The Georgia Historical Society (GHS) is the premier independent statewide institution responsible for collecting, examining, and teaching Georgia history. GHS houses the oldest and most distinguished collection of materials related exclusively to Georgia history in the nation. To learn more, go to www.georgiahistory.com.
Position Summary:
The Reference Desk Manager is responsible for coordinating reference staffing, scheduling the day-to-day operations of reference services, providing in person and remote reference services, and performing copy cataloging and original cataloging of library and archival materials according to accepted national standards. This position works under the direction of the Special Collections Director.
Duties and Responsibilities Include (incumbent may perform other duties as assigned):
Percentage of Role: 50%:
Manage reference desk associates, interns, and volunteers. Coordinate reference desk staffing and scheduling 30 days in advance and ensure communication with management. Establish goals and metrics, develop work plans, and monitor productivity of reference desk associates. Effectively onboard and train staff following established policies and procedures. Ensure all internal policies are adhered to and enforce compliance as needed. Handle staffing issues in consultation with management and Human Resources. Responsible for working with management to establish, maintain, and hold reference staff accountable to quality and productivity metrics. Responsible for tracking and reporting reference project updates and other deliverables to management.
Percentage of Role: 35%:
Manage reference activities on a day-to-day basis by providing excellent customer service and effective inventory management. Evaluate and manage resources; enforce currently defined reading room procedures with staff and patrons; report resources for collection development; direct and assist others with updating forms and ready reference resources as needed. Oversee the scheduling of research appointments and orientations; overall responsibility for managing the Research Center calendar. Work with reference desk staff to respond to incoming reference requests in a variety of formats (email, telephone, in-person, and mail) and ensure a timely turn-around response by logging incoming requests, monitoring response times, and ensuring payment for research requests are paid in full. Present instructional orientations of Research Center resources to groups and individuals; participate in outreach activities, as necessary.
Percentage of Role: 15%:
Assist in collections management tasks for book and serial collections including shelf reading, inventorying, and deaccessioning projects. Consistently ensure the Reading Room is clean, organized, and secure. Plan and execute periodic facility and operational auditing to ensure processes, procedures, and facility maintenance are meeting the needs of the institution and researchers.
Supervisory Responsibilities: Reference Desk Associates, interns, and volunteers.

Experience/Skills Required:
Knowledge, skills, and abilities: Must have prior experience and proven skill set to supervise others to include scheduling, performance management, metrics creation, monitoring, and reporting, and impactful onboarding and training of others. Demonstrated ability to work independently and as a part of a team, to organize, prioritize work, and act with initiative and good judgment. Must be a self-starter with flexibility and a willingness to get the
job done along with excellent problem solving, interpersonal, and communication skills. Must be able to work well under pressure and with attention to detail. Must represent GHS in a professional manner and be able to work well with diverse groups of people including patrons, board members, donors, volunteers, and staff.
Experience assisting users in finding information and providing reference services in-person, through email, and over the telephone. Experience in developing and organizing reference resources. Knowledge of Anglo-American Cataloging Rules 2nd Rev (AACR2r), Resource Description and Access (RDA), and skilled application of Library of Congress Classification and Subject Headings. Knowledge of the principles and procedures of professional library work including methods, practices, and techniques of library cataloging and classification. Possess computerized cataloging as well as knowledge of standard bibliographic sources, MARC 21 bibliographic format, and verification tools.

Education: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience

Experience: Five to seven years of progressively responsible experience including a minimum of three years in a people management and/or an operational capacity. Special collections experience is strongly preferred, however experiences in academic, corporate, law library collections, or bookstore will be considered. Prior experience scheduling shifts for hourly workers required. Must be able to work occasional evenings and the 1st and 3rd Saturday as scheduled.
Physical Requirements:
Must have the ability to alternate between sitting and standing for extended periods with frequent walking. Will spend a significant amount of the time standing to assist patrons and researchers. Must be able to reach with hands and arms, lift and carry objects up to 50 pounds occasionally, and use hands to manipulate objects including a keyboard/mouse and GHS collection material. Must have good vision and hearing to perform tasks like reading documents and communicating with colleagues, donors, patrons, and the general public in person and over the phone. Must be able to ascend and descend ladders while carrying objects, ascend and descend stairs and work in semi-confined spaces. While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be regularly required to reach, stoop, and kneel to reach materials at various angles and locations occasionally. Must provide staff support with an annual event requiring additional work hours and advanced walking, standing, reaching, lifting, and carrying materials. This annual event will require an ability to hear accurately to interact with the public, demonstrate clarity of vision, judge distance and space relationships, and identify and distinguish colors.
To Apply:
Send cover letter and resume to:
Reference Desk Manager
Georgia Historical Society
104 West Gaston Street
Savannah, GA 31401
Fax: 912.651.2831
Email: jobs@georgiahistory.com
No phone calls please