Library Associate, Licensing & Course Reserves

Department: Library Collections and Content
Position covered by the Collective Agreement with USW Local 4120

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General Purpose

Reporting to the Manager, Acquisitions & Resource Management (ARM) and the Manager, Course Material & Reserve Services (CMRS), the Licensing & Course Reserves Associate coordinates and supports the day-to-day operations required to license, enable access, and pay for physical and electronic content acquired by the library. The incumbent is responsible for a wide range of activities that support supervision, functional guidance and coaching, training, financial management, contract management, reporting, data evaluation, analysis, and troubleshooting, as well as policy and government regulation compliance in a collaborative team environment.

Duties and Responsibilities

This position is responsible for documenting, tracking, and maintaining license information in various library systems, as well as for generating detailed reports to support the strategic management of licenses across all Collections & Content units. The incumbent assists managers and librarians in the licensing, acquisition, delivery, and payment of a range of collections and content to meet the core mandate of the Collections & Content team: to provide the research, teaching, and learning resources needed to meet the curriculum and research needs of students, faculty and staff, and enhancing student engagement, retention, and the timely completion of their university programs.

The incumbent also supports and assists the CMRS staff in the provision of Course Reserve services, overseeing the creation, sourcing, acquisition, processing, and cataloguing of course-related learning materials, as well as the facilitation of students’ access to these resources through the library’s course reserve system, Ares. They also coordinate the work of, and provide functional guidance for up to 3 Unionized staff. This work requires liaison with faculty members, academic department staff, teaching assistants, Open Learning & Educational Support staff (OpenEd), and University of Guelph-Humber staff, among others. Course materials include content from the library’s collections, faculty personal materials, streaming media, and external web-based resources; all content must meet both copyright and accessibility requirements. In particular, the Licensing and Course Reserves Associate provides expertise regarding the use of licensed materials, arranges for the payment of short-term licenses for course materials, and troubleshoots issues with vendors, content-providers and copyright owners.

This position supports staff development by assisting managers in designing and delivering customized training, including developing training materials and guides. The position involves independent troubleshooting requiring working knowledge of how to use and access resources available to the library, an overall understanding of the financial and contract management requirements, and the fiscal and resource licensing landscape of the university. The incumbent provides library colleagues with information to inform purchasing and evaluation of resources and help both library colleagues and library users navigate the wide array of electronic and print course resources both current and historical.

Requirements

• Undergraduate degree in any discipline together with a library technician diploma and two years related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience

• Experience coordinating staff, and providing functional guidance and direction

• In-depth knowledge of the policies, goals/objectives and services of academic libraries

• Understanding of library systems and IT infrastructure

• Familiarity with licensing terms in an academic environment

• Understanding of Canadian copyright law as it applies in an academic environment

• Experience working in a consortial library environment with shared services, systems, and/or collections

• Familiarity with AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act) with respect to the provision of educational materials.

• Facility with core organizational technologies such as e-mail, word processing, spreadsheets, PDF software, web browsers, and other web apps

• Facility with collaborative software (e.g.: OneDrive, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams)

• Ability to adapt quickly to new technologies (both hardware and software)

• Facility with online content platforms such as e-book, e-journal, or streaming media software platforms

• Knowledge of course management systems (e.g. Brightspace, WebAdvisor), digitization software (e.g. ABBYY FineReader), and customer ticketing systems (e.g. Footprints) or comparable systems.

• Customer service experience and a client-focused attitude. Ability to build positive relationships with stakeholders.

• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively within a team environment

• Proficient written communication skills

• Proficient active listening skills

• Superior organizational skills

• Ability to analyze and synthesize information quickly and respond fully and accurately to identified needs

• Intellectual curiosity and a commitment to personal and professional development

• Broad knowledge of the academic environment including the research and teaching process and the University’s learning objectives and curricular goals

Any licensing, copyright, records management training and/or certificate is considered an asset. Other preferred qualifications include intermediate proficiency with Microsoft Excel, first-hand experience with Alma Library Services Platform and Primo discovery system.

Employee Type: Regular
Position Number: 10400085
Classification: USW, Local 4120 Salary: Band 6
USW Local 4120 Wage Grid

*Tentative evaluation; subject to final review.

At the University of Guelph, fostering a culture of inclusion is an institutional imperative. The University invites and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in employment, who may contribute to further diversification of our Institution.

Posting Date: 01/22/2025
Closing Date: 01/29/2025