LIBRARY TECHNICIAN

DEFINITION OF CLASS:
This is specialized technical and clerical work in support of acquisition, cataloging or preparation (processing) of library materials for the Montgomery County Public Libraries (MCPL) as well as Inter Library Loan. Contacts are with co-workers (employees and contractors) performing related functions, vendors regarding order fulfillment and others to exchange routine and some non-routine information. Very limited direct service/assistance to the public is required of this class, but an individual position (as in Inter Library Loan) may provide notable public service/assistance.
An employee in this class performs specified assignments in support of a system-wide MCPL function (such as acquisitions or processing of new materials) or service (such as Inter Library Loan). The supervisor assigns the duties and provides general instructions for performing the work, which must adhere to established functional policies, procedures and guidelines. Employees independently carry out assignments, making routine day-to-day decisions. Typically, work is not reviewed in process or on a daily basis. Instead, production is reviewed through logs and completed work is typically spot-checked for technical soundness and conformance to policies and procedures. Specific guides, policies or procedures covering the work are available; the employee is to select and apply the right guideline and refer problems and unfamiliar situations not covered by guidelines to the supervisor for interpretation, clarification or decision. The complexity of this class of work is marked by a need to verify information and decide when it is appropriate to edit and/or correct records, and to select the correct bibliographic source or data. The work requires using an automated bibliographic system to facilitate work completion as well as the library's integrated library system database. The impact of properly performed work has a direct bearing on the accuracy and timeliness of data and materials entered into the integrated library system database and the availability of these items to libraries for their patrons. Work is performed in a warehouse retrofitted with an open office environment. There may be fumes of ink and plastic in new books and processing supplies, but they present no significant hazards to employees. Work involves regularly recurring light physical effort that typically results in some fatigue, such as operating computer terminals or other keyboard devices where speed and accuracy are required for extended periods of time, and the recurring lifting of library materials and pushing book trucks. Staff may be required to work evenings and weekends.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES: (Illustrative Only)
ACQUISITIONS
Phones-in or faxes orders for new materials from small vendors; may need to check vendor availability of titles under consideration for order.
Modifies acquisitions order records, as appropriate.
Tracks, checks, counts and puts information into the Integrated Library System (ILS) about incoming orders.
Authorizes payments.
Resolves problems/discrepancies with shipments received, such as incomplete or duplicate shipments.
Performs related duties.

CATALOGING AND PROCESSING
Checks bibliographic information in the ILS to ensure such items as author, title and call number are correct before applying labels, barcodes, spine labels, genre labels, and target security labels.
Enter information into the ILS, such as location and price
Maintain individual work logs.
Edits/modifies bibliographic records directly into the ILS.
Performs related duties.

INTER LIBRARY LOAN (ILL)
Analyzes ILL requests from MCPL patrons to ensure needed/correct bibliographic data (following up with customer, as appropriate).
Peruses databases, such as Marina and WorldCat, to locate materials and identify lending policies and fees, and follows-through to completion.
Performs related duties.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Experience: Two (2) years responsible experience in library support work.
Education: Completion of high school.
Equivalency: An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Knowledge of established guidelines used in daily work, including but not limited to key parts of the MCPL Policies and Procedures Manual, MCPL Quality Service Standards and general MCPL policies and procedures as applicable to regularly recurring work, to perform such daily tasks as explaining and applying circulation policies and procedures accurately and consistently, and to make day-to-day decisions based on experience, judgment and established policies and procedures.
Knowledge of (or ability to rapidly acquire knowledge of) applicable modules/functions of the ILS.
As applicable to specific assignments:
Knowledge of manual processing functions for preparing new materials for the libraries of MCPL and some knowledge of Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) bibliographic standards and MCPL cataloging practices to perform limited cataloging functions.
Knowledge of Inter Library Loan (ILL) requirements, MCPL ILL policies and key ILL electronic databases as well as good skill in written communication to perform ILL support work for MCPL.
Knowledge of acquisition tasks, including receiving and ordering, authorizing payments and handling problem/discrepancies with shipments.
Skill in problem solving to select, organize and logically process relevant information (verbal, numerical or abstract) to solve a problem. Examples include skill in attention to detail to verify data (including bibliographic data) and compare records; in selecting and applying the appropriate policies and procedures to properly process materials; in making elementary arithmetic computations; and in following-through with vendors, customers and others concerning discrepant or incomplete information.
Skill in written communication to understand written information (including facts, assertions and arguments), and to express information in writing so that others will understand. This includes skill in reading policies and procedures applying to assignments.
Skill in oral communication to understand verbal information (including facts, assertions and arguments) and to express such information verbally so that others will understand.
Interpersonal skills to interact with personal contacts in a customer service-oriented, businesslike manner.
Skill in using a computer, software and peripherals for various tasks.
Ability to perform light physical effort, such as keyboarding for long periods and lifting, carrying and/or moving of books and other library materials weighing 20 pounds, regularly, and up to 50 pounds, as required.

PROBATIONARY PERIOD:
The probationary period must be 6 months for a full-time or part-time employee appointed to a merit system position, and 6 months for a promoted employee, during which time performance will be carefully evaluated. Continuation in this class will be contingent upon successful completion of the probationary period.

MEDICAL PROTOCOL: Medical History Review

Class Established: October, 1964
Revised: October, 1972
September, 1976
June, 1984
April, 1992 (M)
May, 2011 (M)

*Formerly Acquisitions Aide