City Librarian

About the role

This position oversees the Library Department, including reference services, collection development and maintenance, youth and adult services, circulation services, technical services, and community programming. The incumbent participates in developing policies and strategies for department operations.

Responsibilities

• Plans, manages, and oversees the daily functions, operations, and activities of the Library department, including public service delivery, collection-related operations, and library programs.
• Participates in the development and implementation of goals, objectives, work plans, policies, and priorities for the department; recommends, within department policy, appropriate service and staffing levels; recommends and administers policies and procedures.
• Develops and standardizes procedures and methods to improve and continuously monitor the efficiency and effectiveness of assigned programs and service delivery methods; assesses and monitors workload, administrative and support systems, and internal reporting relationships; identifies opportunities for improvement and makes recommendations to the Deputy City Manager.
• Provides overall management direction for library collections, service areas, and programs, including collection development and maintenance, reference services, circulation, youth and adult services, technical services, and literacy, educational, and community engagement programs; ensures services and materials meet community needs and professional standards.
• Directs the delivery of public-facing library services; addresses complex service issues and patron concerns; and ensures responsive, equitable, and effective customer service.
• Prepares, reviews, and submits required statistical, operational, and grant-related reports; ensures compliance with State Library, funding agency, and other external reporting requirements.
• Develops and manages requests for proposals for professional and/or contracted services; prepares scope of work and technical specifications; evaluates proposals and recommends award; negotiates contracts; administers contracts to ensure compliance with City specifications and service quality.
• Serves as liaison for assigned functions with other City departments, divisions, and outside agencies; provides staff support to commissions, committees, and task forces, as required.
• Provides highly complex staff assistance to the Deputy City Manager; prepares and presents staff reports and other written materials; supervises the establishment and maintenance of working and official department files; ensures the proper documentation of operations and activities.
• Reviews the work of staff to ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations.
• Serves as a professional-level resource for organizational, managerial, and operational analyses and studies.

Requirements

Typical Qualifications:

• Knowledge of organization and management practices as applied to the development, analysis, and evaluation of programs, policies, and operational needs of the assigned area of responsibility.
• Principles and practices of employee supervision, including work planning, assignment review and evaluation, discipline, and the training of staff in work procedures.
• Principles and practices of leadership.
• Administrative principles, practices, and methods including goal setting, program development, implementation and evaluation, policy and procedure development, quality control, and work standards.
• Principles and techniques for working with groups and fostering effective team interaction to ensure teamwork is conducted smoothly.
• Principles and practices of budget development and administration.
• Principles and practices of contract administration and management.
• General principles of risk management related to the functions of the assigned area.
• Principles, practices, and trends of modern public library administration and service delivery.
• Principles and practices of library collection development, organization, and maintenance.
• Library technologies, automated library systems, and electronic information resources.
• Community engagement, literacy programming, and public-facing library services.
• Research methods and techniques.
• Methods and techniques of preparing technical and administrative reports, and general business correspondence.
• Applicable federal, state, and local laws, codes, regulations, policies and procedures, and industry standards and best practices pertinent to the assigned area of responsibility.
• City and mandated safety rules, regulations, and protocols.
• Techniques for providing a high level of customer service by effectively working with the public, vendors, contractors, and City staff.
• The structure and content of the English language, including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Modern equipment and communication tools used for business functions and program, project, and task coordination, including computers and software programs relevant to work performed.

Qualifications

• Education: Possession of a master’s degree in library science from an accredited college or university.
• Experience: Five (5) years of professional experience performing public library services, including two (2) in a management or supervisory capacity.