Acquisitions Specialist - Law Library

The University of Iowa Law Library seeks a collaborative and detailed-oriented individual to join us as the Acquisitions Specialist. The University of Iowa Law Library is one of the largest academic law libraries in the country with a wonderful, comprehensive physical collection and an extensive electronic collection. Our mission focuses on providing support, access, and preservation of legal resources and information to present and future legal information seekers who include a broad population from the College of Law and University of Iowa to the people of Iowa and researchers around the country and the world.

Reporting to the Head of Acquisitions & Collection Development, the Acquisitions Specialist assists with oversight and coordination for the Law Library’s acquisitions, ordering, and payment operations to ensure the timely and accurate procurement of library materials and services. This role manages all GOBI selection and ordering activities; processes new and ongoing orders for monographs, serials, and electronic resources in Alma; and supports renewals, cancellations, and collection maintenance activities. Serving as the primary contact for most library vendors, the position handles vendor communications, resolves ordering and payment issues, and coordinates with Accounts Payable to maintain accurate vendor and financial records. The role leads the Payers Team, training and functionally supervising library staff on payment-related activities. The position works closely with the Head of Acquisitions & Collection Development on payment-related workflows, including invoice review and reconciliation, specialty payments, voucher processing, budget tracking, and fiscal year close activities. In addition, the position staffs the Circulation Desk on a regular basis, assisting a community made up of students, staff, faculty, and members of the public.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage specific payment operations, including leading the Payers Team, which includes training and functionally supervising library staff on payment-related activities, providing feedback and follow-up training as needed.
• Serve as the primary contact for most Library vendors. Engage and communicate with vendors in a timely and appropriate manner. Work with vendors on new purchases, continuations, cancellations, and to resolve payment-related problems such as credits and refunds. Coordinate with UI Accounts Payable to set up new vendors and to update address and payment details for existing vendors including related Alma maintenance.
• Assist with the management and accounting of the Law Library’s budgets for acquisitions-related payment and financial activities. Track and account for specialty payments (i.e., credit card, foreign drafts, and wire transfers). Coordinate monthly credit card reconciliation with Shared Services. Assist with year-end and new fiscal year opening activities.
• Manage all GOBI selection and ordering operations. To assist with the monthly GOBI selection process, review folders in GOBI to pull selections, prepare monthly spreadsheets for Selection Team review, and coordinate the ordering of selected titles from GOBI. Provide backup and support for GOBI representative contact and communications.
• Coordinate and process new order requests. Contact vendors to place orders and set up new bib, order, holdings, and item records in Alma as needed for monographs, serials, rushes, and faculty purchases. Process vendor changes with existing and new vendors including Alma-related maintenance. Review and resolve problems related to new and existing orders.
• Staff the circulation desk on a regular basis and fill in for absences as necessary. Help patrons who come to the circulation desk and complete circulation tasks such as checking out and returning items, responding to circulation emails, and providing directions to patrons.

To obtain the full job description including key areas of responsibility, technical competencies, and desirable qualifications, please contact joshua-gulick@uiowa.edu