Library Acquisitions Coordinator

Join the City of Allen-a vibrant community of over 100,000 residents where strong economic growth, excellent schools, and an exceptional quality of life make it a great place to live, work, and play.

Our mission is simple:"To achieve excellence in managing community development and city services, continually enhancing the quality of life and public confidence."

At the City of Allen, our employees bring the PRIDE values to life:

• People First - Prioritizing others
• Respect- Treating everyone with courtesy and dignity
• Integrity- Serving with honesty and trust
• Deliver- Following through and exceeding expectations
• Excel - Driving innovation and continuous improvement

We do Work that MATTERS! Join a team that serves our community and makes a real impact every day. Learn more about the City of Allen at allentx.gov.

• Acquires physical and digital library materials by identifying and working with vendors, placing orders using vendor software, electronic data interchange (EDI), and the Library's integrated library system (ILS).
• Identifies, locates, and establishes vendor accounts for difficult-to-find and non-English language materials.
• Receives materials and oversees accounts payable functions by reviewing, verifying, and approving invoices, attaching invoices to records in the ILS, and ensuring timely and accurate payment.
• Tracks backordered items and resolves issues related to fulfillment, shipping, invoicing, and financial terms.
• Updates purchase and encumbrance amounts in the library's acquisition and financial systems.
• Establishes and maintains acquisition fund structures for each fiscal year, coordinates purchases with support staff, resolves or cancels unfilled orders, and completes fiscal year-end closeout of acquisition accounts.
• Tracks and encumbers expenditures for books, audiovisual, periodicals, and other library materials in compliance with City purchasing policies and standard library practices.
• Encumbers and tracks acquisitions-related grant expenditures when applicable.
• Provides customer service support by communicating with internal staff and external vendors to identify, address, and resolve acquisition-related issues.

Education and Experience

Work requires broad knowledge in a general professional or technical field. Education and experience that provide the necessary knowledge and skills may also be considered; however, a typical way to qualify includes:

• High school diploma or equivalent with two (2) years of relevant experience
• Bachelor's degree preferred

Conditions of Employment

• Reliable transportation to and from work
• Clear criminal background check and pre-employment drug screen

Hours/Work Schedule

• This is a full-time non-exempt position with benefits
• Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm. Possibly hybrid after 6 months of employment.
• Schedule may be modified if department needs arise.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

This position is classified as sedentary and requires the physical ability to perform the essential functions of the role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals to perform these functions. Typical physical demands include:

• Primarily sitting, with occasional walking or standing to access files or office areas
• Occasional bending, reaching, or stretching to retrieve materials or supplies
• Lifting or carrying items weighing up to 10-15 pounds, such as files or office supplies
• Frequent use of hands and fingers for typing, filing, copying, and operating office equipment
• Adequate vision and hearing to review documents and effectively communicate with staff and the public

Work is primarily performed in an office setting, with occasional work outside the office during programs, meetings, or special events. The work environment characteristics described herein are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities

• Knowledge of library acquisitions processes and best practices for physical and digital materials
• Skill in identifying, evaluating, onboarding, and tracking vendors, including non-English and hard-to-find materials
• Ability to place, manage, and track orders using integrated library systems (ILS), vendor software, and electronic data interchange (EDI)
• Knowledge of City purchasing policies and procurement procedures, including requisitions and procurement card usage
• Skill in reviewing, verifying, and reconciling invoices and ensuring timely and accurate payment
• Ability to track, encumber, and reconcile expenditures across multiple funds, vendor accounts, and grants when applicable
• Knowledge of fiscal year fund management, including fund setup, tracking, and year-end closeout
• Skill in creating, analyzing, and distributing financial and statistical reports related to collection funds, orders, and expenditures
• Ability to identify and resolve shipping, invoicing, fulfillment, backorder, and cancellation issues
• Knowledge of procedures for submitting and managing claims for lost or damaged materials
• Strong customer service skills when working with vendors, librarians, and internal stakeholders
• Clear verbal and written communication skills to provide timely status updates to librarians and management
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, maintain accurate and organized records, and adapt to changing systems and timelines

This job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the City of Allen and employee and may be revised by the employer as needed.

The City of Allen is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, genetic information, or military status in employment or in the provision of services.

The City of Allen participates in the federal e-Verify program to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires. All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States.