Public Services and Circulation Supervisor

Whitworth University is a residential campus shaped by learning, curiosity, and community life. This role is based on campus and requires consistent, in-person engagement.

Position Summary

Whitworth University is seeking a service-minded and people-centered Public Services & Circulation Supervisor to join our Library team.

This role is at the heart of the library experience. You will facilitate daily operations at the circulation desk, supervise a team of student employees, and help create a welcoming, responsive environment for students, faculty, staff, and the broader community.

If you enjoy mentoring students, creating great service experiences, and bringing order and care to a circulation desk, this role offers an opportunity to make a meaningful impact in a student-centered academic environment.

Core Responsibilities

Public Services & Circulation Operations | 60%

• Coordinate the daily operations of circulation services, ensuring consistent, high-quality service delivery to students, faculty, staff, and community patrons.
• Supervise, train, schedule, and develop a team of approximately 16–18 student employees, fostering accountability, growth, and a service-oriented culture.
• Oversee circulation workflows including check-in/out, patron account management, reserves, fines and billing processes, and material tracking.
• Maintain accuracy and functionality of the Integrated Library System (ILS), including patron records, circulation policies, and routine system maintenance in collaboration with library systems staff.
• Manage course reserves in partnership with faculty, ensuring compliance with copyright standards and timely access to materials.
• Monitor and resolve complex patron issues, exercising judgment and ensuring alignment with library policies and university standards.
• Develop, maintain, and update circulation procedures, documentation, and training materials to ensure operational consistency and continuity.
• Track and analyze service metrics (e.g., usage, fines, resource sharing activity) to inform decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Contribute to the evaluation and enhancement of circulation policies, workflows, and user experience.

• Facilitate the interlibrary loan (ILL) lending operations using systems such as OCLC WorldShare and RapidILL.
• Serve as a primary contact for consortial borrowing through the Orbis Cascade Alliance (Summit), ensuring timely and accurate resource sharing.
• Coordinate logistics for material delivery, including courier services and shipping processes.
• Provide backup support for ILL borrowing functions as needed.
• Collaborate with consortium partners to support effective and innovative resource sharing practices.

• Support daily library operations, including opening/closing procedures and building monitoring.
• Coordinate building schedules, signage, and communication with campus partners (e.g., Security, Information Systems).
• Contribute to a welcoming and engaging library environment, including displays and public-facing spaces.

• Participate in library-wide planning, assessment, and implementation of service improvements.
• Support special projects, events, and initiatives that enhance the library’s role in the academic community.
• Engage in professional development and remain current with trends in library services, technology, and user experience.
• Contribute to collaborative work within the Orbis Cascade Alliance and broader professional networks.
• Other responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications and Core Competencies

• Associate’s degree required; bachelor’s degree preferred; or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Demonstrated experience in customer service, student services, operations, or a related environment requiring coordination of multiple processes and attention to detail.
• Experience supervising, training, or leading employees (student or staff), including scheduling, coaching, and performance accountability.
• Experience working with systems or databases and the ability to learn new technologies quickly.
• Demonstrated ability to apply policies with sound judgment in customer-facing situations.
• Personal commitment to the Christian faith and to the integration of faith and learning.
• Commitment to the educational mission of Whitworth University.

• Creates a welcoming, responsive service environment; models professionalism and accountability while developing student employees.
• Manages complex workflows with attention to detail; ensures accuracy, efficiency, and continuous improvement in systems and processes.
• Builds strong partnerships across campus and with consortium colleagues; communicates clearly and works effectively across teams.
• Navigates complex service and operational challenges with sound judgment, policy alignment, and a solutions-oriented mindset.
• Responds effectively to evolving technologies, systems, and user needs in a dynamic library environment.

• Experience working in a library, academic support environment, or higher education setting.
• Familiarity with integrated library systems (e.g., Ex Libris) or resource sharing platforms (e.g., OCLC, RapidILL).
• Experience working with or supervising student employees.

Other Details

You are on this webpage because a position at Whitworth sparked your curiosity. If you find yourself questioning hitting the apply button because you might not meet 100% of the qualifications, we think you should do it! When you click apply and submit an application, your application is reviewed by a committee of real, living, and breathing human beings who want to understand your background, experience and skills to find ways you relate to the key competencies needed for success in the position.

Whitworth complies with all federal, state, and local nondiscrimination laws that are applicable to religious nonprofit institutions and does not engage in unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sexual orientation, sex, or disability. With our Christ-centered commitment to building a diverse and inclusive community, the university encourages applications from populations underrepresented at Whitworth including members of racial/ethnic communities, women, and persons with disabilities.

Online applications are stored on a secure site. Only authorized employees and hiring authorities have access to the information submitted.

It is important that your application show all the relevant education and experience you possess. Applications may be rejected if incomplete.

At Whitworth University, we are committed to supporting the well-being of our faculty, staff, and their families by offering an extensive benefits package. Eligible employees can enjoy a variety of benefits, including:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Employer-matched 403 (b) retirement plan
• Tuition remission programs available for employees, their spouses, and dependents
• Life insurance and long-term disability coverage
• Accrued vacation and sick leave based on full-time equivalency (FTE). All staff accrue 8 hours of sick leave per month and 10 to 20 days of vacation per year, depending on employee category.
• 2 days of Floating Holiday leave based on full-time equivalency (FTE)
• Access to an Employee Assistance Program
• Resources for Christian vocation and calling
• No cost access to the University Recreation Center (UREC) and the Megan E. Thompson Aquatic Center
• 15 paid holidays throughout the year