'Ask Us' Reference Desk Student Assistant
Advocate potential benefits of library services and resources to students and other patrons.
Maintain a regular schedule on the “Ask Us” Reference Desk at Langson Library.
Present welcoming demeanor to patrons who approach the desk or those encountered while roaming.
Assist library patrons in-person and on the phone with basic factual questions (location of library resources and services, printing system procedures, operating hours, etc.).
Interpret bibliographic citations and other identifying information to help patrons locate known items in print or online.
Show patrons how to find catalogs and databases generally appropriate to patrons’ needs. Assist patrons in basic functionality of ANTPAC, MELVYL and common database interfaces (EBSCO, Proquest, etc.) Assure that patrons understand how to proceed if they need advanced assistance.
Refer library patrons with questions requiring subject interpretation or needing more advanced assistance to appropriate librarians, library staff, or other library units.
Explain and interpret UCI Libraries policies and procedures, referring as needed.
Roam library public areas to answer questions.
Work at “Ask Us” Desk alone or with a librarian or library staff member.
Record statistics of all patron transactions.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Demonstrate working knowledge of the ANTPAC and MELVYL catalogs and a sense of internet savvy and interpretation.
Ability to interpret bibliographic citations and other descriptive information.
Skill to apply customer service principles and conventions to assure a positive experience for patrons while providing high-quality assistance.
Ability to communicate clearly with, and to create a welcoming environment for, a diverse patron population.
Ability to work independently under limited supervision.
Ability to maintain confidentiality.
Maintain status as a full-time enrolled student at UCI.
Collection Strategies Student Assistant
General clerical tasks including photocopying, filing, data entry, preparing mailings, and faxing. Preparation of Collections-related documents using MS Word and MS Excel; knowledge of MS Powerpoint desired but not necessary. Bibliographic searching for books and other research materials using ANTPAC & MELVYL online catalogs (further training provided as necessary). Other tasks as required. 6-10 hours per week.
Go to Online Job ApplicationPublic Services Special Collections Student Assistant
Follow basic rare materials handling and preservation procedures.
Assist with research and reference requests, including catalog searches, paging and moving rare books and archival materials, and managing hold locations.
Using a WYSIWYG editor in a content management system, update and edit website content provided by supervisor(s).
Using a WYSIWYG editor, update and edit internal wiki page content provided by supervisor(s).
Using a WYSIWYG editor, update and edit research guide (LibGuide) content provided by supervisor(s).
Provide assistance with event programming, including: logistics of set-up/clean up, drafting thank you emails, social media posts, producing promotional literature, and filing photographs of events using a web-based digital asset management system.
Provide assistance for instruction activities, including: paging, tracking, moving, set-up/takedown, and basic inventorying of lists of rare books, manuscripts, ephemera, photographic and audiovisual material, digital material, and other rare and unique materials.
Draft text for articles and posts on social media including departmental blogs, Twitter, and Tumblr.
Create and edit lists of websites for web archiving using Microsoft Excel or other software.
Create and edit lists of materials for acquisition and purchasing selected by supervisor(s) using Microsoft Excel or other software.
Art, design, and production of promotional materials including buttons, flyers, handouts, and signs.
As assigned, assist with translation of Vietnamese, Lao, Khmer, Hmong, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish and/or other non-English language materials.
As assigned, photograph instruction sessions and special events using departmental camera.
Page and shelve books and archival collections within complex shelf arrangement systems.
Lift and move heavy or oversized boxes, folders, and objects as part of shelving, paging, or shifting projects.
Make photocopies of rare books and archival material, following procedures for safe handling.
Use a flatbed scanner to create digital images of archival photographic prints, slides, negatives, and documents with specific scan settings and using specialized software such as Adobe Photoshop.
Photograph 3-dimensional objects and large flat items using appropriate lighting and safe handling procedures and departmental camera; crop and adjust lighting in image files using specialized editing software such as Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.
Compress and edit video and audio files using specialized software.
Transcribe and perform quality control for transcriptions of audio and video files.
Accurately and clearly type or write detailed information on flags, folders, and shelf list cards.
Update internal department database with collection shelving locations and box numbers.
Perform advanced MELVYL and ANTPAC searches.
Perform missing item searches in stack areas.
Perform opening and closing duties and staff the desk and provide circulation/access service to users in the Orange County & Southeast Asian Archive Center.
Assist librarians and other supervisors with special projects.
Assist with special events on weekends or weekday evenings as assigned.
Public or customer service experience.
Excellent communication skills.
Excellent writing skills.
Ability to create and edit web content including websites, blogs, wikis, and social media.
Ability to perform semi-skilled clerical work (typing, filing, etc.).
Ability to perform repetitive tasks accurately.
Ability to safely handle rare materials.
Ability to perform some manual labor (shelving books and boxes of up to 50 lbs, carrying supplies, light maintenance and custodial tasks, shifting of collections).
Ability to do basic ANTPAC and MELVYL library catalog searching.
Ability to edit ANTPAC records.
Ability to use Microsoft Office applications including Word and Excel.
Ability to use photo and digital scan editing software including Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.
Ability to use cloud-based file sharing programs such as Google Drive.
Computer skills sufficient to work with word processing and database software.
Ability to operate computers, printers, and scanners.
Ability to arrange materials by Library of Congress call numbers.
Ability to work independently and productively, with minimal direct on-site supervision.
Ability to communicate procedures and train other student assistants.
Reading knowledge of Vietnamese, Lao, Khmer, Hmong, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and/or Spanish is highly desirable
Go to Online Job Application
Special Collections Student Assistant
The Special Collections & Archives Assistant I performs at the highest levels of responsibility for handling and preservation of rare books and manuscripts. The student may identify problems based on observed situations and may recommend solutions. The student performs all Special Collections student tasks, including:
Assist supervisor with training of less experienced student assistants
Follow basic rare materials handling and preservation procedures
Page and shelve books and archival collections within complex shelf arrangement systems
Accurately and clearly type or write detailed information on flags, folders, and shelf list cards
Perform advanced MELVYL and ANTPAC searches
Prepare holdings lists and perform quality control for serials and monographs
Photocopy large and complex orders for duplication of rare books and archival material, following procedures for safe handling, sometimes scanning paper documents using a feeder and external drive with specific scan settings; may handle unprocessed materials; may train other student assistants in basic photocopying
Use a flatbed scanner to create digital images of photographic prints, slides, negatives, and documents with specific scan settings
Use a slide scanner to create digital images of slides with specific scan settings
Perform audio and video cassette-to-digital reformatting projects
May staff the desk and provide public service to users in the Southeast Asian Archive
May assist with translation of Southeast Asian and other non-English language materials
Rehouse and label containers for manuscripts and university archives according to archival techniques; perform sorting, arrangement, and minor appraisal tasks for materials, often with little supervision
Create and edit original descriptive information for manuscripts and archival collections using specialized software, including creation of summary content for finding aids and creation of metadata for digital objects
May perform quality control for archival description and metadata using specialized software and/or web resources
Assist with collection maintenance tasks such as shifting, shelf reading, labeling, and keeping areas organized
Assist librarians and other supervisors with special projects
Other duties or special projects as assigned, including advanced shelf reading, catalog maintenance, and archival processing