatar.

The compensation, benefits, terms of employment and professional development opportunities for GU-Q faculty and staff are highly competitive.