Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon Portland Community College

Library Resource Sharing Specialist

  • Title: Library Resource Sharing Specialist
  • Class: Classified
  • Exempt Status: Non-Exempt
  • Grade: 18

Job Summary

Under the general direction of a Library Supervisor, the incumbent serves as the primary staff member responsible for resource sharing management in an assigned area (e.g., Interlibrary Loan or Summit). This position serves as the functional expert in the operation of the library’s automation systems specific to resource sharing and collaborates with other library departments, students, faculty, staff, outside agencies, vendors, and the general public. This position works under minimal supervision and is responsible for training and guiding others, which may require acting in a lead capacity.

Typical Duties and Responsibilities

  1. Uses advanced resource sharing techniques to provide exceptional customer service and efficient delivery of materials.
  2. Monitors monthly changes for the library’s unified resource management system and advises on the system configuration.
  3. Assists in difficult service interactions when needed. Resolves material or service problems, clarifies user complaints, determines the cause of the problem, selects and explains the appropriate solution, expedites corrections or adjustments, and follows up to ensure resolution.
  4. Provides information to library users and assists with gathering information in order to ensure the delivery of requested materials.
  5. Is responsible for decision making with regard to the processing and handling of resource sharing related problems and troubleshooting on a district wide basis.
  6. Coordinates, schedules, and prioritizes the daily workflow of other Library staff and student assistants involved in resource sharing work.
  7. Creates and maintains process and procedure documentation related to resource sharing.
  8. Develops training materials and conducts ongoing training for campus staff and student workers performing resource sharing work in addition to providing training to student workers and casual employees on general practices and procedures in Access Services.
  9. Provides leadership in planning, prioritizing, and organizing resource sharing in response to established goals and priorities.
  10. Maintains working relationships with vendors and / or member institutions of the Orbis Cascade Alliance to resolve system issues and to perform upgrades. Coordinates with vendors to initiate system changes that will improve workflow and efficiency.
  11. Acts as liaison for local and regional library consortia and user groups. Collaborates in partnerships and committees with individual libraries locally, regionally, and nationally. Attends annual conferences as required.
  12. Prepares, compiles, and analyzes statistical reports and narrative summaries. Utilizes adopted practices for gathering and compiling usage data.
  13. Responsible for assessing fines, fees, invoices, including but not limited to: billing PCC students, accounting for payments sent and / or received from other libraries, and coordinating with the Library’s Senior Office Assistant or a Library Supervisor as needed.
  14. Assists library users at the checkout desk by providing customer service, facilitating access to library materials, and providing directional information.
  15. Performs other related duties as assigned.
Interlibrary Loan Specialist:
  • Coordinates Interlibrary Loan (ILL) integration with the Library’s purchase on demand program.
  • Uses specialized technology to create and manipulate digital documents.
  • Collaborates with the Library’s Digital Services Team to find solutions for local software issues and fixes in order to sustain a high-level of customer service.
Summit Specialist:
  • Coordinates consortial resource sharing (both borrowing and lending materials) with member institutions of the Orbis Cascade Alliance and resolves any issues with the courier for the entire district.
  • Creates and maintains Summit related records, processes payments, and tracks expenditures.
  • Performs as a lead worker regarding Summit activities within the library, coordinating services and staff.
  • Responsible for decision making with regard to Summit processing, troubleshooting, and resolving Summit related issues on a district wide basis.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements

Work is primarily performed in a library and is fast-paced with constant interruptions. Duties of this position are usually performed in an indoor environment, involving heavy public contact with a usually moderate noise level. Some assignments may involve transporting materials from the loading dock, between classrooms, within libraries and across campuses. This position may require travel to the various PCC campuses. Frequent reaching, walking, standing lifting, stooping, or carrying of equipment or library materials may be required. Incumbents may be required to lift and carry up to 50 pounds.

Minimum Qualifications

Associate’s degree and two years of library experience. Relevant library experience may substitute for the degree requirement on a year-for-year basis.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge of:
  • Library automation systems;
  • Database applications;
  • Institutional repositories;
  • Resource sharing technologies.
Skills in:
  • Critical thinking;
  • Good time management;
  • Customer service skills working with a diverse population. This includes the various levels of understanding about resource sharing and communicating with different groups receiving assistance (students, faculty, public, etc.)
Ability to:
  • Interact positively with staff and the public in order to enhance effectiveness and to promote quality service;
  • Maintain effective working relationships with coworkers;
  • Organize and maintain records;
  • Analyze and resolve problems with minimal supervision;
  • Prepare reports and perform data analysis;
  • Effectively communicate orally and in writing;
  • Remain calm in high pressure situations;
  • Build relationships on campuses and district-wide within PCC and with resource sharing partners in other institutions regionally, nationally, and internationally;
  • Follow protocols and escalation procedures;
  • Work with multiple priorities in a fast-paced and changing environment.

Reviewed: 12/18

  • Revised: 07/2016 (Replaces Interlibrary Loan Specialist 01/2014)