POSITION SUMMARY: Seeking a collaborative, passionate and creative professional to join the Children’s Services Department. This position operates in a diverse environment to help fulfill PPLD’s mission by providing children’s programming, children’s reference, readers’ advisory services and a focus on training Every Child Ready to Read. This position uses comprehensive knowledge of library science, the PPLD children’s collection, electronic databases, current technologies, and community resources.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
- Provides expertise regarding children’s developmental stages, interests, community needs and children’s literature.
- Works on the public service desks providing reference service to walk-ins, over the phone, and via electronic delivery.
- Provides reference and reader’s advisory services with age-appropriate materials and online searches for children, caregivers and educators.
- Creates, promotes, and presents children’s programming (focuses on developmental needs, interests, and promoting children’s literacy to parents and other adults and caregivers).
- Promotes library services and materials through age-appropriate tours, publicity, displays and merchandising.
- Develops reading lists, pathfinders, booktalks or other creative means to make the children’s collection more accessible.
- Collaborates with schools or community groups and provides outreach to communicate services and programs.
- Coordinates a major function in the preparation of Summer Reading Program (such as web page development, prize management, or sponsor liaison).
- Suggests Children’s collection materials based on PPLD’s collection guidelines and policies, examines Children’s collection for replacement and/or removal of materials.
- Reads and evaluates challenged materials as requested.
- May coordinate Children’s services outreach events and presentations.
- May manage specialized services and programs (i.e., KidsWeb, NextReads, Reading Buddies, homeschooling initiative, etc.).
- May manage Children’s collection materials (i.e., storytelling collection, literacy kits, reference)
- May organize and conduct projects related to departmental goals and needs.
- Performs other job-related duties and projects as assigned.
Applications must include essay response to be considered for the position.
- Requires a minimum of one year of library experience; prefer a candidate with a minimum of one year of MLS experience working with children in a library setting; prefer a candidate with experience in Every Child Ready to Read training with parents and caregivers; SIRSI experience is a plus!
- Knowledge of children’s development stages, interests, community needs, and children’s literature; and the ability to promote library resources and programs for children.
- Excellent communication skills, demonstrates a “whatever-it-takes” work ethic, and models an excellent customer service attitude.
- Bilingual ability is a plus in serving our diverse community.
If you have any questions or require an accommodation to complete your job application, please contact the Human Resources Office at (719) 884-9800, Ext. 6994.
Requires an essay response. In order to be considered as a qualified applicant for this position, you must write and submit a typed and double-spaced essay (250-300 words), in response to the following topic:
“Please describe the importance of library programming for school age children. Include examples of age appropriate programming in your response.”
Applications that are submitted without the above-requested essay will not be considered for this position. Include the essay with your other PPLD job application materials.