Art Metropole

01 - 12 Jun. 2023

Employment Opportunity: Library Services Assistant

Art Metropole is seeking applicants for the part-time position of Library Services Assistant. This position is designed for college or university graduates who wish to gain practical experience working in one of Canada’s longest-standing artist-run centres, with a goal to transition into a career in the fields of Library Sciences, Archives and Records Management, or Arts Administration.

Organization Description
Established in 1974, Art Metropole is an internationally renowned artist-run centre that promotes the appreciation of artist-initiated publishing in any media, especially those formats predisposed to sharing and circulation. Art Metropole specializes in the production, contextualization, and distribution of artist’s books, multiples, and related materials, including innovative formats and emergent technologies.

Job Description
The main responsibilities of the Library Services Assistant (LSA) will be to support Art Metropole in building and maintaining relationships with libraries and other collecting institutions in Canada and internationally. The LSA will lead the creation of approval plans for library orders; conduct research and outreach including library visits, assist with order fulfillment for library partners, participate in planning for potential programming produced in partnership with libraries, and assist with the day-to-day maintenance of supporting databases. The successful candidate will be instrumental in supporting AM’s work of increasing representation and accessibility of artists’ books in large public collections.

Key Responsibilities
Leading the creation of approval plans for library orders:
- identifying the interests of each library in order to create a list of inventory titles that the library would then purchase for their collection, if approved
- communicating with libraries and their librarians
- researching and cross-referencing titles in library holdings against AM’s inventory
- maintaining records and database entries related to AM inventory and library standing orders

Building and maintaining partnerships with libraries:
- conducting research and outreach on library collections within Canada and internationally
- holding meetings with library staff and conducting library visits, if needed
- perform outreach to increase contacts with collecting institutions in order to promote AM’s distribution and publishing efforts and to create new partnerships
- assist in programming with library partners

Assisting with inventory and purchase orders:
- fulfilling orders, including packaging inventory and facilitating shipping and/or pickups from our office/shop location
- general shipping and receiving of bulk inventory items
- communicating with vendors and customers; inputting new inventory entries into our database and web shop, as needed

Key Qualifications
- Background in Contemporary Art, Art History, Museums, Archives, or Librarian Studies, with an undergraduate or graduate degree in these or related fields
- Knowledge of and experience with contemporary art practices or non-profit artist-run centres; familiarity with artist’s books and bookselling is an asset
- A proven team player with enthusiasm for Art Metropole’s mission, and experience working in a collaborative environment
- Highly organized, able to multitask and prioritize, able to work under tight timelines, and possessing a keen eye for detail
- Excellent communication skills, both oral and written
- Strong computer skills, with familiarity with standard office software, including word processing and spreadsheet software; experience with Adobe Creative Suite is an asset
- Experience working with libraries, information management, archival material or similar is a considerable asset

Additional Info
Art Metropole is proud to be a certified Living Wage Employer at the Champion Level by the Ontario Living Wage Network. This part-time position is remunerated at $23.15 per hour with a 18-hour work week, beginning July 3 2023 and ending March 29 2024. The position allows for a mix of remote and in-person working, though requires some work to take place in Art Metropole’s office, located in Toronto. The primary language required is English.

This position is funded through the Young Canada Works (YCW) at Building Careers in Heritage (YCWBCH) internship program for unemployed or underemployed college or university graduates. The program helps graduates make the transition from college or university to the workplace, allowing them to hone their professional skills and begin a career in the heritage, arts and cultural sectors. To be eligible for this position, applicants must:
- be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident, or have refugee status in Canada (non-Canadians holding temporary work visas or awaiting permanent status are not eligible); – be legally entitled to work in Canada;
- be between 16 and 30 years of age at the start of employment;
- be willing to commit to the full duration of the work assignment;
- not have another full-time job (over 30 hours a week) while employed with the program; – be unemployed or underemployed;
- be a college or university graduate; and
- not be receiving Employment Insurance (EI) benefits while employed with the program.

Art Metropole is actively taking measures to ensure better representation of equity-seeking culture workers throughout the organization, particularly in leadership and governance. We strongly encourage and will prioritize applications from those who are Black, Indigenous, people of colour, Queer, Trans, disabled, and from other self-identifying applicants. Artists and other cultural workers often face precarious working conditions, lack of job security, and below-average wages. Art Metropole has committed to addressing these issues, and is proud to be a certified Living Wage Employer, with all staff at Art Metropole earning at least $23.15 per hour, the living wage calculated for Toronto.

Application deadline: Sunday June 12 2023 at 11:59PM ET.
Applicants should submit a cover letter and CV in PDF format to hiring@artmetropole.com.

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