The City of Goleta invites applications for the position of Children’s Librarian. This essential role will oversee youth programming and services at Goleta Valley Library. The ideal candidate will be a community-oriented, collaborative team player who is enthusiastic about connecting children, teens, and families with high-quality library resources and is eager to foster an environment of exploration and enrichment at Goleta Valley Library.
About the Department
The Library is a division of the Neighborhood Services Department. The Library provides a wide slate of programs for all ages, a variety of materials in all formats for borrowing by its users, and day-to-day customer service to its patrons. General areas of focus include: Administration, Collection Management and Cataloging, Circulation, Reference, Digital Services, Adult Programs, and Youth Programs. In addition to the Goleta Valley Library, the City of Goleta also manages the Buellton and Solvang Libraries.
Librarian I/II
Both the Librarian I and II perform a variety of professional library functions involved in assisting library patrons with their informational needs, planning and implementing library programs, participating in the development of the library collection, and providing assistance, education and information to the public regarding library use and services.
The Librarian I is the entry level class of the Librarian series and is typically used as a training class. The Librarian II is the full journey level class within the Librarian series. Employees within this class are distinguished from the Librarian I by the performance of the full range of duties as assigned, including the planning and development of library programs. Employees at this level receive only occasional instruction or assistance as new or unusual situations arise, and are fully aware of the operating procedures and policies of the work unit.
The following duties are typical for positions in this classification. Incumbents may not perform all listed job functions, nor are all listed duties necessarily performed by everyone in this class depending upon business need and changing business practices:
- Provide exemplary customer service to all individuals by demonstrating a willingness to be attentive, understanding, responsive, fair, courteous and respectful, and to actively participate in maintaining a positive customer service environment.
- Provide technical and professional assistance to library patrons including location and selection of reading materials and information, educate patrons in the use of library resources and equipment, answer a variety of questions on library activities.
- Maintain assigned section of the library collection, evaluate and select library materials, recommend and purchase materials for collection development, remove obsolete, nonrelevant and worn books from library collection.
- Read a wide variety of book reviews and evaluations of new books for collection recommendation and inclusion.
- Participate in the maintenance of the online public access catalog, select, organize and classify information and referral services, utilize a variety of databases to perform research activities.
- Participate in the preparation of a variety of records and reports, compile and analyze data, participate in the development of grant proposals.
- Respond to inquiries from the public, research complex and difficult questions, refer to appropriate sources.
- Promote library services and resources through the use of exhibits, tours, outreach and the media, prepare informational handouts for public distribution including calendars and flyers.
- Participate in the administration of a variety of library programs including volunteer, summer youth, and STEM and literacy programs, develop and coordinate assigned library programs, work with contract personnel for program activities.
- Recommend policy and procedural changes as required for library functions including reference procedures.
- May assist in supervising and coordinating volunteers, assist in the training of professional and nonprofessional staff.
- Attend and participate in professional group meetings and workshops, stay abreast of new trends and innovations in the field of library science.
- Perform related duties and responsibilities as required.
Education, Experience and Training
Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:
Librarian I/II
Education:
- Equivalent to a Master's degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in library science or a related field.
Librarian I
Experience:
- Some professional library experience is highly desirable
Librarian II
Experience:
- Two years of increasingly responsible professional and technical library experience.
Knowledge and Abilities
Knowledge of:
- Policies, procedures and functions of a library.
- Basic accounting procedures and techniques.
- Public relations techniques.
- Modern office procedures, methods and computer equipment.
- Principles and procedures of complex professional and technical library work including methods, practices and techniques of library classification, cataloging and referencing.
- Computerized cataloging, bibliographical, acquisition and circulation system databases and maintenance.
Ability to:
- Learn to operate computerized cataloging, bibliographical, acquisition and circulation data
- systems.
- Assist library patrons in response to basic reference and directional library questions.
- Understand and follow oral and written instructions.
- Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
- Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course
- of work.
- Maintain physical condition appropriate to the performance of assigned duties and responsibilities which may include the following:
- Sitting or standing for extended periods of time
- Operating assigned equipment
- Maintain effective audiovisual discrimination and perception needed for:
- Making observations
- Communicating with others
- Reading and writing
- Operating assigned equipment
- Perform professional and technical library tasks.
- Verify bibliographic data and identify, input and/or correct diacrytics and special characters.
- Assist library patrons in response to complex reference and directional library questions.
- Operate computerized cataloging, bibliographical, acquisition and circulation data systems.
- Work independently in the absence of supervision.