Library Assistant (Temporary, part-time) at TNBR Careers in Chattanooga, Tennessee

Job Description:

We have an opening for part-time Library Assistant at our Chattanooga State campus!

** Note: This is a temporary position with a potential contract renewal every year**

Our Purpose - We support and empower everyone in our community to learn without limits.

Our Values:

• We cultivate an inclusive environment.


• We care about the well-being of each other.


• We instill trust through integrity and transparency.

Our Mission - We are Chattanooga State, a dedicated team that delivers accessible, innovative learning opportunities that surpass expectations. Together, we enrich the lives of students, and their families; develop a talented workforce; and partner with our community to lead boldly into the future.

The role will be responsible for the following:

Reporting to the Lead Public Services Librarian, the Library Assistant provides customer service and library and campus information to a diverse population of students, faculty, staff, and community members via in person, on the phone, chat, or email during the library's evening and weekend hours. The successful candidate for this position should be adept at providing exemplary customer service to all patrons (internal or external to campus) and supervising, training and supporting work-studies during evening and weekend shifts.

Position Objectives:

Holistic Student Support

• Provides reference and research help to a diverse population of students, faculty, staff,

and community members via individual consultation in person, on the phone, chat, eLearn modules or email.

• Provides multifaceted assistance at the Library Service Desk including routine circulation desk activities, customer service interactions with students, assisting library patrons with library searches, campus inquiries, copiers, and printing, material check-in, check-out, renewals, holds, and patron registration using the Library's automated circulation system. 

Teaching Excellence

• Assists in training and supervision of work-study students during evening and weekend hours.


• Provides on-demand information literacy instruction and reference support to students/faculty/staff/community.

Program Innovation

• Updates the internal Service Desk Libguide to keep Library staff and work-study students informed on changes/new procedures and processes.


• Collaborate with the Lead Public Services Librarian on developing and promoting library events and programming.

Fiscal Stewardship

• Supervises library during high-risk evening and weekend hours to prevent equipment theft or facility damage.


• Promote, support, and participate in student recruitment and retention efforts.

Organizational Culture and Inclusive Practices

• Dedication to providing a welcome and safe environment for all who enter the library.


• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships in a collaborative, team environment; ability to work well with others


• With assistance from the Student Supervisor's committee, trains and supervises a diverse cadre of student workers.

Required Qualifications:

• Customer service experience in libraries and/or in a high demand customer focused industry.


• Excellent interpersonal skills crucial to providing services to the public, including flexibility, enthusiasm, confidentiality, and open-mindedness.


• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships in a collaborative and diverse environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

All the above, plus any or all of the following:

• Demonstrated skill at providing outstanding reference and research assistance in an academic library setting.


• Working knowledge of software and systems that support services to patrons including Integrated Library Systems and other management software used in academic or research settings.


• Demonstrated proficiency and capabilities with personal computers and software, the internet, course management software, and library-relevant information technology applications. Working knowledge of standard computer office applications such as Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, or other productivity software. 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge: Knowledge of traditional reference sources and techniques, computer technology, online databases, the Internet, basic office software


• Skills: Skills in oral and written communication consistent with providing services associated with reference, research, and retrieval of information from print and computer resources; interpersonal skills consistent with providing services to the public, including flexibility, enthusiasm, confidentiality, and open-mindedness and establishing and maintaining effective working relationships in a collaborative environment. Attention to detail and good organizational skills.


• Abilities: Ability to use traditional reference sources, computer technology, integrated library systems, online databases, and the Internet; ability to learn new things and be dependable in a rapidly changing environment. Commitment and ability to work well in a team environment internal to the library, on library committees, and campus committees based on mutual respect. Ability to provide outstanding customer service based on mutual respect for the diverse clientele we serve.

Physical and Mental Demands:

The physical and mental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this class. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Demands
Work is performed in a library/office environment and also on site for various events. While performing the duties of this position, employees are regularly required to sit, walk and stand; talk or hear, both in person and by telephone, use hands repetitively to operate standard office equipment; and reach with hands and arms.  Employees must be able to lift books onto carts and overhead to shelve books that are returned. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision and the ability to adjust focus.

Mental Demands
While performing the duties of this position, employees are regularly required to use written and oral communication skills; read and interpret data, information and documents; analyze and solve non-routine and complex office administrative problems; use math and mathematical reasoning; observe and interpret situations; learn and apply new information or skills; perform detailed work on multiple, concurrent tasks.

Projected Pay:

$20/hour