Librarian (ESL) City of Largo Florida

When I first got out of library school, this would have been my dream job. The cherry on the top: Florida.

Job: Librarian (ESL)
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• Pay: $17.07/hour
• Posted: 05/23/2011
• Job Status: Full Time
• Job Type: Government

Description

The salary for this position will be $17.07 per hour.
The hours for this position will include some nights and weekends.

This is a professional position which requires considerable knowledge of library service and how it relates to the community. This position oversees English as a Second Language services and programs. The Librarian is a lead position with supervisory responsibilities and is called upon to exercise initiative and independent judgment in performing professional duties. Supervision is received from a Library Services Manager, Assistant Library Director, or Library Director, and work is reviewed through observations, reports, conferences and obtained results.


ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Skills to independently develop and maintain library point of service to Non-English language speakers to help them integrate into the community.
• Provides advanced reference and reader's advisory service to the public; assists patrons in selection and location of materials and in general library service.
• Directs patrons to specific facilities, subject areas, and titles. Instructs patrons in the use of the computer catalog.
• Accepts responsibility for maintaining service in the absence of a supervisor.
• Supervises department staff.
• Provides administrative and supervisory support to a Library Services Manager, and assists in personnel interviews and decision making.
• Promotes and develops good public relations, ensuring that staff meet service standards in assisting patrons; investigates public complaints and takes responsibility for appropriate action, handling any problems that cannot be handled by subordinates.
• Provides computer literacy instruction, including catalog and database instruction. Provides computer assistance and troubleshooting. Assists patrons with: using the Internet, using e-mail accounts, downloading, saving, and printing documents and files, using office productivity software, and helping with wireless access and Smart Access Manager troubleshooting.
• Evaluates the collection by determining replacements, substitutions, repairs, and discards.
• Accepts assigned professional responsibilities within departmental programs which may include reference assistance, cataloging, programming, collection development, and special collections management.
• Selects print and non-print materials for purchase.
• Assists supervisor in scheduling, supervising, assigning of duties and training of personnel.
• Assists supervisor in planning, determining budget and supply needs, and policy and procedure revisions.
• Translates statistics into reports for use by Management Team.
• Oversees projects assigned by supervisor; manages staff to accomplish project goals.
• May act as staff liaison with advisory/support groups.
• Addresses local organizations to promote library services.
• Represents the Largo Public Library at Pinellas Public Library Cooperative and Tampa Bay Library Consortium meetings to discuss and assist in the development and review of various library issues.
• Keeps abreast of developments in the library profession by reading professional journals and attending workshops, conventions and continuing education classes.
• Assists with book selections as directed by supervisor.
• Assists with programming by planning and presenting special programs in assigned departmental programs.
• Inputs, updates, accesses and retrieves data from a computer.
• Uses audio-visual and multi-media equipment and assists patrons in their use.
• Creates promotional materials.
• Competent in the use of the Integrated Library System public and support services functions.
• Performs related work as required.

JOB PROFILE:
Work Environment: 95% inside a climate controlled building; 5% outside which may include driving.

Physical Requirements: The essential functions of the job require: standing and walking up to approximately eight (8) hours per day. The work requires frequent: bending/stooping, climbing, crawling, fine manipulations, grasping, kneeling, pulling, pushing, reaching, repetitive motion, lifting/carrying objects weighing up to 50 pounds.

Sensory Requirements: Hearing: Enough to listen to patron questions and answer telephones; enough to listen to the directions of supervisors. Speaking: Enough to talk to patrons on the telephone and in person. Seeing: Enough to see and read computer monitor screens, identify book titles and read fine print.

Driving Requirements: The work requires occasional driving and possession of a valid Florida Driver's License.

Office Machines: The work requires the ability to operate the following office machines: copier, print release station, fax machine, microform printer, self-checkout terminals, audio-visual equipment, cash registers, Datasave signs, and computers.
Skills / Requirements

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Training and Experience: Master's Degree in Library Science from an American Library Association accredited institution required; previous library experience is preferred. Spanish speaking preferred. Previous English Language Learning or English as a Second language program oversight, volunteer management experience and community partnership building background strongly preferred. Possession of a valid Florida Driver's License.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Working knowledge of general library operations and practices, including the use of specialized professional tools and materials for reference, material selection, and classification. Considerable knowledge of titles and authors in the area of responsibility. Strong oral and written communication skills. Ability to exercise initiative and good judgment in problem solving and decision making. Ability to interact with other staff members, library patrons, community organizations, City officials, and the general public. Ability to make decisions in areas of responsibility. Ability to supervise others. Ability to be creative and artistic. Working knowledge of computers.

Application Instructions

Applications for employment with the City of Largo must be completed online through our website.

Job Posting - Beaumont Public Library Interim Director

The BEAUMONT PUBLIC LIBRARY is hiring for the full time interim position of Library Manager


Reporting directly to the Library Board, the Library Manager is responsible for the operation and enhancement of the library facility and services provided, the direction of both library and programming staff and support of the Library Board in policy, planning and budgeting.

Qualified applicants will possess:

• Masters of Library Sciences or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• 2 or more years relevant experience in a library setting
• Experience leading staff and change management
• Knowledge of the budgetary process
• Proven ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with staff, board and community partners
• Excellent public relations and interpersonal communication skills
• Demonstrated ability in the management and use of library technology

Qualified applicants, once contacted, will be provided with a detailed role description.

Job-seeking in U.S. Public Libraries

And lo, after predicting that knowing how to help people with their job search would be an asset to a public library, the ALA releases an Issues Brief on Job-Seeking in U.S. Public Libraries, which ties libraries, their knowledgeable staff, media literacy skills and access to technology to the ability to successfully find employment or to apply for unemployment benefits.

According to the report:

Aiding job seekers was increasingly viewed as a critical role for public libraries, with 62.2% of libraries reporting this service is critical to the library's mission, up from 44% one year earlier. (p.2)

Maybe I should take up writing horoscopes as a sideline.

Librarians as job counselors

According to this interview on NPR, librarians are increasingly acting as job counselors. Libraries are increasingly seeing more people who need to use library services--computers, books, and, possibly, the library space for job clubs--to keep their personal costs down.

Though the headline is about librarians as job counselors, they aren't really offering job counseling. The library is an information space and labor market information is just one of the items that patrons are investigating.

I hope what this will mean for libraries is the redevelopment of new or the expansion existing career information centers within libraries. If you are graduating, this may be one of the areas where you can offer your skills and services, especially if you have a background in vocational guidance and job searching techniques. If you're still looking for your capping project, developing a career information center within a library is a great project. It is also a great project to talk about at an interview.

Are their more bodies behind the desk?

This video from CBS has been passed around on a few listserves that I am a member of, but the question from the human resource perspective is: are their more librarians or are they working longer hours to accommodate increased user numbers?

The good news is that with more media attention to library usage and more people actually needing the library more, is that there should be some stability in library funding, especially for staff, programming and collections. We hope.