University of Calgary | Calgary, Alberta

Full-time Regular

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Job ID: 29002

Updated: June 9, 2023

Location: Main Campus

Apply for the position on the UofC careers website.

We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the traditional territories of the people of the Treaty 7 region in Southern Alberta. The City of Calgary is also home to Métis Nation of Alberta, Region III.

Position Overview

Libraries and Cultural Resources is currently seeking a Full-time Regular Information Specialist.

This position provides library reference, circulation, information, technology support and general instruction for the University community and beyond.  Public Service staff deal with multiple projects and shifting priorities and must use their discretion and judgement to ensure the integrity of services to students and faculty are maintained.  The transformative and user centered work of this role will occur across multiple services points including virtual and physical. The position reports to the Learner Support Librarian, Learning Commons.  This position is part of the AUPE Collective Bargaining Unit and may require evening and/or weekend work.

The Information Specialist is often the first point of contact between a library user and Libraries and Cultural Resources services, facilities and collections. The Information Specialist facilitates the seamless connection of library users to these services, facilities and collections so that users can be successful in their teaching, learning and research goals.  Working individually or collaboratively with colleagues in Libraries and Cultural Resources, the incumbent will support the create of tools and resources to support library users with accessing services, will provide general orientation and instruction support to educating both library users and staff on new and existing library services and resources, and will delivery technology support for library provided technology.  In completing the assigned work, the incumbent performs duties that require frequent independent application of library principles and procedures and may assist in coordinating the work of others such as student assistants.  They may also be responsible for taking the lead to resolve service issues or problems and providing on-site direction for student assistants in the absence of the student supervisor.

Position Description

Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):

General:

• Provides high quality customer service both face to face and in the virtual environment.
• Judiciously and effectively applies policies and procedures affecting service and security for library users when dealing with their concerns as perceived
• Maintains currency with advances in the use of technology and resources (practices) as applied to users’ needs and services
• Communicates professionally and respectfully with clients, co-workers, supervisor, and members of the University community and the general public.
• Collaborates with appropriate staff on assigned projects.
• Participates in Libraries and Cultural Resources committees and working groups
• Pursues professional development opportunities to keep skills and knowledge up to date, and participates in orientation and training sessions for new process, products and services.
• Provides general orientation and instruction support to educate both library users and staff on new and existing library services and resources
• Supports projects and initiatives in order to create and enhance services, resources, processes or library activities for staff or library users
• Provides directional assistance within the library and across campus
• Refers users to services beyond the scope of the library, and monitors, troubleshoots and reports building and equipment maintenance issues to ensure a safe and functional library space

Reference:

• Provides virtual and in-person information and instruction to users regarding the location and use of library resources and services
• Provides reference assistance to library users with library resources and services by effectively applying research skills across all subjects.
• Interprets patron requests through the reference interview, and constructs basic search queries for a variety of resources located on and off the library website.
• Refers questions beyond this scope to other staff.
• Instructs clients in basic research techniques and organization of the collections of Libraries and Cultural Resources.

Operations:

• Provides operational support for the ongoing delivery and development of public services across multiple service points including physical and virtual and may be responsible for opening/closing a physical service point
• Assists with circulation services, including checking materials in and out, showing users how to use the self-serve technology, creating and updating patron records, assisting patrons with paying fines and fees and explaining library policies to users,
• Negotiates fines directly with users as needed; may receive fine dispute referrals from other library staff
• Provides support to library users on library supported hardware/software, including  demonstrating login procedures for public and specialized work stations, and referring technical issues as required
• May be responsible for maintaining collections in some service points and overseeing student assistants work as it relates to collections

Qualifications / Requirements:

• A relevant undergraduate degree, a diploma from a library/information technology program or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• Experience in the provision of library reference service in a library setting
• An understanding and working knowledge of library systems and the ability to use and demonstrate these resources
• Strong customer service skills with the ability to identify and understand user needs, and provide appropriate solutions to meet these needs
• Ability to use technologies provided by and supported within the library and ease in testing them and adapting to new technologies
• Personable and courteous in working relationships with colleagues, students and the public.  Ability to interact professionally with students, staff, faculty and other members of the University community
• Ability to work cooperatively with other staff on a wide range of engagement activities, on and off campus, to create awareness of the library’s programs and services
• Ability to organize, prioritize and complete a variety of tasks in a fast-paced environment where interruptions occur frequently and priorities are often modified

Application Deadline:  July 03, 2023

We would like to thank all applicants in advance for submitting their resumes. Please note, only those candidates chosen to continue on through the selection process will be contacted.

Additional Information

This position is part of the AUPE bargaining unit, and falls under the Specialist/Advisor Job Family, Phase 2.

To find out more about management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary and all we have to offer, view our Management and Staff Careers website. 

The University strongly recommends all faculty and staff are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

About the University of Calgary

The University of Calgary is Canada’s leading next-generation university – a living, growing and youthful institution that embraces change and opportunity with a can-do attitude. Located in the nation’s most enterprising city, the university is making tremendous progress on its Eyes High journey to be recognized as one of Canada’s top five research universities, grounded in innovative learning and teaching and fully integrated with the community it both serves and leads. The University of Calgary inspires and supports discovery, creativity and innovation across all disciplines. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.

The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy in line with the foundational goals of Eyes High, committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.

As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (equity@ucalgary.ca) and requests for accommodations can be sent to Human Resources (hrhire@ucalgary.ca).

We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, however preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.