Library Specialist III

Assists the Head of Children's & Youth Services by planning and administering programs, section operations, and in promoting reading to the community. Has responsibility for collection development for the section, outreach services, and oversees until section when needed in the absence of the Head of Children's & Youth Services. Provides welcoming customer service to all customers. Positively reflects Midland County Public Library's mission, vision, and values to staff and the public.

Include some of the following depending on assignment. Other duties may be assigned:

• Assists Head of Children’s & Youth Service in the training of and assigning work to staff and volunteers assigned to the section.
• Initiates, plans, conducts, and evaluates a variety of programs and activities to encourage the use of the library by children and young adults on a weekly basis.
• Assesses programming needs of the community and present age and interest specific programs to satisfy those needs; assists in the development of programming and ideas to boost attendance and target audiences.
• Communicate with home schoolers, teachers, students, parents, and community members to help improve library services.
• Performs readers’ advisory for youth, creates bibliographies and displays of materials to boost circulation, increase usage, and highlight areas of the collection.
• Develops the children’s and young adult collections using resources and policies/procedures presented in the Midland County Public Library Collection Development policy, and based on journal reviews, evaluation of the current collection, professional judgment, and preferences of children and young adults.
• Contributes information relevant to children’s and young adults to be included on the library’s website, social media platforms, and other marketing/resource tools (flyers, brochures, etc.).
• Advocates for children’s and young adults and youth services with other community agencies.
• Identifies, collects, and interprets statistics as needed. Maintains records and prepares statistical reports as requested monthly and annually.
• Builds teen mentoring relationships and involves young adults in planning and implementing services for their age group.
• Instruct library users in the use of online resources to track their project work.
• Establishes methods and procedures for attaining specific goals and objectives and receives guidance in terms of broad goals.
• Keeps informed of emerging technologies, current trends, improved programs, and procedures to better meet the needs of the community.
• Performs general maintenance on library equipment and computers, troubleshooting and identifying problems, then reporting to proper repair specialists.
• Demonstrates continuous effort to improve operations, decrease turnaround times, streamline, work processes, and work cooperatively and jointly to provide quality seamless customer service.
• Takes advance of continuing education opportunities and reviews industry literature to improve services and workflow of team.
• Regular and consistent attendance is required.

In the absence of, or as assigned by, the Head of Children’s & Youth Services, may act as supervisor for the section. May perform some administrative duties.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Associate degree, plus two to three years of progressively responsible library experience, and experience working with children and/or young adults; or any equivalent combination of education and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities. Preferred:
Bachelor’s degree and supervisory experience. Highly preferred:
Master’s degree in Library Science for an ALA accredited school.

• Strong public service attitude and ability to relate to and communicate with children and young adults.
• Thorough knowledge of children’s and young adult literature, library reference methods and procedures.…