Librarian, Youth Services

Tacoma Public Library (TPL) is looking for a Youth Services Librarian to join their team! In this role you will be developing and delivering community-driven services to residents of the urban community of Tacoma.

We are seeking talented individuals to join our team, who:

* Are committed to collaborating with our community in order to deliver library materials services

* Are committed to working to support and deliver user-focused services

* Are passionate about racial equity and social justice

* Have demonstrated success in cross functional teams and in neighborhood library operations

* Have a vision and understanding of youth services including current and future needs

If you believe that the library can empower the community by bringing people together to discover, connect, create, learn, and thrive, your next position may be at TPL! We welcome applicants of all abilities.

Position Summary:

We are seeking a Youth Services Librarian to empower Tacoma's youth from infant through teen to become creative thinkers, enthusiastic readers, skillful researchers, and resourceful users of information. Successful candidates will embody these characteristics themselves.

Are you excited about the idea of working in a diverse urban library system? The ideal candidate is committed to racial equity and social justice and has a passion for developing, promoting and facilitating innovative programs to build literacy and a love of reading to meet the expressed and anticipated educational, recreational and cultural information needs of our diverse community including book discussions, author talks, digital navigation, classes, literacy sessions, arts and wellness activities, story-times, STEAM activities, and a variety of other programs both in the Library and throughout the community.

Applying equity and social justice principles is a daily responsibility and a foundational expectation for all Tacoma Public Library employees. All employees are expected to model and apply our equity and social justice shared values, behaviors, and practices.

Responsibilities include:

* Develop, plan and conduct comprehensive programming for toddlers, preschoolers, school age children, teens, and their families and caregivers

* Provide outreach and develop partnerships with community-based organizations, city support agencies, child and teen educational institutions and local businesses to promote the library's services, programs and collections with a focus on children, teens, and their families and caregivers

* Determine public programming needs for children and teens, including identification of new and underserved populations

* Engage library patrons with the collection in ways that allow them to follow their interests and discover new ones

* Collaborate with the collection and technical services team to build and maintain a collection that anticipates and meets the needs of children and teens, ensuring it is diverse, current, and relevant and meets the needs of the community

* Encourage digital literacy and provide technology instruction with a focus on children, teens and their families and caregivers

* Participate with others in cross-functional teams to accomplish goals and objectives

* Maintain the appearance of the children's space ensuring a safe and inviting atmosphere filled with relevant resources for children and their families

* Collaborate with the Library's Public Information Office to promote and market your amazing programming

* Explains, demonstrates, and assists patrons in the use of library resources; helps patrons to identify, locate, and retrieve materials appropriate to their interests

* Participate in branch activities and library initiatives

Required:

Master of Library Science (MLS) or a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) degree from an accredited library school and/or Washington State certification as a Librarian or currently enrolled in such a program with completion within 6 months of hire.

Desired:

* Experience creating and conducting a variety of innovative programs for children and their parents/caregivers

* Experience developing, maintaining and marketing youth collections

* Experience building partnerships with local organizations and schools

* Experience working successfully as part of a team

* Strong organization and planning skills

* Bilingual skills desired

* Strong commitment to public service and the ability to work well with a diverse patronage

* Successfully demonstrated ability to work as part of a team

* Knowledge and appreciation of children's literature, audiovisual materials, computer resources, and other materials that constitute a balanced, relevant youth collection

* Knowledge of emerging library technologies, service and programming trends for children in urban public libraries

* Ability to translate the needs and interests of children and teens into materials for our collection, in all formats

* Ability to innovate and think creatively

* Ability to map out a process from idea through implementation, to set and…