Library Assistant - Reference Assistant

General Purpose

The McLaughlin Library invites applications for the position of Archival & Special Collections Reference Assistant, who will join the Archival & Special Collections (A&SC) team in stewarding and providing access to the University’s most unique, scarce, and fragile materials, including archival fonds, rare books, and special collections dating back to the 14th century. With holdings valued in excess of $40 million, the section operates under strict environmental, security, and access protocols. Careful handling, environmental monitoring, and special security precautions are vital.

The A&SC Reference Assistant serves as the primary front-line point of contact for a diverse research community, including specialized international scholars, faculty, students, genealogists, and community researchers. Operating within a closed-stacks environment under supervised reading room conditions, the Reference Assistant balances high-quality public service with strict policy enforcement, including copyright, privacy legislation, and donor restrictions. When not staffing the public desk, the Reference Assistant plays a critical role in asserting physical and intellectual control over the collections through metadata creation, archival description, and collection preservation support. Related to reference work, they may also engage in scanning work to create high-resolution digital surrogates, as requested by researchers.  

Duties and Responsibilities

The Reference Assistant reports to the Head, Archival & Special Collections and is responsible for the following: 

• Welcoming scheduled researchers to the reading room, delivering precise material handling instructions, and maintaining a secure, productive environment during approximately 25 hours per week stationed at the front desk. 

• Conducting reference interviews in person, via email, and phone to assess user needs. 

• Performing basic research and examining historical documents to answer inquiries regarding scope, provenance, or condition, and triage complex requests to specialized archivists or librarians. 

• Provides patient, one-on-one instruction guiding users through online catalogues, the Access to Memory (AtoM) database, physical finding aids, microform readers, and audio-visual equipment.  

• Clearly interpret and enforce reading room policies, access regulations, donor restrictions, and legal policies (including copyright and privacy legislation). 

• Arranging for reproductions or copying restricted/fragile materials for users.  

• Developing and maintaining general knowledge of library holdings & services according to request & user need. 

• Provide operational support by tracking exhibition viewing statistics and monitors and reports reading room hardware or facilities infrastructure issues. 

• Contributes to the ongoing intellectual and physical control of the collection by using the Rules for Archival Description (RAD) standard and AtoM software to create and enrich file- and item-level metadata and finding aids across a wide variety of media formats. 

• Safely handles, houses, retrieves, and reshelves rare and fragile assets within a climate-controlled internal storage vault, maintaining strict attention to detail to preserve original archival order. 

• Assists with the physical fabrication and installation of library displays, and supports the appraisal process by cross-checking book donation lists against existing holdings. 

• Engages in ongoing professional development to stay current with changing archival and metadata standards. 

• Other duties as assigned. 

Requirements

• A two-year Library Technician Diploma from a Community College, or equivalent education or experience, including foundational training or experience in conducting references interviews. 

• Minimum six months of previous experience in a position with a library reference desk or front-facing public customer service duties. 

• Familiarity navigating integrated library systems (ALMA preferred), online public access catalogues (OPACs), and archival databases (AtoM preferred).  

• Excellent oral and written communication skills. Ability to communicate policy requirements and interact tactfully but firmly with diverse patrons regarding strict security and preservation rules. 

• Knowledge of or ability to identify and safely handle diverse archival formats (e.g., rare books, photographic media, architectural drawings, and manuscripts). 

• An understanding of the academic and research focus of the University to provide the necessary research help and archives support services to faculty, staff, students, and external researchers. 

• Excellent interpersonal, instructional, and conflict-resolution skills.  

• Advanced ability to read handwriting is also required given the nature of the materials in our textual/manuscript collections. 

• Ability to work effectively and efficiently without direct supervision and be able to carry out assignments independently. 

• A team player, contributing to a strong and dynamic team culture. 

• Demonstrated ability to employ good judgment and attention to detail.  

• Ability to occasionally lift boxes weighing upwards of 40-60 lbs. 
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• An undergraduate degree in History, Art History, Information Science, or a closely related field, providing an understanding of academic research methodologies and the university ecosystem.