LIBRARY ASSISTANT

Contract

This is a G-5 contract. This kind of contract is known as General Service and related categories. It is normally only for nationals. It usually requires 5 years of experience, depending on education. More about G-5 contracts.

Org. Setting and Reporting This position is in Dag Hammarskjold Library, Outreach Division, Department of Global Communications. The Dag Hammarskjold Library’s primary function is to enable the delegations, the Secretariat, and other official groups of the Organization to obtain, with the greatest possible speed, convenience and economy, the information and documentation needed in the execution of their duties. The Library Assistant reports directly to a senior librarian and the Unit Chief, Information Analysis and Metadata Unit.

Responsibilities Within delegated authority, the Library Assistant will be responsible for the following duties:

• Performs pre-cataloguing of UN documents and other items of information acquired by the Library - creating appropriate level of bibliographic, item and controlled vocabulary metadata based on guidelines, standards, cataloguing rules, classification schemes, and other tools.Registers unit’s incoming and outgoing records in its record keeping system.
• Conducts basic research preparatory to updating selected resources.
• Performs collection maintenance according to the library’s classification systems and specialized collection arrangements.
• Supports more senior library staff in the maintenance and development of electronic and other reference tools, and the compilation of bibliographies and user statistics, including data analysis, data transformation, visualization, and reporting - using standard techniques.Assists in ensuring completeness of UN print and electronic documents collection.
• Assists in accessioning, disposition, description, and database updating activities as they relate to individual collections.
• Provides technical support and instruction to library patrons using electronic resources and reference tools.
• Performs initial actions required to acquire updated materials.
• Satisfies requirements and instructions for the procurement, payment and inspection of goods and services using IMIS applications.
• Performs digitization functions, including scanning, creating digital objects and postings to designated repositories.
• Participates in production, design, and maintenance of library web pages, including assisting with the preparation and maintenance of data sets and metadata of digital objects and open linked data.
• Drafts routine responses to enquires for approval of section and/or unit chief.
• Provides document delivery services as required.

• Provides administrative support for the unit and section chiefs and undertakes other duties as assigned, including assisting with metadata-related workflow and process improvement, data acquisition, data cleansing, data assemblage and database development.

  Competencies •PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of library operations, ability to undertake relevant research, maintain records in a systematic fashion and retrieve necessary materials with maximum speed and accuracy. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of work.

•PLANNING AND ORGANIZING: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.

•ACCOUNTABILITY: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments; delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards; operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules; supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments; takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable.

Education High school diploma or equivalent.

Work Experience Five years of experience in library work, information management or related field, including two years in roles devoted to the creation and maintenance of metadata in support of cataloguing, classification and indexing of print and electronic documents and publications using integrated library systems, and information management standards and tools (UN Bibliographic Information System Thesaurus, Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, Machine-Readable Cataloguing) is required. Experience in a function devoted to the creation and maintenance of open linked data and the use of data science techniques is desirable. Experience with working in an international organization setting is desirable.

Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is desirable.

Assessment Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which will be followed by a competency-based interview.

Special Notice Appointment or assignment against this position is for an initial period of one year.

Passing the Global General Service Test (GGST) is a prerequisite for recruitment consideration in the General Services and related categories in the United Nations Secretariat. Applicants who have not passed the GGST at the time of application may be invited for the test after submitting an application. Having passed the Administrative Support Assessment Test [in English] at the United Nations headquarters, Economic Commission for Africa, Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, United Nations Office at Geneva, United Nations Office at Vienna, International criminal tribunal for Rwanda or International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia may be accepted in lieu of the GGST.

This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. All staff in the General Service and related categories shall be recruited in the country or within commuting distance of each office, irrespective of their nationality and of the length of time they may have been in the country. A staff member subject to local recruitment shall not be eligible for the allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment.

United Nations Considerations According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.