Library Assistant II

National Museum of Wildlife Art; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

The Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles seeks a Library Assistant II to support Special Collections Reading Room operations, retrieving and shelving materials, circulating items, and assisting researchers.

Proficiency with Ex Libris Alma and Primo, inventorying collections, and maintaining vault storage is required. The role includes supporting tours, workshops, and ongoing projects under supervision.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate coursework in art history or related discipline preferred.
• Minimum 2 years of related experience.

Responsibilities

• Daily paging and reshelving a high volume of material.
• Assists with and resolves moderately complex problems.
• Staffs a reading room and participates in a range of moderately complex library service activities for staff and external library users.
• Ensures proper handling, care, storage, preservation, and tracking of collection items.
• May conduct moderately complex collection maintenance as needed.
• Shelves, sorts, pages, routes, scans, or delivers collection materials from different locations in the library or library annex.
• Learns and uses various library software applications to execute moderately complex transactions to track materials, describe collections, manage librarycollections, and document activities.
• Maintains collection storage spaces and vaults by organizing, conducting physical shifts of material within vaults, and other inventory control projects.
• May facilitate tours, workshops, and classes.
• Participates in additional projects as assigned.

Skills

Communication

Organization

Foreign language reading

Library software

Material handling

Ladder safety

Bibliographic databases

Digital asset management

Education

Undergraduate art history coursework

Tools

Ex Libris Alma/Primo

Job description

Job Summary

Getty seeks a Library Assistant II to work with the Special Collections Reading Room team at the Getty Research Institute to assist with public service activities, circulation, and monitoring of the Special Collections Reading Room. Reporting to the Special Collections Reading Room Supervisor, the Library Assistant II’s primary duties are to assist in the daily operations of the Special Collections Reading Room, including: retrieving and shelving Special Collections items and circulating items to various departments; using the Getty’s integrated library system, Ex Libris’ Alma and Primo, to manage library materials and patron requests and maintain holdings and item records; working with colleagues to maintain storage vaults; conducting inventories of Special Collections material; and monitoring and maintaining the Special Collections Reading Room and Seminar Room.

The Library Assistant II provides services to a wide variety of staff and researchers, replies to routine queries, and refers more complex queries to the Library Assistant IV, the Special Collections Reading Room Supervisor, reference librarians, and curators, as appropriate. Participates in additional projects as assigned.

The Getty Research Institute is dedicated to furthering knowledge and advancing awareness of the visual arts and their various histories through its expertise, ongoing collecting program, public programs, institutional partnerships, exhibitions, publications, digital services, and residential scholars’ programs. Among the world’s premier art libraries, the Getty Library and its Special Collections include over 1.5 million volumes, rare materials, and digital resources, which serve a vast international community of scholars and the interested public. The Institute's activities and scholarly resources guide and sustain each other and collectively provide a unique environment for research, critical inquiry, and scholarly exchange.

Major Job Responsibilities

• Daily paging and reshelving a high volume of material
• Assists with and resolves moderately complex problems
• Staffs a reading room and participates in a range of moderately complex library service activities for staff and external library users
• Ensures proper handling, care, storage, preservation, and tracking of collection items
• May conduct moderately complex collection maintenance as needed
• Shelves, sorts, pages, routes, scans, or delivers collection materials from different locations in the library or library annex
• Learns and uses various library software applications to execute moderately complex transactions to track materials, describe collections, manage librarycollections, and document activities
• Maintains collection storage spaces and vaults by organizing, conducting physical shifts of material within vaults, and other inventory control projects
• May facilitate tours, workshops, and classes
• Participates in additional projects as assigned

Qualifications

• Undergraduate coursework in art history or related discipline preferred
• Minimum 2 years of related experience

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong communication skills
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Reading knowledge in at least one foreign language preferred
• Ability to learn library-specific software applications
• Ability to lift boxes and push book trucks up to 40 pounds
• Ability to climb industrial ladders required in order to page and shelve from collections located on 12-foot high compact shelving units
• Experience with industry-standard software suites as appropriate to assigned duties
• Experience with bibliographic databases and library-specific software applications (may include digital asset management systems), and productivity software preferred
• Requires ability to handle rare and unique materials with care
• Introductory knowledge of bibliographic metadata structure and standards
• Ability to work in partnership with others
• Familiarity with and knowledge of intellectual property and copyright issues