Environmental Art Show — Call For Art — 2020

The library is seeking submissions for the 10th Annual Environmental Art Show. The art show will be held from April 15 to April 22.

The Environmental Art Show promotes the natural beauty of our environment and the ideal practice of sustainable living through artworks of all types, including painting, photography, repurposed goods, sculpture, and more. The art show relies on submissions by University of Scranton student, staff, and faculty, so please consider contributing!

The deadline for submissions is set for Monday, April 13. All works of art can be dropped off at either the Circulation or Research Services desks of the library. All artwork is returned after the art show ends.

Job Opportunity: Collections and Resource Management Librarian, Weinberg Memorial Library at The University of Scranton

We invite applications for a full-time, 12-month, tenure-track Collections and Resource Management Librarian. The regularly scheduled hours for this position will be primarily Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. A generous benefits package is offered, including medical, dental, and vision coverage, a retirement plan, and paid vacation, holidays, and research leave.

The Collections and Resource Management Librarian is a tenure-track faculty position, responsible for managing the ordering/renewal, payment, and receipt of monographs, serials, and electronic resources in all languages and formats.

Essential Duties

  • Directs and oversees all aspects of monograph, serials, and electronic resources acquisition, including e-resource licensing
  • Provides training and supervision for three full-time clerical staff members
  • Collects statistics and maintains accurate records for the acquisition of monographs, serials, and electronic resources
  • Serves as the point person for consortial purchasing and partnerships
  • Confers with academic departments regarding expenditures and balances of Library resource budgets
  • Works closely with the Dean and Associate Dean of the Library in managing the collections budget including establishing priorities and reconciling the end-of-year budget
  • Explores and integrates appropriate emerging technologies into acquisitions practices to assure effective workflows
  • Maintains close relationships with all library functions (cataloging, circulation, digital services, interlibrary loan, library systems, media resources, research services, and special collections)
  • Participates in planning, implementing, and configuring the integrated library system (ILS) as it pertains to acquisitions, serials, and e-resource functions and public display
  • Participates in information literacy instruction
  • Participates in the general responsibilities of a tenure track library faculty member

Additional Skills Required

  • Knowledge of current and emerging acquisitions, electronic resource, and serials control best practices
  • Skills in using computer applications including spreadsheets, databases, and word processing (Microsoft Office preferred)
  • Excellent interpersonal skills, oral and written communication skills, and presentation skills
  • Strong analytical, organizational, and problem solving skills
  • Ability to work effectively both as a team member and independently
  • Ability to work creatively and collaboratively with students, faculty, staff, and community-at-large
  • Professional commitment to user-focused library services
  • Professional commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion
  • Ability to engage in scholarship and service in order to meet qualifications for reappointment and tenure, as defined in the Faculty Handbook
  • Ability to attain a second Master’s degree in a subject field, or the completion of thirty graduate credits in a discipline that improves professional competence, as a requirement for tenure (if not already accomplished at time of hire)

Minimum Education and Job Experience Requirements

Must possess an American Library Association (ALA) accredited Master’s degree at time of appointment. Minimum of three years post master’s degree experience in resource acquisition. Experience managing fund accounting within an integrated library system. Minimum two years supervisory experience.

Preferred Job Experience Requirements

Working knowledge of OCLC Services and MARC records. Familiarity with Innovative Interfaces’ Sierra system. Working knowledge of at least one modern European language. Familiarity with print and electronic publishing markets, evaluation literature, and information products. Experience in vendor relations/price negotiation. Experience with systems and tools used by libraries to manage and provide access to electronic resources (i.e., link resolver software, serials management software, electronic resource management systems, etc.). Familiarity with emerging trends in library systems and services, including Open Access and Open Educational Resources.

The University is a Catholic and Jesuit University animated by the spiritual vision and the tradition of excellence characteristic of the Society of Jesus and those who share in its way of proceeding.  The University is a community dedicated to the freedom of inquiry and personal development fundamental to the growth in wisdom and integrity of all who share it its life.  As a Catholic and Jesuit institution of nearly 4,000 undergraduate and more than 1,500 graduate students, The University of Scranton delivers a meaningful education that challenges its students morally, spiritually, and intellectually.

The University of Scranton is committed to providing a safe and nondiscriminatory employment and educational environment. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, age, veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or other status protected by law. Sexual harassment, including sexual violence, is a form of sex discrimination prohibited by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in its educational, extracurricular, athletic, or other programs or in the context of employment. The University of Scranton is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Educator. Veterans, minority persons, women, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

The University is committed to developing a diverse faculty, staff, and student body and to modeling an inclusive campus community which values the expression of differences in ways that promote excellence in teaching, learning, personal and professional development, and institutional success.  In keeping with this commitment, the University encourages applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds.  We recruit, employ, train and promote regardless of race, gender, sex, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, color, national origin, disability, age, veterans status and other underrepresented groups. 

How to Apply

Interested applicants must apply online at https://universityofscrantonjobs.com. Please provide a CV, cover letter, and a list of three (3) references which include contact information. Review of applications will begin on March 16, 2020. The position will remain open until filled.

For questions regarding this position, please contact the search committee chair: Marleen Cloutier, Assistant Professor, Cataloging & Metadata Librarian, The University of Scranton, Weinberg Memorial Library, marleen.cloutier@scranton.edu.

Job Opportunity: Cataloging Assistant, Weinberg Memorial Library at The University of Scranton

We invite applications for the full-time Cataloging Assistant position. The regularly scheduled hours for this position will be primarily Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. A generous benefits package is offered, including medical, dental, and vision coverage, a retirement plan, and paid vacation and holidays.

The Cataloging Assistant is responsible for all aspects of providing accurate online and physical access to library materials.

Essential Duties:

– Performs original and copy cataloging of purchases and gifts in all formats, subjects, and languages for inclusion in the Library’s catalog, utilizing OCLC and following bibliographic format standards

– Evaluates information in OCLC bibliographic records to select best match with items and supplements records with descriptive and local holding information

– Creates and maintains holdings in local system and OCLC

– Assists in collection maintenance; revises online records to ensure quality control

– Handles “rush” requests for books and other materials as necessary

– Performs physical processing of materials (stamping, tagging, plating) when necessary

– Prepares damaged books for the bindery; processes books on return

– Maintains statistics for additions to and withdrawals from the collection

– Assumes responsibility in prioritization and decision making in the absence of the Cataloging and Metadata Librarian

Additional Skills Required:

– Ability to work independently and to prioritize tasks according to the needs of the department

– Ability to think critically and problem solve

– High level of accuracy and close attention to detail

– Ability to multi-task

– Ability to communicate effectively in both oral and written form

– Excellent interpersonal skills and a willingness to work collaboratively

– Ability to lift heavy cartons of books (up to 40 lbs.), and push heavy book trucks throughout the library

– Must be able to respect, support and contribute to the University’s Catholic and Jesuit mission

Minimum Education and Job Experience Requirements:

Must possess a Bachelor’s degree at time of appointment. One year library work experience. Cataloging coursework or experience. Working knowledge of OCLC and MARC records. Working knowledge of any non-English language.


The University is a Catholic and Jesuit University animated by the spiritual vision and the tradition of excellence characteristic of the Society of Jesus and those who share in its way of proceeding.  The University is a community dedicated to the freedom of inquiry and personal development fundamental to the growth in wisdom and integrity of all who share it its life.  As a Catholic and Jesuit institution of nearly 4,000 undergraduate and more than 1,500 graduate students, The University of Scranton delivers a meaningful education that challenges its students morally, spiritually, and intellectually.

The University of Scranton is committed to providing a safe and nondiscriminatory employment and educational environment. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, age, veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or other status protected by law. Sexual harassment, including sexual violence, is a form of sex discrimination prohibited by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in its educational, extracurricular, athletic, or other programs or in the context of employment. The University of Scranton is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Educator. Veterans, minority persons, women, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

How to Apply

Interested applicants must apply online at https://universityofscrantonjobs.com. Please provide a resume, cover letter, and a list of three (3) references which include contact information. The position will close on August 19, 2019. Review of applications will begin on August 20, 2019.

For questions regarding this position, please contact the search committee chair: Marleen Cloutier, Assistant Professor, Cataloging and Metadata Librarian, The University of Scranton, Weinberg Memorial Library, marleen.cloutier@scranton.edu

Cataloging Summer Project 2017: Assessment of the Oversized and Folio Book Collections

Have you ever seen or taken out a book with one of these labels in the photo on the left from the Weinberg Memorial Library? Or maybe you have seen a record in the catalog that says Oversize Stacks or Folio Stacks. This year the cataloging staff spent the summer assessing the current contents and condition of the Oversized and Folio collections located on the fifth floor of the Weinberg Memorial Library in the Heritage Room. This project involves a two-part process and is part of an effort to upgrade and improve the accuracy and accessibility of our records for items held in our existing collections.

The first part of the project required the physical accounting and inspection of the books currently held in the collection. Each book was checked against the record in the catalog. Books that did not match their record were brought down to cataloging for revisions. Each book was also measured to ensure that it met the criteria for being in the Oversize/Folio collection and condition examined for damage. Damaged books were removed for review and/or repair.

So what is the criteria for an Oversized book?

The sizing of what is considered an oversized book differs from library to library because it is dependent on the shelving heights available within the library.

An Oversized book at the Weinberg Memorial Library is a book that is typically taller than 11” (28 cm) within call number ranges A-M & P-Z. Books in the N-NX section, which have taller shelf heights, need to be taller than 13” (33 cm). Books taller than these measurements would be unable to fit properly onto the shelves in the regular circulating stack areas of the Library.

What makes a Folio book different from an Oversized book?

The Folio stacks house the widest and tallest books in the circulating collection.  For a book to receive a Folio tag that book must be wider than 12” (30 cm) and/or taller than 16” (38 cm). Books wider that 12”, typically books printed in a landscape format, would protrude too far off the end of the standard shelves in the circulating stack area. Books taller or wider than 17” (39 cm) are laid flat instead of housed on their ends.

How many books did we review?

Over a four month period the two-member staff accounted for 2294 books and 1987 records in the Oversized Stacks and 192 books and 187 records in the Folio Stacks with the exception of 14 items which are marked missing in the catalog and 10 items which were checked out at the time of review.

Next steps?

The second part of the process will be upgrading the records for the books we accounted for that match their current records in the catalog. This includes ensuring that all records have subject headings, name headings, descriptions and/or indexed table of contents information if available. These record enhancements will allow for improved searching and retrieval from our catalog.

As of this post, 597 records have already been updated in the Oversize collection and 149 records in the Folio collection. The work on this collection will continue as time allows with a hopeful completion before Summer 2018.

Very Short Introductions

In April the Weinberg Memorial Library acquired over 500 titles in the Very Short Introductions series. Written by authors who are subject experts in their field, these small books (most not over 150 pages) offer easy introductions to large and sometimes complicated subjects like the Bible or Astrophysics and influential individuals like Gandhi or Freud.

Each volume offers bibliographic references to allow for more in-depth study. They are an excellent option if you want to learn a little something about a large or complicated subject and a great resource to help you to find or narrow a topic for your next paper.

Throughout the month for May cataloging will be adding new titles in the series to the catalog.

So where can I find these you ask:

Type “Very Short Introductions” into the Catalog search box on the Library’s home page at http://www.scranton.edu/academics/wml/index.shtml and hit search.

The catalog will retrieve a list of all of the copies we have in the current collection both book and ebook which can be sorted by title or refined using the facet menu on the left to narrow your search.

Do you have a subject you are particularly interested in and want to know if Very Short Introductions has something on your subject?

Let’s use Astrophysics as an example:

Try an Advanced Search using keyword: “Astrophysics” and title: “Very Short Introductions”

Your results screen will give you anything we have with the title Astrophysics in the Very Short Introductions series as well as any editions that may have notes or subjects related to the topic of Astrophysics.

Off site storage project as Case Study

Iron Mountain recently featured the University of Scranton Weinberg Memorial Library off-site storage project as a Case Study on their website.

The project, completed during the summer of 2016, sent 10,172 books from the collection to the Iron Mountain facility in Rosendale, New York. The resulting video discusses the importance of extending ownership of the library collection and preserving the condition of the materials while still being able to make these materials accessible to students, faculty and staff. Books can be retrieved from off-site storage in one business day and requestors will get an email when the book is ready for pick-up at the Circulation Desk.

You may recognize some familiar faces speaking about the transparency of the process, touring the facility and demonstrating how easy it is to retrieve a book from off-site storage. Click here to check out the video.