Acquisitions Assistant

University of Utah; Salt Lake City (UT); Hybrid; USD 29,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Utah’s Marriott Library seeks a Senior Library Specialist (Acquisitions Assistant) to support scholarly information resources procurement and cataloging. The role blends on-campus duties with remote work, requiring meticulous records management, vendor coordination, and collaborative workflow improvements.

The position emphasizes bibliographic accuracy, knowledgebase maintenance, and cross-functional teamwork to support teaching and research across campus.

Qualifications

• Four years library experience or equivalency; strong research and organizational skills are required.
• Knowledge of specialized library techniques and cataloging principles; familiarity with standards is essential.
• Excellent human relations and effective communication skills; some supervisory experience may be preferred.

Responsibilities

• Process transactions and maintain accurate records of information resources, including invoices, licenses, and payments, and audit records for errors.
• Process materials and update holdings; monitor titles and accessibility to maintain knowledgebase.
• Maintain and edit bibliographic records using current cataloging standards.
• Maintain vendor relationships and assist with purchases, cancellations, and problem resolution with vendors.
• Document and improve workflows, policies, and procedures.
• Assist with departmental and special projects.

Skills

Library experience

Research skills

Communication skills

Supervisory experience

Vendor management

Tools

OCLC

ILS (Integrated Library System)

Job description

Job Title Senior Library Specialist

Working Title Acquisitions Assistant

Standard Hours per Week 40

Full Time or Part Time? Full Time

Monday-Friday between 8am and 6pm; some evenings and weekends may be required

Location Campus

City Salt Lake City, UT

Pay Rate Range 20.70 - 21.70

Type Benefited Staff

We are seeking a service-oriented and meticulous team member to fulfill essential roles in assisting the Collections & Resource Description unit at the Marriott Library in identifying and acquiring scholarly information resources and making them discoverable and accessible to support the research and teaching needs of the University of Utah community. The team member will collaborate with foreign, domestic, and specialized vendors, library users, and other library employees in procuring scholarly resources to support curricula and research needs. Additionally, the team member will ensure efficient materials processing by troubleshooting problems and cataloging and managing records to ensure accurate holdings.

This position is currently designed as a hybrid of on-campus and remote work. Specific telecommuting arrangements will be based on the needs of the position and authorized at the discretion of the supervisor.

We seek qualified applicants who bring perspectives and experiences that will enrich and strengthen our organization and enhance our commitment to access and belonging. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds, including those who may not have followed a traditional educational or professional path.

This position is not eligible for work visa sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Process transactions and maintain accurate records of information resources. This includes processing and maintaining documentation for invoices, licenses, and payments, as well as auditing records for errors and resolving problems in cataloging, ERM data, and the serials knowledgebase.

• Process materials and update holdings. This includes processing new and existing materials as well as collaborating with others to monitor titles, checking title lists and accessibility to maintain an accurate knowledgebase.

• Maintain and edit bibliographic records using current cataloging standards.

• Maintain vendor relationships and assist with answering user questions. This includes communicating with vendors to complete purchases and cancellations, submit payments, and obtain solutions to problems.

• Document and improve workflows, policies, and procedures.

• Assist with the department and special projects.

Minimum Qualifications

Four years library experience or equivalency (one year of education can be substituted for two years of related work experience); knowledge of specialized library techniques and principles as well as research and organizational skills required; demonstrated human relations and effective communication skills also required. Some supervisory experience may be preferred.

Applicants must demonstrate the potential ability to perform the essential functions of the job as outlined in the position description.

Preferences

• Purchasing and/or Accounting experience.

• Ability to work creatively and collaboratively both as a team member and independently, and to promote effective teamwork among colleagues.

• Experience working in OCLC and/or copy cataloging in an ILS .

• Experience working with library collections or serials collections.

• Demonstrated proficiency and capability with information technology systems in the context of an academic library.

• Reading, writing, or speaking in a second language.

The duties, qualifications, and preferences listed in this posting are intended to give applicants an understanding of the role we are seeking to fill and the types of skills, experience, and education that may have prepared someone to be effective in this role. We do not expect any candidate to be a perfect match for this list or to perform all of the duties with equal proficiency on day one. In your resume and cover letter, please highlight the most relevant qualifications you would bring to this position based on the posting, and tell us how your background, perspective, and experience will help us fulfill our mission and meet our goals.

This is a local recruitment. Out of area candidates will be responsible for travel costs for final in‑person interviews and for moving costs, if selected. The candidate will also need to be available to travel to Salt Lake City within 5‑7 days of notice for final in‑person interviews.

Contact Human Resources at [phone] for information. Individuals who previously retired and are receiving monthly retirement benefits from URS are subject to URS’ post‑retirement rules and restrictions. Please contact Utah Retirement Systems at [phone] or [phone] or University Human Resource Management at [phone] if you have questions regarding the post‑retirement rules.

This position may require the successful completion of a criminal background check and/or drug screen.

The University of Utah values candidates who have experience working in settings with students and possess a strong commitment to improving access to higher education.

Veterans’ preference is extended to qualified applicants, upon request and consistent with University policy and Utah state law. Upon request, reasonable accommodations in the application process will be provided to individuals with disabilities.

Consistent with state and federal law, the University of Utah does not discriminate based upon race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy‑related conditions, genetic information, or protected veteran’s status. The University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education program or activity that it operates, as required by Title IX and 34 CFR part 106. The requirement not to discriminate in education programs or activities extends to admission and employment. Inquiries about the application of Title IX and its regulations may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, to the Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, or both.

To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability or if you or someone you know has experienced discrimination or sexual misconduct including sexual harassment, you may contact the Director/Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX (OEO). More information, including the Director/Title IX Coordinator’s office address, electronic mail address, and telephone number can be located at the: University of Utah Non-Discrimination page

Online reports may be submitted at https://oeo.utah.edu

https://publicsafety.utah.edu/safetyreport/ This report includes statistics about criminal offenses, hate crimes, arrests and referrals for disciplinary action, and Violence Against Women Act offenses. They also provide information about safety and security‑related services offered by the University of Utah. A paper copy can be obtained by request at the Department of Public Safety located at 1658 East 500 South.

As per University of Utah policy 5-108: Transfer of Benefits Eligible Staff Members, a new hire to the University of Utah who is still serving a 12 month probationary period will not be hired into another University of Utah job (a transfer) until the successful completion of the probationary period.