Position Title: Library Assistant
Location: UCW Vancouver House and West Pender Campus
Reports to: Manager, Library and Learning Commons

About University Canada West

University Canada West is a business and technology focused, independent post-secondary institution.
Our mission is to deliver programs that provide students with the applied and theoretical basis for
success in the workplace and future academic endeavors. The University has two campuses: West
Pender and Vancouver House and its population of international and domestic students is growing
substantially. If you are a Library Technician with a strong record of excellent public service, we look
forward to hearing from you!

Reporting to the Library Manager, the Library Assistant will provide circulation and reference services
along with a broad range of public service support at both campuses. They will work alongside other
Library Assistants, full-time Librarians, part-time librarians, and UCW Student Assistants to provide
excellent service and supports to the UCW community. Our campuses are open 7 days a week and this role will support weekend services with term schedule of either Tuesday-Saturday or Wednesday-
Sunday based on candidates’ availability.

Primary Purpose

Library Assistants are key members of the Library team and act as the first point of contact for student inquiries, which are generally related to front desk support, circulation, and basic reference transactions. Additional duties may include cataloguing, managing the payment of fines, supporting Interlibrary Loans, updating and maintaining web pages, supporting user statistics and reporting data, and other duties (according to the Library’s needs and the successful candidate’s interests).

Specific Responsibilities 

• Public Service support: Support patrons in using library resources and answer inquiries in a timely and friendly manner. These inquiries are mostly ready-reference questions, but for most of the students, this is the first point of contact with a Canadian academic library; therefore, handling these interactions with the utmost professionalism and care is paramount. Library Assistants also provide circulation services and help manage the Library’s small print collection, including course reserve materials and library equipment.
• Special projects: under the supervision of one of the Librarians, the Library Assistant will work to enhance the library collection (special focus on cataloging and maintaining resources), support institutional repository metadata development and ingestions, and contribute to library programs and events. The successful candidate may also select other projects or areas of growth based on their own areas of interest.

In addition, the library assistant will play an essential role in ensuring that the day-to-day operations in the library are running smoothly.

Position Requirements

Education and Experience:

• A diploma from a 2-year Library Technician program is required; academic library experience is preferred.
• Knowledge of cataloguing and preference for candidates with original cataloguing experience.
• Ability to see multiple tasks through completion with minimal supervision.
• Experience working with international students.
• Outstanding oral/written communication and interpersonal skills are imperative.
• A strong commitment to public service.
• Warm and calm demeanour.

This position is open to candidates with up to 2 (two) years of experience. This position will require the successful candidate to work at both campus locations, including weekends (details will be determined with the candidate). Make sure to indicate in your cover letter that you can fulfill these two conditions.

To apply, please forward your cover letter and resume to jobs@ucanwest.ca (please indicate “Application to Library Assistant position” in the subject line).

Salary Range: $50,000 – $60,000 per annum

We greatly appreciate your time and efforts in applying for the position at UCW; however, please note that due to the high volume of applications, only successful candidates will be contacted.