Law Library Assistant

$19.93/Hourly

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• This is a specialized paraprofessional position assisting in the daily operations of the Lancaster County Law Library.

• This position reports directly to the Law Librarian.

• 30% File replacement pages, pocket parts and other updates in books in the Law Library, prepares materials for binding, reads specialized call numbers and works with complex pagination.
• 10% Check-in and check-out library books and materials that circulate; re-shelve books that have been returned to the library; send out overdue notices; collect fines for overdue books; record fines collected in an appropriate ledger.
• 20% Assist in the sorting of library mail and the checking-in and processing of new materials; assist in the management of the collection through assisting in weeding old and superseded publications and shifting/rearranging books on the shelves, performs basic / routine acquisition including receiving, making claims and other routine communication with publishers, and refers complex issues or problems to the Law Librarian.
• 30% Answer basic reference questions from attorneys, judges, court staff and the public about location of materials and resources within the library; interpret legal cites and abbreviations; assist patrons in the use of online legal reference services, the online catalog, and the online database of local judges' opinons; refer individuals to the librarian for further reference assistance; explain library policies and procedures; assist patrons in locating other Court offices.
• 10% Perform various clerical tasks as required; answer telephone; type labels and other miscellaneous items; enter, edit and retrieve data in the library's online catalog and judicial opinion database; send and receive e-mails as necessary; create signs and other documents in Word and Excel; send and receive messages on the fax machine; make change for the copier and for payment of overdue fines; collect money for copies made from online services; operate and maintain photocopier.

• Perform various additional tasks in the absence of the Law Librarian.

• Education equivalent to completion of high school and some course work related to libraries and/or the law.
• Three to five years of paraprofessional experience in a judicial or law-related setting OR three to five years of paraprofessional experience in a specialized library setting, preferably a law library.
• Or any combination of acceptable education and experience which has provided the knowledge, skills and abilities cited below.

• Working knowledge of the U.S. and Pennsylvania legal systems and relevant legal terminology
• Working knowledge of library methods, practices and procedures including a basic understanding of MARC coding and library classification systems.
• Ability to file replacement pages in looseleaf materials and otherwise manually update library materials in the Law Library.
• Ability to manually sort check-out cards for library circulation system, calculate fines for overdue books and handle cash payments for fines.
• Ability to work independently and complete tasks as assigned with minimal supervision.
• Ability to reach and bend in order to retrieve books from and replace books on library shelves.
• Ability to effectively use a computer for word processing, data entry, etc.
• Ability to effectively conduct online legal research using both Boolean and full-text type searches.
• Ability to interact with library users, including attorneys, judges, court staff and the public.
• Ability to answer the telephone and relay messages, type and use various other pieces of office machinery such as a fax machine, photocopier, etc.
• Ability to assist the librarian in various projects as they arise.

• This position requires a pre-employment background check as required by policy to perform the duties.

• The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job.
• While performing the duties of this position, the employee may be required to sit for long periods of time.
• The employee must regularly lift and/or move files and books weighing up to 10 pounds. Occasionally there may be some lifting involving boxes with library materials.
• This position requires the ability to operate a laptop or PC and/or other general office equipment.
• The employee must be able to communicate with Court and non-court personnel and needs to be able to go from one location to another, i.e., to another Court or non-court office.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate (office with typewriters/printers and light traffic.)