About Our Job
Denver Public Library (DPL) is a growing urban library system that serves the residents of the City & County of Denver. DPL sees more than 4 million visitors every year across its 27 locations, serves Denver’s most vulnerable communities through outreach and mobile services, hosts thousands of programs a year, and manages a collection of more than 1.4 million physical and digital materials. We believe a strong library is vital for a strong community. DPL is committed to serving the evolving needs of Denverites through inspired programming, diverse collections, culturally-representative spaces, and equitable policies & procedures.
ABOUT THE TEAM
The Technical Access Services (TAS) team operates out of DPL’s Central Library, and is responsible for the receiving, cataloging, and processing of the library’s circulating collections, using a combination of outsourcing and in-house work. Collections are one of DPL’s core services, and the team strives for accurate and timely access and discoverability for its materials.
ABOUT THE POSITION
DPL is seeking a Cataloging Librarian to join the TAS team, working downtown at our Central Library. This position will work within our team of five catalogers to review, develop, and implement cataloging policies and procedures. The successful candidate will prioritize the end user by balancing high quality cataloging with quick turnaround of materials, and participate in cataloging projects and database maintenance. Positive working relationships are essential within the cataloging team, other areas of TAS, and other departments and branches to improve access and troubleshoot issues. This position will largely focus on original and adaptive cataloging of materials published in Spanish, and enhancing records with Spanish language subject terms.
The key responsibilities of the position include:
Perform various levels of cataloging, based on record availability, accurately describing the material in hand and determining appropriate name and subject access points
Verify and enhance existing cataloging records by correcting errors and adding new access points or additional information
Ensure original records are complete and accurate, for distribution in the OCLC database
Ensure access points for subjects, names, and series are best aligned with the material’s content, and best-suited for staff and customer searching behaviors
Create unique, researched access points for personal names that are not included in the national name authority file
Assign call number classifications for a wide range of materials and formats, using knowledge and interpretation of Dewey Decimal Classification, as well as internal conventions, based on the work’s content
Contribute to ongoing database maintenance and special projects aimed at improving discoverability of materials
Assist the Cataloging Supervisor in assessing the library's use of Spanish-language terms and recommend areas for improvement
Communicate regularly with colleagues within and outside of TAS to ensure proper treatment of materials
ABOUT YOU
You are passionate about public libraries, and feel drawn to DPL’s values of welcoming, curiosity, connection, equity, and stewardship. You understand the importance of a library’s collections, and dedicate your work to making these collections accessible and discoverable to all users by contributing to and enhancing a library catalog that allows for a consistent, intuitive search experience. You understand the bias in subject terms and classification and collaborate with the library community to build more equitable cataloging practices.
You will regularly use the following knowledge and abilities:
Knowledge of MARC bibliographic and authority formats, Dewey Decimal Classification, and Library of Congress Subject Headings.
Ability to use workplace technology effectively including email, calendar, internet, video conferencing, searching databases, creating spreadsheets.
Ability to demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills, positive attitude, cultural sensitivity and sense of humor in working with customers, coworkers and community.
Ability to work independently, prioritize, and meet deadlines.
Ability to demonstrate initiative, innovation and flexibility, including proposing process improvements.
Preferred Qualifications
Due to the position’s focus on Spanish-language materials and vocabularies, Spanish proficiency is strongly preferred
One or more years of experience working with bibliographic records is preferred
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Education requirement: Master's Degree in Library Science from an American Library Association accredited program or currently enrolled in an American Library Association accredited program for a Master's Degree in Library Science and must obtain a degree within 6 months of hire date.
Experience Requirement: None
Education/Experience Equivalency: No substitution of experience for education is permitted.
License/Certifications: None