Description
The County of Yolo is recruiting for one regular, full-time Collection Development Librarian at the Yolo County Library. The selected candidate for this position will help to lead a diverse group of branches to expand and improve the library collection for all ages throughout the county. The successful candidate will be someone who enjoys the challenges moving between urban, suburban and rural areas, has demonstrated experience in collection development, project management and outreach to a variety of community partners, is fluent in a foreign language, and has the ability to travel to various branches. The candidate selected will be placed at the Librarian I or Librarian II level depending on their background and experience and at the discretion of the appointing authority.
The position will develop, manage, and assess print and digital collections in all library branches.
Essential attributes include: knowledge and ability in the selection and deselection of library materials, assessment of collections, knowledge of the elements that make up a great public library collection, skills in interpreting data from many sources in analyzing collection needs, demonstrated ability to develop positive working relationships with library colleagues and external partners, and the ability to demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills, positive attitude, cultural sensitivity and sense of humor in working with customers, coworkers and community.
The ideal candidate will be a community-oriented professional who is bilingual in Spanish, Chinese, or Korean, though other languages may also be desirable. The candidate should be enthusiastic about promoting the library to a diverse community and reducing barriers to access. The candidate must show a broad understanding of, and demonstrate support for, diversity, equality, and equity for everyone in the community. They must also show a commitment to maintaining equitable, inclusive, and respectful environments so that every person in the organization has the opportunity to reach their full potential and is valued for their unique qualities and contributions. Experience working in a multilingual, multicultural environment is highly desired. The candidate will utilize their multilingual and multicultural knowledge and experience to not only perform their duties, but also to appropriately serve the community in a manner that is culturally competent and affirming.
The Yolo County Library Advisory Board has proclaimed: “No matter where you come from, everyone is welcome at Yolo County Library.” The Yolo County Library is committed to supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion and embraces all spoken and signed languages, all races and ethnicities, all religions and creeds, all gender identities, all countries of origin, all sexual orientations, all immigrants and refugees, and all abilities and disabilities.
Definition
Under general supervision, the incumbent performs a wide variety of professional duties involving circulation, programming, technology, and reference services within the County Library system; and does other related work as required.
Distinguishing Characteristics
The Librarian I/II class has two salary levels. Positions in this class are flexibly staffed and the level at which appointments are made is at the discretion of the appointing authority. The Librarian I is the entry level in this class series. Initially, incumbents work under closer supervision, and are given detailed instructions in the performance of routine tasks that are more structured and repetitive than those assigned to the Librarian II. As skills and knowledge are developed, incumbents are expected to perform increasingly responsible and difficult assignments. At the discretion of the appointing authority, incumbents may advance to Librarian II after demonstrating the ability to perform the full journey duties of the class, which generally requires two years of experience as a Librarian I.
The Librarian II is the journey level in the class series. Incumbents work under general supervision and are expected to be proficient in performing a variety of responsible and more difficult professional library work. Specific duties of individual positions may vary, depending on assignment, but the preponderant responsibilities of all positions in this class are related to system-wide functions that include circulation, program, technology and reference services. While some Librarian II incumbents supervise paraprofessional library staff and volunteers, all Librarian II incumbents are expected to provide lead direction and guidance to entry level Librarians, paraprofessional library staff, extra help employees and/or volunteers.
Incumbents in this class report to a Library Regional Manager or other management personnel. While the Librarian II class may supervise staff in some instances, it does not supervise other professional Librarians.
In addition to the "Essential Functions" listed in this bulletin, the Collection Development Librarian position is responsible for building a relevant, high-interest collection across formats, platforms and levels. This position exercises professional judgment and expertise in the selection of appropriate materials and online resources to serve the needs of our communities. Cross-departmental collaboration is required to efficiently deliver an excellent service to internal and external customers. Work is performed with considerable independent judgment and initiative.
SPECIFIC TASKS AND DUTIES:
- Develops and maintains diverse collections of materials throughout the Yolo County Library system in accordance with the Collection Development Policy.
- Utilizes vendor services and professional tools to evaluate, select, and purchase materials and resources in various physical and digital formats across age groups.
- Responds to collection requests from patrons and staff.
- Assures that items are ordered in a timely manner and in quantities that meet demand.
- Determines annual budget allocations. Tracks expenditures and manages the materials budget.
- Working with colleagues analyze existing collections, community trends, and ILS data to identify the needs and interests of diverse communities, anticipate public demand, and improve collection performance.
- Sets annual deselection goals and coordinates deselection of materials system-wide.
- Provides onboarding training for staff members in collection development processes and practices.
- Monitors library and publishing trends, best practices in collection management, and developments in the profession.
- Participates in assessment of library resources and services, recommends improvements to processes and services as needed
- Supervises staff and volunteers as assigned.
- Serves on library and community committees.
- May provide direct service at a Service Desk 4 to 8 hours per week.
- May work evenings/weekends as needed.
- Performs other work duties as assigned.
Essential Functions
Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:.
- Provides system-wide library services such as archives, circulation, collection development, reference and reader's advisory, technology services, and youth, teen, or adult programming.
- Provides assistance to customers through a variety of methods to ensure that customers have the ability to effectively utilize all library resources; assists customers with utilizing social media and on-line tools, library programs, and a variety of reference services; teaches basic internet searching and other computer classes as assigned.
- Develops, coordinates, and facilitates a variety of library programs, services and outreach to a variety of customers using a systems-thinking approach, and organizes and facilitates community engagement events to meet customer needs.
- Serves as a liaison to community groups, organizations, and agencies, and acts as an ambassador for the Yolo County Library System.
- Performs troubleshooting for library computers, other electronic devices, and equipment.
- Conducts analysis using a variety of methods to make recommendations and/or implement solutions.
- Distributes and assigns work to employees; monitors work for progress and quality; ensures work is completed in a timely and efficient manner; reviews work.
- Provides training and mentoring to staff in accordance with established policies and procedures.
- Assists, guides, and instructs subordinate library staff and/or volunteers in the performance of their duties; provides technical direction and problem solving in response to staff work questions and problems.
- Provides input to supervisor on employee performance and informs supervisor of conduct problems.
- Responds to and coordinates with supervisor to resolve routine customer inquiries and complaints.
- Demonstrates professional commitment by attending workshops and educational programs, reading periodicals and specialized literature, attending staff meetings, participating in committees, and engaging with other organizations that further the library's mission and goals.
- Performs related duties as assigned.
Employment Standards
Librarian I:
Education: Master's Degree in Library Science or Library Information Services or related library field from an accredited graduate school of Librarianship.
Librarian II:
Education: Master's Degree in Library Science or Library Information Services or related library field from an accredited graduate school of Librarianship; AND
Experience: Two (2) years of professional library experience comparable to the functions performed by a Librarian I at the County of Yolo.
Knowledge of:
principles, practices, and philosophy of public library work, including community engagement and outreach, library cataloging and classification, reference and reader's advisory, a wide variety of books and authors, principles of library materials selection and maintenance, book selection related to community needs and programming; books, authors, bibliographies, and digital material; library functions and services; Dewey decimal classification system and Library of Congress subject headings; standard reference materials; principles and practices of leadership, mentoring, and training; correct English usage, grammar, punctuation, and spelling; and office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and applicable software applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and other specialized library computer applications and library automation.
Ability to: use or quickly learn online circulation systems, online catalog, databases, social media and other computer applications; set priorities; analyze and respond to community needs and requests; analyze situations and problems, identify alternative solutions, and take appropriate action; apply customer service skills, including the identification of customer needs and follow up to ensure customer commitments have been met; communicate effectively and tactfully with diverse populations; represent the library to the community; develop and conduct special programs; develop and maintain cooperative, effective working relationships with others; lead and train subordinate staff or volunteers; plan, coordinate, assign, and review the work of subordinate staff or volunteers; work flexible and changing schedule including evenings and weekends.
