Assistant Manager of Adult Services (Senior Librarian), Cambridge Public Library, Cambridge, MA

Posted March 17, 2015

L408-702

Civil Service: Non-Civil Service

Hours of Work: 37.5 hours per week, including at least one night and Saturday rotation

The Cambridge Public Library is seeking a passionate, dynamic, and enthusiastic professional to assist in managing the Adult Services department. This opportunity is an exciting chance to contribute to and help lead an engaged team of reference professionals in an ever-growing and changing, beloved urban library.

Duties and Responsibilities

Public Service, Reference, & Reader’s Advisory:

• Provides information services to the public.
• Participates in developing departmental plans for outstanding public services to address present and future community needs.  Implements departmental plans to engage patrons and staff in even more effective ways.
• Works cooperatively with all staff to provide quality service.
• Provides excellent professional reference service to the public in person, on the telephone, via email and through other innovative communication methods as they become relevant.
• Provides readers’ advisory service by maintaining a keen understanding of genres, reading reviews in a broad array of sources, seeking out titles in the media and seeking titles of predictable interest to the community.
• Understands readers’ advisory as a fundamental library service.  Seeks out and embraces new readers’ advisory strategies.  Acts as a resource to all library staff in providing research and readers’ advisory services.
• Provides coverage at Q&A desk, Research desk, Information Commons desk.
• Assists customers in placing holds for materials using the network, Commonwealth Catalog and interlibrary loan.
• Merchandizes the collection to maximum effect.

Technology and Innovation:

• In a proactive, creative, service-oriented manner, indentifies, investigates, imagines and reports on cutting edge future public library service and technological trends.  Demonstrates continuous effort to improve operations and streamline work processes.
• Brings a passion and expertise for forward-thinking, personal, effective and meaningful adult services in the areas of digital media and emerging technologies as applied in the library setting, acting as a leader in this service area.
• Able to guide and train other staff in use of digital media and emerging technologies as they are implemented through new and existing services. 

Staff Management:

• Assists the Manager of Adult Services with the day-to-day supervision and operations of the department. Assumes responsibility for Adult Service operations in the absence of the Manager.
• Provides leadership in the delivery of outstanding services in a large, busy urban public library by modeling excellent, innovative, customer-directed adult services; aides the manager by training, mentoring and directing professional and paraprofessional staff. 
• Fosters the success of the department and Library. 
• Promotes the manager’s initiatives by collaborating with the community, working alongside staff, inspiring investment in the work, being a resource and a mentor, providing daily guidance, expertise, supervision and direction. 
• Plays a leadership role in fostering a culture which embraces and relishes change. 
• At the manager’s request, takes responsibility for areas such as scheduling, training, coaching and contributing to staff performance evaluations, gathering and analyzing data and managing or spearheading special projects.  Responsible for oversight of specific service areas as assigned.

Collection Development:

• Works with the Manager of Adult Services and the Senior Librarian for Collection Development to carry out a program of collection development and maintenance.  
• Selects adult materials for the main library’s print and electronic, circulating and reference collections.  Keeps current with review media. 
• Embraces an innovative, creative and customer-driven approach to selection. 
• Makes recommendations for purchases of materials in assigned areas to ensure that the adult collection is complete and up-to-date.

Other Library Programs:

• Participates in and may lead library-wide committees. 
• Attends staff meetings. 
• May represent the Library at community meetings and participate in community events. 
• Keeps informed of professional developments and attends professional meetings and trainings. 
• May represent the interests of the Library in professional venues or working groups as appropriate. 
• Performs any other duties required by the Manager of Adult Services for the good of the department and the Library.

Minimum Requirements:

Required:

• A master’s degree from an ALA accredited school of library science.
• A minimum of two years of post-MLS experience in direct patron service, preferably in a public library adult services or reference department.

Strongly Preferred:

• Experience in developing, publicizing and evaluating programs and successful efforts at liaising with community groups.
• Experience with supervision of other staff.

In exceptional instances, specialized education, training and/or experience may be substituted for part of the educational requirement.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 

• An in-depth knowledge of professional librarianship. 
• A thorough knowledge of library techniques, services and resources, including readers’ advisory services. 
• Ability to work effectively with a diverse population and an appreciation of urban library issues. 
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships within the community. 
• Ability and desire to serve the public with friendliness, tact and diplomacy. 
• Ability to work with enthusiasm and initiative, a cheerful disposition and a willingness to work harmoniously with others. 
• Demonstrated ability to direct the work of other staff members. 
• Ability to work independently and to creatively solve problems, as well as adaptability and dependability to work well in a team situation and flexibility in emergency staffing situations.  
• Extensive experience with automated databases and on-line searching.  Experience with on-line technologies, social media, handhelds and platforms such as Overdrive. 
• Knowledge of popular materials and current trends and technology for downloadable titles and circulating e-readers. 
• Enthusiasm for successful and efficient change. The ability to adapt to new situations and to reinvent services, systems, procedures and job roles in ways which help to further the library’s objectives and fit with its mission.
• Ability to handle multiple activities or interruptions at once and to work positively and effectively within a team model. 
• Ability to communicate both orally and in writing effectively, patiently and courteously with supervisor, library staff and the public. 
• Attention to detail and accuracy.  Excellent organizational skills.  Able to envision process, organize projects, set priorities, use time effectively, work independently, systematically and meet deadlines. 
• Ability to analyze and creatively solve problems related to the position in a positive manner. 
• Flexibility generally as well as in emergency staffing situations. 
• Knowledge of library’s ILS including reports function is a plus. 
• Punctuality and dependability. 
• Willingness to take direction.

Physical Demands: Physically able to operate a variety of machinery and equipment including office equipment such as computers, tablets, printers, AV equipment and e-readers. Ability to sit and use computer workstations, including keyboard and visual display terminal, for extended periods of time. Strength to push or pull a loaded book cart which can weigh in excess of 100 pounds on level floor and up ramp, to lift or maneuver onto cart loads of up to 50 pounds, and to carry cartons of books or other materials or equipment. Must be able to pay close attention to details and concentrate on work. Sufficient clarity of speech and hearing or other communication capabilities to permit effective communication. Sufficient vision or other powers of observation to permit employee to read books and patron requests. Sufficient manual dexterity to permit the employee to type and record library files, open boxes and DVDs, cover books. Sufficient personal mobility and physical reflexes to permit the employee to re-shelve library materials and work at public service desks. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Work Environment: Works in assigned area, including branches, as necessary. Work is performed primarily in an indoor setting at the library, including public and shared-office spaces.  Normal office exposure to noise, stress, and interruptions.

Rate: $29.02 per hour to $33.27 per hour in five steps

Application Procedure: Internal applicants submit a job bidding form and 2 copies of both your resume and letter of interest; external applicants submit both your resume and letter of interest by 5pm on the closing date via email to: [email protected] or to Personnel Dept, Room 309, City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge MA  02139. Fax 617-349-4312