Asia Library Services Coordinator
Details
Posted: 2026-05-28
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Categories: Staff/Administrative
Internal Number: 278126
A cover letter and resume are important submissions for the hiring team to get a sense of your experience. In the cover letter, please let us know how this role aligns with your career aspirations and skills. Submit both the cover letter and resume as one file (due to system limitations).
For questions about this posting or to request accommodations, please contact libraryjobs@umich.edu.
The University of Michigan Library is one of the world's largest academic research libraries and serves a vibrant university community that is home to 19 schools and colleges, 100 top ten graduate programs, and annual research expenditures exceeding $1.5 billion a year. To promote the university's world-changing work and to serve the public good, the library collects and shares the scholarly and cultural record in all forms and leads the reinvention of the academic research library in the digital age.
Founded in 1948, the Asia Library is one of the largest East Asian libraries in North America, with a physical book collection of more than one million volumes. As part of the University Library, the Asia Library collects and provides access to resources in all formats in the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean languages.
You will report to the Director for the Asia Library. As the Asia Library Services Coordinator, you will perform collection and public service duties.
Coordination of Asia Library programs and events (30%)
- Work closely with the Director of Asia Library and/or event lead on planning the Asia Library programs and events (in-person, hybrid, and virtual), including exhibits, open houses, speaker series, workshops, orientations, symposia, collaborative events with other Library units and campus partners, and other public engagement events.
- Coordinate the preparation and execution of the programs and events
- Serve as the primary point of contact for event partners; manage communications and expectations from initial inquiry through follow-up.
- Create and maintain program calendars; prevent conflicts and ensure alignment with library hours, staffing, and facility constraints.
- Reserve and set up event spaces; coordinate room layouts, furniture, signage, accessibility needs, and wayfinding.
- Coordinate exhibit- and display-related logistics in partnership with curators and subject librarians.
- Manage event timelines, run-of-show documents, staffing plans, and post-event debriefs to ensure consistent, high-quality delivery.
- Coordinate event technology needs. Work with Library Room Support to plan needs and prepare for support needed on the day of the event.
- Collaborate with the Division Administrative Assistant to support budgeting and purchasing for programs and events.
- Collaborate with the Communication Office staff and external stakeholders to promote events through websites, newsletters, digital signage, printed materials, and external venues.
- Track attendance and engagement metrics; collect feedback via surveys and stakeholder input as needed; produce reports and recommendations for continuous improvement.
Collection and public service (30%)
- Triage and provide initial assistance to walk-in patrons to the Asia Library space (provide directional information and general instructions on the use of online catalogs, databases, and web pages; refer onsite users, online users, and telephone callers to subject librarians for in-depth consultations when needed; provide assistance to patrons of the Oka Tadoku Room).
- Collaborate with subject specialists on providing collection assistance to visiting scholars.
- Assist Asia Library subject specialists with instruction, upon request.
- Assist librarians and other faculty with lectures and workshops about Asia Library collections, upon request.
- Collaborate with Document Delivery as needed to fulfill Interlibrary Loan requests.
- Retrieve requested collection items from locked cabinets and the Asia Library Special Collection room.
Technical service (20%)
- Preparing materials for cataloging outsourcing projects (both outgoing batches and returning batches).
- Help with managing historical backlogs (mainly project based work).
- Partner with the Stacks Office to ensure efficient and timely resolution of issues.
- Participate in Technical Service projects as suggested by the supervisor.
Workplace Coordination (10%)
- Serve as the Asia Library liaison to units such as Facilities, Circulation, Labeling, Preservation, etc.
- Sustain a well-organized environment of the Asia Library Main Office space that supports the Asia Library's daily operations and productivity.
- Maintain Asia Library statistics.
- Handle all telephone calls to the Asia Library main office and emails to the Asia Library generic email address.
- Handle incoming and outgoing postal mail.
- Sort items delivered to Asia Library and distribute them by language and roles.
Professional Development (10%)
- Attend department meetings, Division meetings, library-wide meetings, staff development workshops, and other appropriate events; including selected programs offered by the Liberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies, Center for Japanese Studies, and Nam Center for Korean Studies.
Qualifications
- Full professional proficiency in English and one of the following East Asian languages: Chinese, Japanese, or Korean.
- Successful experiences in project management and/or event coordination within a library environment or in a comparable workplace.
- Demonstrated problem-solving, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
- Demonstrated service-oriented attitude and excellent attention to detail.
- Excellent written and communication (oral, listening, and speaking) skills; ability to successfully interact with a diverse group of colleagues (internal and external to the library) and patrons (students, faculty, and researchers).
- Ability to adapt and be flexible while working both independently and as part of a collaborative team.
- Ability to prioritize workload under time constraints and conflicting demands.
- Ability to confidently use common software and digital tools (e.g., Google Suite, Microsoft Office, Zoom, Canva, Adobe), manage files and troubleshoot basic issues, and quickly learn new technologies needed to complete work accurately, securely, and efficiently.
This appointment may be hired at the Information Resources Assistant Intermediate or Senior levels. Classification and salary are dependent on the selected candidate's qualifications and experience. The target salary range is $45,000 - $50,000 for the Intermediate level and $50,000 - $57,000 for the Senior level.
This position is included in the bargaining unit represented by University Staff United, AFT Local 284, AFL-CIO, which represents Employees in all matters with respect to wages, benefits, hours and other terms and conditions of employment.
Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled at any time after the minimum posting period has ended.
The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.
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