Librarian (Acquisitions Technician)

Job Overview

Reporting to the Head of Acquisitions, the incumbent receives, searches, and verifies accompanying financial documentation for all information materials in all formats for the Library of Congress (LOC) and approximately 30 academic institutional participants of the African Cooperative Acquisitions Program (AfriCAP). The selected candidate creates Initial Bibliographic Cataloging (IBC) records for all new publications selected using the LOC Integrated Library System (ILS) according to Resource Description and Access (RDA) cataloging, as well as other cataloging metadata creation rules and LOC policies. The incumbent also initiates the payment process by creating and updating Purchase Orders and holdings records, thereby authorizing fiscal processing and approval for payments.

Key Responsibilities

Acquisitions, Receiving and Invoice Verification (50%)

• Receive high volumes of incoming packages of publications in all formats, purchased or otherwise acquired from 30 countries in the Sub-Saharan African region covered by the LOC-Nairobi Office.
• Verify contents of packages against cover letters, invoices, receipts, and packing or shipping lists from different suppliers.
• Determine the source and method of acquisitions (purchase, gift, or exchange).
• Maintain records of incoming shipments for each Bibliographic Representative and country.
• Determine the categories of incoming information resources (serials, monographs, and non-book materials).
• Use specialized search knowledge and skills to search ILS, CAPS (LOC-Nairobi’s finance and acquisitions system), and other Online Public Access Catalogs (OPACs) to verify LOC and AfriCAP participant holdings for all received materials.
• Attach various forms or selection slips to the serial or monograph for appropriate processing by other Sections and pass them to the Library Acquisitions Specialists for selection and subject/profile assignment.

Initial Descriptive Cataloging (35%)

• Create initial descriptive cataloging for all new publications approved for retention from the 30 Sub-Saharan countries covered by LOC-Nairobi Office, using the MARC format for new monographs in ILS and for new serials in OFORS.
• Check relevant databases for consistency of title, avoidance of conflicts, and complete bibliographical control.
• Catalog materials including books, maps, government documents, sound recordings, video recordings, compact discs, microforms, and other non-print or digital formats in multiple African languages.
• Perform IBC Copy Cataloging/Z-Processing if a Program in Cooperative Cataloging (PCC) record is available in OCLC.
• Assign the official Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN) and the item’s barcode for each piece acquired for LOC, entering it into the correct MARC fields.

Serials Check-in (15%)

• Check serials issues into ILS using specialized software knowledge and skills to locate ILS bibliographic records, holdings, and item records.
• Update and/or create holdings records summary statements in the ILS database.
• Update location data, enumeration, chronology, and status in item records and re-sequence item records.
• Identify errors and use special validation techniques to reduce errors.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Education: University degree in Library or Information Science is required.
• Experience: Minimum of two years of work experience in a library setting, with practical experience in online searching and cataloging.
• Language Skills: Level 4 (Fluent) speaking, reading, and writing in English, and Level 3 (Good working knowledge) speaking, reading, and writing in Kiswahili.
• Job Knowledge: Sound knowledge of Machine-Readable Cataloguing (MARC) formats, Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, 2nd ed. (AACR2) or Resource Description and Access (RDA) cataloging rules, and database management systems.
• Skills and Abilities: Strong computer skills including library management systems and MS Office; basic keyboarding and numerical skills; ability to organize work, set priorities, and manage time effectively.
• Security Clearance: Must be able to obtain and hold a Security certificate or Public trust security clearance.