All student employees at Library Help are expected to willingly and effectively perform all tasks assigned, working in any area as needed, and to work through the last day of finals each semester.
Hours: 12 hours per week with availability M W 8am–Noon, 3-5pm; Th 5-10pm; and/or Fri 11am-6pm.
Description of Duties
- Working at the counter: Charging materials to patrons, checking on the status of Library materials, answering questions, and directing patrons to staff members as needed.
- Discharging materials: Effectively removing the link between a book and a patron to ensure that patrons are not unduly charged for overdue or lost books. Accurately and consistently responds to “Discharge messages”. Pushing a book cart and unloading four book drops daily.
- Answering the telephone: Answering general patron questions and referring to staff when necessary.
- Shelf reading the reserves collection: Reading the reserve collection to ensure that books and other materials are in proper call number order.
- Maintaining Reserves material: Verify that all materials are present, replacing labels, and missing pages as necessary.
- Process items into and out of lost-and-found, print and distribute room calendars, make closing announcements over the intercom, clean and stock Hale Library’s public supply table, do daily and weekly cleaning tasks in department, assisting patrons with microfilm.
- Performing of miscellaneous tasks to support office staff: Including but not limited to typing, filing, copying, assisting with stack maintenance, and helping in other departments.
Skills and abilities to perform the duties in this position:
- Able to work independently and take initiative to solve problems
- Responsible, flexible, and reliable
- Excellent attention to detail
- Excellent listening and questioning skills
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Able to provide clear oral instructions
- Proficient with Windows XP and Microsoft Word
Student Assistants are in contact with K-State students, faculty, and staff as well as city and regional patrons on a daily basis. In addition, they interact occasionally with K-State Administration related to providing Circulation services, resolving patron problems, locating and requesting materials, etc.
Interacting with patrons (occasionally hostile patrons) in a crowded, noisy work environment can prove to be stressful. Employees may occasionally be asked to work extra hours or different shifts, sometimes on short notice.
Student Assistants must strive for 100% accuracy at all times, which will help to avoid errors. Errors result in irate patrons, poor services, and bad public relations for the library and/or ineffective operation of the unit.
Continued employment is contingent upon maintaining a record of satisfactory evaluations, which are contingent upon duties being executed efficiently and accurately.
The circulation unit is not in a position to permit reduction of hours during exam weeks.
