Penn State University’s Common Services and Collection Maintenance departments within Pattee Library and Paterno Library are hiring for Spring semester 2026, Summer 2026, and Fall 2026. 

 The ideal candidate is courteous and outgoing with a strong work ethic, an ability to work as a team member and independently and provide excellent customer service. Excellent communication, interpersonal, and active listening skills are required. The primary goal of this position is to provide great customer service for internal and external patrons, as well as library colleagues. As a part-time employee across two units, this position will also assist in the care of physical library collections. We strive to meet our patrons where they are at, assisting them in their research needs. We are looking for staff who are willing to learn and seek opportunities to grow and build their library knowledge. Prior customer service or retail experience is preferred, not required. 

Required Materials:   

• A resume and cover letter must be attached to your application to be considered for this position.   

• Please include your hours of availability for Spring semester.  Availability must be provided with exact days of the week and time. Please include either Saturday or Sunday availability. 

Responsibilities    

Customer Service    

• Greeting patrons with a welcoming attitude    

• Make referrals to the Search Bar, Librarians, and full-time staff as appropriate     

• Answer directional, informational, and basic reference questions in person or on the telephone    

• Provide group study room information and reservation assistance    

• Collaborate with other departments to provide additional services    

• Pull requested library items  

• Circulate library materials   

• Assist with circulating technology 

Collection Maintenance and Operational  Responsibilities

• Open/Close the library    

• Assist in collection of unit statistics    

• Shelve returned library materials    

•  Maintain care of physical collections via withdrawals, cleaning, and shifting 

• Assist with the maintaining of library collections.    

• Assist patrons with placing holds on library materials, including interlibrary items    

• Attend on-going reference and library trainings for professional development    

• Promote and engage with Common Services Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility initiatives and learning       

• Respond to gate and panel alarms according to procedures    

• Call appropriate outside agency and alert other staff in the event of an incident / injury    

• Contact the appropriate supervisor to resolve problems with patron behavior    

Skills/experience/knowledge    

Required   

• Excellent interpersonal and oral communication skills    

• Ability to follow directions and keep a schedule    

• Commitment to diversity    

• Ability to work as part of a team and individually 

Preferred   

• Familiarity with information technology is strongly preferred    

• Prior library, customer, retail, or hospitality experience is preferred    

Hours:    

• Hours vary based on semester and department needs. Must be willing to work a minimum of ten hours a week and either Saturdays or Sundays.