Library Assistant

The City of Palm Desert provides exemplary and sustainable services, amenities and programs for the benefit of the local and surrounding communities. When you interact with a City employee, you will find our collaborative, driven and efficient staff working together to provide strategic solutions for the community and each other. We are a city focused on external and internal customer service and try to find a way to say "yes," while not compromising the City’s or our own integrity.

Our efforts are guided by our core values:

• Integrity
• Stewardship
• Service
• Community
• Innovation
• Teamwork

Our employees are passionate about innovation, collaboration and growth, which is supported by the City’s Council and Executive Team. We are an environment that thrives on making changes, pivoting quickly, and is full of movers and shakers. We are constantly striving to improve processes and better our approach so that we can better support the needs of the City. If you have a growth mindset and find change exciting, the City of Palm Desert may be your ideal working environment!

The City of Palm Desert is seeking part‑time Library Assistants to support daily library operations. This role includes performing routine circulation tasks—such as checking materials in and out—and completing behind‑the‑scenes duties to ensure library resources are well‑organized and accessible. Library Assistants will also help introduce patrons to library services, demonstrate account management tools, and provide basic support with the library’s technology resources.

The position requires learning and applying established library policies and procedures to make sound decisions during interactions with patrons and colleagues.

Under general supervision, Library Assistants perform a wide range of technical and clerical tasks, including circulating materials, maintaining and organizing library collections, supporting library programs and services, and delivering excellent customer service. Assistants also help with routine activities essential to the day‑to‑day functioning of the library, along with other duties as assigned.

19 hours per week and a flexible schedule that includes a combination of daytime, evening, and weekend shifts.

Receives supervision from assigned supervisory or management staff. Does not directly or indirectly supervise other professional staff but may supervise or provide work direction and training to employees.

This is the entry‑level class in the library classification system. Initially under close supervision, incumbents perform the most routine‑related tasks in routine library work. As experience is gained, assignments become more varied and are performed with greater independence. Positions at this level usually perform most of the duties required of the positions at the Librarian but are not expected to function at the same skill level and usually exercise less independent discretion and judgment in matters related to work procedures and methods.

• Check out library materials to patrons; receive, return and renew circulated materials; collect fees; inspect returned materials for damages; repair materials; register new patrons; process materials prior to shelving; file and shelve materials; check and empty the book drop on a regular basis.
• Respond and provide exceptional customer service to patron in‑person and telephone requests for library materials, services and information; assist patrons in completing requests for materials both available and not available in the local collection; assist library patrons with simple informational or directional requests and refer patrons to appropriate staff.
• Assist patrons in navigating computer sign‑up and login processes and using library equipment such as copiers and printers.
• Compile statistics and data on information as requested; maintain a variety of records; produce information as requested.
• Input data into library computer systems; make corrections; add or delete entries on bibliographic records; correct author and subject entries; search for missing books as necessary.
• Maintain neat appearance of…