Come be an information champion at Lawrence Public Library!
At Lawrence Public Library, we envision a community that thrives through equitable access to learning, growth, and opportunity for all. Supporting community members as they build the skills they need to succeed–from literacy to job skills to the basics of entrepreneurship–is key to achieving that vision.
You understand that knowledge is power and helps people thrive.
We’re searching for a creative, ambitious, and enthusiastic specialist who is committed to connecting community members with the educational opportunities they need in order to live their best lives. Your mission will be to work closely with the Information Services Supervisor, library staff, partner organizations, and local leaders to identify community gaps in adult education services and develop programs that connect adult learners with the skills they need to achieve their goals.
Meet your future team.
If you enjoy hunting for, gathering, and sharing accurate information, Lawrence Public Library’s Information Services department is your kind of people. We love researching a variety of topics, connecting staff and patrons to community resources and services, learning new things every day, and leveraging our collective knowledge to transform our community for the better. We recognize that there is no singular path by which everyone seeks information and strive to meet people where they’re at through in-person and digital service points, programming, and outreach.
We support diversity and inclusion.
Lawrence Public Library is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we welcome applicants from all backgrounds and make hiring decisions based on merit, talent, and potential—regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or disability.
You’re the kind of person who’d thrive in this role.
We’re seeking a specialist with a strategic vision and passion for reducing barriers to education and opportunity for Lawrence’s low-income and diverse populations, and experience creating programs to meet adult education needs. You’ll build the library’s adult literacy tutoring services and plan workforce development and entrepreneurship programming. You’ll keep your finger on the pulse of the community by staying informed of adult education needs and resources, developing relationships with partner organizations, communicating information about available library resources, and exploring opportunities to further develop library services to underserved communities.
As the Adult Education Specialist, we’ll need you to:
- Manage all other duties as assigned
- Serve as lead worker providing guidance to Information Services assistants in their daily work and provide limited oversight of department operations and staff in the absence of the Supervisor
- Assist in maintaining library collections by organizing, shelving, and weeding materials
- Take an active role in contributing to the department's online presence, creating content for blogs, podcasts, and/or other social media efforts.
- Curate and promote library resources through lists, reviews, displays, and subject guides
- Create relevant library web pages, brochures, and other community resource-related library materials and keep them up-to-date
- Represent the library at advisory boards and other community events or meetings relating to adult education
- Think creatively about how information is formatted and shared to best reach the target audience
- Gather and share information about local adult education resources with community members and library staff
- Build relationships with and promote library services to community stakeholders, with particular emphasis on outreach to agencies focused on adult basic literacy, workforce development, and entrepreneurship
- Evaluate and identify community education needs related to adult literacy, workforce development, and entrepreneurship, and develop programs, events or classes to meet those needs in partnership with outside agencies or organizations and other library staff
- Establish and develop the library's adult literacy tutoring services and train and coordinate volunteer tutors
- Be an information maven! You’ll use a wide variety of information sources, including catalogs and databases, to connect patrons to the information they seek while staffing the Information Services department service desk or by phone, email or online chat
Required qualifications:
- Experience working in collaboration with partners
- Experience working with diverse and/or low-income populations
- Experience planning and evaluating educational programs for adults
- Experience with teaching, training, or public speaking
- Bachelor's degree with coursework in liberal arts and/or communication, instruction, or related field
Preferred qualifications:
- Graphic design skills
- Experience with social media
- Knowledge of adult education resources in northeast Kansas
- Experience working in a public library
Schedule:
- Saturday, 9:30-6
- Friday, 9:30-6
- Thursday, 9:30-6
- Wednesday, 9:30-6
- Tuesday, 11:30-8
Position Details:
- Benefits: Generous paid time off, downtown parking, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas health insurance, VSP vision insurance, KPERS retirement, 457 Plans, and more!
- Pay: $22.88 per hour
- Hours: 40 hours per week, full-time, non-exempt
If this sounds like the job for you, please consider joining our team at the Lawrence Public Library by submitting a job application, resume, and cover letter. For references, please be sure to include people that have worked with you in the past and can speak to your strengths. The application deadline is June 1, 2025. After the position closes, we will review applications and be in contact with you by June 6. Please do not contact us to follow up on your application before June 6–we appreciate your patience!
PLEASE NOTE: Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. If you are applying through a 3rd party website like Indeed, you will not see our supplemental application questionnaire. Please follow the instructions in the email after you apply through Indeed to set up your Paycom account with us and complete those questions. Otherwise, it is best to apply on our website at https://lplks.org/library-jobs/
Generous paid time off, downtown parking, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas health insurance, VSP vision insurance, KPERS retirement, 457 Plans, and more!
Lawrence Public Library is located in the heart of downtown Lawrence, Kansas, a quintessential Midwestern college town of 90,000 where you'll find both the University of Kansas and Haskell Indian Nations University. We pride ourselves on being a little quirky. We are known for our main street packed with locally-owned boutiques, chef-owned restaurants, live music, and a vibrant art scene as well as our fiery Civil War history and our free state status. We are warm and welcome and love celebrating each other.
Erica Segraves
HR Manager