F/T - Acquisition Specialist - Brooklyn College

Acquisition Specialist (Higher Education Assistant)

Location/Department: Brooklyn College Library

Notice Number:MP16095

Position Description and Duties:

Brooklyn College is one of the City University of New York’s senior colleges; it enrolls 16,000 students. The Library’s holdings include 1.3 million volumes, as well as significant non-print collections with an annual materials budget of $750,000 to $1,000,000. The Library is highly automated, and its programs include academic computing. A new state-of-the-art Library building opened in September 2002.

The Acquisition Specialist reports directly to the Associate Librarian for Technical Services. Responsibilities include:

• Encumber and expend the Library acquisitions budget for all monographic formats as well as e-books, video recordings, sound recordings, and musical scores following established timeframes.

• Create library order records in MARC (machine Readable Cataloging) format using OCLC (our international bibliographic database), the Library of Congress Resource File, and Aleph, Ex Libris’ integrated library system.

• Verify all requests for purchases. Select from a multitude of vendors based on their specializations, prices, and speed of service.

• Train and supervise two part-time clerical support staff.

• Troubleshoot problems with vendors, materials, and requesters.

• Monitor over 30 Library funds, the receipt of materials, and materials expenditures.

• Maintain effective relations and reconcile accounts with vendors and publishers.

• Represent the Brooklyn College Library at CUNY-wide meetings (i.e. CUNY Acquisitions Round Table, CUNY+ (online catalog) Acquisitions Committee) and on the Brooklyn College Library Collection Development Committee.

• Work with the Associate Librarian for Technical Services to foresee and plan for changes in the nature and scope of library acquisitions.

• Work closely with subject bibliographers and the Associate Librarian for Collection Development to order, receive, pay for, and make accessible print and electronic acquisitions.

• Work closely with the CUNY Director of Library Services on vendor tape loads into the online catalog

Qualifications and Requirements:
Baccalaureate degree and four years related experience required. The successful candidate will have excellent attention to detail and superior organizational skills in order to keep track of invoices and library materials from a multitude of publishers and vendors. The successful candidate will also have the ability to multi-task, the ability to adhere to strict deadlines, and the ability to work harmoniously with many different groups, i.e. Library faculty and staff, classroom faculty, college administrators, publishers, vendors, and one’s counterparts at the eighteen other CUNY institutions. Experience with records management in a library setting, MARC (Machine Readable Cataloging) format, OCLC (an international bibliographic database) is desirable.


Closing Date: Open until filled with the review of resumes to begin 4/30/09

FSLA Status: Exempt To apply:

Applicants should send a letter of interest, resume and the names and contact information of three professional references to:



Michael T. Hewitt
Assistant Vice President for
Human Resource Services
Brooklyn College/CUNY
2900 Bedford Avenue
Brooklyn , New York 11210-2889

or

bcjobs@brooklyn.cuny.edu

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