Join an award winning team!
St. Louis Top Workplaces, 2014-2018
Urban Libraries Council Top Innovator, 2015, 2017
Library Journal Four Star Library, 2014-2017
What’s Right with the Region for Demonstrating Innovative Solutions
2016 Missouri Library of the Year from MLA 2014
St. Louis County Library Two Part-Time Reference Specialist Positions
Known as the “Gateway to the West”, St. Louis and the surrounding area offers an array of lifestyles. From hip, trendy cafes and neighborhoods to a plethora of outdoor activities with hundreds of parks and trails to popular sporting events and cultural attractions. St. Louis County is a great place to live, work, and play!
St. Louis County Library is a 20 branch system, serving over 860,000 patrons and circulating 14 million items a year. SLCL is in the midst of a multi-year capital improvement project called Your Library Renewed, to upgrade existing structures and open new facilities, as well as enhance library programs and services. Not only do we have state-of-the-art buildings, but our array of programs and partnerships are abundant and diverse. SLCL staff are creative and forward thinking, developing several awarding winning programs geared to enrich individual minds, enhance lives and expand perspectives.
The Reference Department plays a key role in the library’s mission to enrich our community by providing system-wide educational programs on various research topics, creating outreach opportunities and community partnerships, instructing patrons in one-on-one librarian consultations, creating subject guides, and more. We are proud to provide over 7,000 print materials and nearly 100 electronic resources, and we work strategically to help people find and use them to enhance their lives. We are particularly focused on expanding our research services for entrepreneurs and job seekers to connect them with our robust resources, thus supporting our community by strengthening the local economy.
We are looking for two part-time Reference Specialists who will enhance our department with their positivity, commitment to excellent customer service, problem-solving attitude, and thirst for knowledge. These Reference Specialists will answer patron inquiries at the Reference desk as well as via email, chat, text, and phone. They will also create instructional content to help patrons use our vast resources and assist with collection development.
Do you want to work for this awarding winning library system?
It is a wonderful time to join St. Louis County Library, where facility innovations and creative public services are always growing! Apply today https://www.slcl.org/content/employment!
Job Purpose:
Provide quality reference service to meet the information needs of customers and staff.
1. Assists Library customers and staff with the use of reference and circulation materials in print and electronic formats to respond to needs in a timely manner.
2. Responds to all questions to meet customer and staff needs.
3. Maintains and develops the reference collection to provide the best resources for reference use.
4. Works cooperatively with Reference Departments staff and others to ensure quality reference service.
Job Qualifications:
Master’s Degree or other advanced degree
Must possess a commitment to a high level of public service to Library customers
Must possess excellent communication and organization skills
Hours: Position one: Monday: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm Tuesday: 8:30 am – 5:00 pm Wednesday: 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm Thursday: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm One Sunday per month
Position two: Monday: 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm Tuesday: 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm Wednesday: 8:30 am – 5:00 pm Thursday: 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm One Sunday per month
Hiring Rate: $19.22/hour
Applications and resumes can be submitted by visiting http://www.slcl.org/employment
Assistant Manager, Reference (rev 6/19/18)
I. Assists in supervising and monitoring Research staff to ensure smooth operation of the department. a. Participates in hiring and training employees to ensure that they are capable of giving the highest quality service. b. Communicates effectively with the department Manager and staff so that the Manager is kept informed and employees are aware of performances. c. Provides support and guidance to staff in their work, so that policies and procedures are communicated effectively and staff is advised in handling difficult transactions. d. Participates in the appraisal process by tracking and evaluating staff performance, communicating effectively with Manager to maintain accurate records, and preparing the required documents and conducting appraisal meetings.
II. Supervises and monitors workflows and operations to ensure excellent and efficient customer service. a. Participates in the provision of public services and maintains familiarity with research tools and department procedures in order to help cover during absences and busy periods. b. Performs scheduling duties so that the workload is well-distributed and to ensure that the department is adequately staffed. c. Monitors and disseminates department policies and procedures and coordinates effectively with Manager and staff to ensure they are kept updated. d. Reviews and accurately reports time and attendance each pay period so that the information is submitted electronically by the deadline.
III. Assists in the review and selection of print reference and database resources system-wide to ensure that the Library has a well-rounded and comprehensive selection that reflects the needs of staff and patrons.
a. Reads a variety of publications, both review and non-review, and monitors trends among library patrons to provide an up-to-date and useful system-wide reference collection. b. Solicits input from branch managers to be sure that individual research collections reflect local community needs and interests. c. Acts as the Library’s secondary contact with vendors of databases and assists with arranging webinars and demonstrations of appropriate databases. d. Assists in maintaining usage statistics for print and electronic resources, evaluating, and recommending resources to enhance reference services system-wide.
IV. Maintains department resources so that staff have the proper tools to meet patron needs and promote library resources to patrons and library staff system-wide. a. Supervises the maintenance and organization of the Headquarters print collection to ensure that materials are shelved and displayed in an orderly and attractive manner. b. Assists branch managers in the evaluation and weeding of their research collections to remove out-of-date and worn items and to generate space for new materials, maintaining relevancy and appeal. c. Coordinates with Manager and branch managers to provide regular and recurring research training for branch staff. d. Oversees the development and maintenance of research subject guides, database procedures, and training materials to assist patrons and staff in making the best use of library resources.
V. Coordinates with various staff to disseminate information and training about research resources in order to ensure staff are well-informed when assisting patrons and promoting resources. a. Develops and maintains a thorough knowledge of database functionality in order to provide assistance to patrons and staff in the use of electronic reference resources. b. Works with database vendors to troubleshoot issues and communicates progress to staff to minimize impact on customer service. c. Notifies staff of changes and updates to database platforms and functionality to ensure the employees have the most up-to-date information possible. d. Relays and interprets system policies and procedures to department staff to ensure consistency, and assists in regular staff meetings to ensure that staff is kept well informed and have adequate means for presenting their ideas and concerns.
VI. Other duties as assigned.
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