Career Center

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Salary Range: $58,500 - $65,600

Position Summary

The supervisor manages all activities of the Binding & Shelf Preparation Department relating to shelf preparation and commercial bindery preparation and invoicing, and related activities.

Responsibilities

Manages shelf preparation and bindery preparation:                               

a. Establishing and documenting workflows, procedures, and benchmarks for staff; monitoring progress to minimize arrearages; collecting and reporting productivity statistics;

b. Supervising 3 fulltime union staff and GAs, with responsibility for work performance, including hiring, evaluation, and discipline;

c. Training staff in all processing tasks, including use of in-house software for computer label and binding slip creation, selecting binding treatments, affixing of labels, ownership stamping, book plating, insertion of security devices, and pickup/distribution of books within the library;

d. Managing quality control of staff binding slips and labels; determining treatments for unusual materials (in consultation as needed with Preservation and other divisions??? staff);

e. Communicating with and training staff in Collections and Research & Learning divisions who perform binding and shelf preparation procedures and policies; training staff in vendor-provided software for serials binding; working with supervisors to better coordinate procedures;

f. Troubleshooting binding and labeling equipment throughout CUL; ordering label tape and other supplies; investigating options for new/improved supplies;

f. Performing all processing tasks as needed to maintain productivity.

Manages the commercial binding invoicing process:                                                   

a. Assigning all invoices received from commercial binders to correct Purchase Orders; processing invoices for payment by Financial Services; acting as liaison to solve invoice problems;

b. Maintaining a database of all invoices; monitoring binding budgets; preparing quarterly and annual reports on the status of individual binding accounts as well as the overall binding budget.

Manages preparation of materials for other functions:                                                

a. Managing preparation for transfer to Off-site of all volumes acquired for Off-site, after binding and labeling is complete;

b. Managing retrieval from the stacks of volumes for mass deacidification; processing and packing them for shipment; and unpacking and distributing them back to the libraries after treatment.

Manages relations with the commercial binders:                                                           

a. Acting as the primary contact with the commercial binders concerning service and quality issues; communicating with them to ensure specifications and schedules are met, deliveries and pickups go smoothly, materials are retrieved when necessary, and invoices are submitted correctly and on time;

b. Acting as the primary contact with the commercial binders concerning binding software for monographs (in-house program) and serials (vendor-provided program), and acting as liaison between the vendors and LIT staff;

c. Advising library staff on binder services and options; and acting as liaison and problem-solver between the vendors and library staff.

d. Assisting the Director in identifying qualified commercial vendors and preparing binding specifications.

Other related duties:      

1. Problem solving; maintaining statistics, locating materials in process on demand;
2. Keeping abreast of new developments and trends in commercial binding;
3. Assisting in aspects of the CUL Preservation Program, including disaster response, planning, special projects, serving as the divisional representative to appropriate working groups, and other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent related experience required. 0-2 years of related experience required.
• Demonstrated supervisory experience.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and ability to work well with CUL staff, supervisors, selectors, vendors, and staff.
• Ability to work with bibliographic information in a variety of languages.
• Ability to move heavy boxes and book trucks and ability to work with dusty materials.
• Knowledge of computer spreadsheet software.

Preferred Qualifications

• Library experience and/or book binding experience or equivalent. 
• Experience with Library Information Systems such as Voyager. Ability to communicate clearly with CUL staff and vendors verbally, in writing, and in email. Understanding or experience of Library Preservation desired.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.

About Columbia University

Columbia University is one of the world's most important centers of research and at the same time a distinctive and distinguished learning environment for undergraduates and graduate students in many scholarly and professional fields. The University recognizes the importance of its location in New York City and seeks to link its research and teaching to the vast resources of a great metropolis. It seeks to attract a diverse and international faculty and student body, to support research and teaching on global issues, and to create academic relationships with many countries and regions. It expects all areas of the university to advance knowledge and learning at the highest level and to convey the products of its efforts to the world.

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