Catalog Maintenance Assistant - Part Time

VCU Libraries supports learning, research, and creativity across Virginia Commonwealth University. With locations at James Branch Cabell Library on the Monroe Park Campus and the Health Sciences Library on the MCV Campus, we help students, faculty, and staff access the information, spaces, and services they need to succeed. Our team values collaboration, innovation, and service, creating an environment where ideas thrive and learning flourishes. The Resource Acquisition and Metadata Services department manages the lifecycle of the libraries' vast collections, ensuring that physical and digital resources are acquired, organized, and described accurately.

Responsibilities

• Assess the accuracy of inventory and bibliographic information on items of the VCU Libraries collections.
• Perform bibliographic searching and edit bibliographic and physical inventory records to ensure absolute data integrity.
• Work primarily within Alma, the integrated library management system, alongside Google applications such as Sheets, Meet, and Gmail.
• Monitor the routing of catalog exceptions to ensure timely return to active project workflows and resolve catalog reviews of physical inventory.
• Attend daily on‑site check‑in meetings with project stakeholders to keep operations moving smoothly.
• Serve as the primary catalog maintenance liaison for the high‑density storage consolidation project, routing exceptions to responsible departments and performing routine corrections for collections spanning both the James Branch Cabell and Health Sciences Libraries.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Familiarity with using/accessing library collections, demonstrated by the ability to identify bibliographic and call number information from handling physical materials.
• Aptitude for accuracy, manipulating detailed data, data fields, and multistep workflows.
• Ability to follow detailed procedures, working both independently and as part of a team.
• Experience recognizing and communicating problems and seeking input from stakeholders and supervisors for process improvement.
• Excellence in time management, including prioritizing and continuously monitoring tasks to resolution.
• Reliable transportation for a 100 % onsite position.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with using/accessing academic library collections and ability to search and retrieve resources in a patron‑facing library search.
• Experience with Alma or another staff‑facing integrated library system catalog.
• Familiarity with MARC bibliographic and holdings records.
• Knowledge of Library of Congress (LC) classification and CUTTER Expansive Classification.
• Experience with the physical processing of library materials, especially barcode and spine labels.
• Ability to push a 50‑lb cart.

Pay

Salary Range: $22.00 per hour

FLSA Exemption Status: Non‑Exempt

Schedule

Hours per Week: up to 29

Fully onsite – parking is not provided.

Benefits

• Comprehensive health benefits
• Paid annual and holiday leave
• Generous tuition benefits
• Retirement planning and savings options, including tax‑deferred annuity and cash match programs
• Employee discounts and well‑being resources
• Opportunities for career development and advancement