Early Childhood Librarian

Do you find yourself singing along to Jim Gill music during your day? Are you eager to read the new JaNay Brown-Wood picture book? Would you be excited to talk about the six stages of play development with colleagues and patrons?  If so, our Early Childhood position might be the job for you!  

In this role, you will perform multiple storytimes a week for children of various ages and ability levels, coordinate a busy storytime schedule for ages birth to kindergarten, and train staff on best practices in storytime and early literacy.  

You will also:  

• create and facilitate other programming outside the storytime cycle for the department’s youngest patrons 

• develop learning and play experiences for young children and their families  

• help patrons at our busy service desk 

• develop an assigned collection area 

• keep up to date with current information regarding child development and best practices in early literacy, and share that information with your colleagues and the community 

• collaborate with the Youth Programming Librarian to ensure the overall programming needs of patrons are met by the Youth programming calendar 

• serve on committees, workgroups, and attend professional development opportunities and conferences as assigned 

We’re looking for someone with demonstrated, significant experience working with groups of young children, especially in a childcare, school, or library setting. Must have a strong working knowledge of child development and be willing to learn to create developmentally appropriate programming for young children.   

SCHEDULE: Full-time, non-exempt position; 37.5 hours per week.

• Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday 9am to 5pm
• Tuesday 1pm to 9pm
• Participation in the weekend rotation:
  • Friday 11am to 7pm, approximately every 8 weeks
  • Saturday 9am to 5pm & Sunday 11am to 5pm, approximately every 4 weeks

SALARY: $51,200 per year

BENEFITS:

Medical, dental, and vision benefits are offered. Part of the total compensation package also includes paid time off benefits (paid holidays, vacation time, personal days, and sick leave), participation in the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) pension plan, 457 retirement savings plan, pet insurance and a commuter transit benefit. 

PURPOSE:

Under the direct supervision of the Department Manager, this position assists in planning programs that meet the objectives of the library’s strategic plan and/or assessment of community needs. This position facilitates the development, coordination, and implementation of a full roster of story times and early literacy programs to serve young children and their caregivers. The Early Childhood Librarian is also responsible for program presentation, collection development, and readers advisory and reference work on the public service desk. 

SUMMARY OF DUTIES:

This position consists of the following essential duties:

• Programming for children (approx. 55%)
• Public Service (approx. 30%)
• Collection Development (approx. 15%)

Other non-essential job duties include providing other support to the department and completing special projects as needed or required.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

Programming

1. Plans, presents, and coordinates story times and early literacy programs for children.
2. Trains staff members on story time best practices and provide support to staff who present story time programs in the building.  
3. Collaborates with the Youth Program Librarian on programming for younger grade schoolers with an emphasis on early literacy and learning. 
4. Collaborates with Youth Program Librarian to ensure programming offerings meet the needs of the various audiences served by the department. 
5. May plan, present, and/or coordinate programming about parenting topics of interest for the caregivers of young children. 
6. Assists in developing new programs/services based on the library’s strategic goals and community needs in conjunction with the Department Head and Assistant Department Head. 
7. Collaborates with the Assistant Department Head on passive early literacy reading programs
8. Advises Youth staff on the best literacy practices for young children
9. Supports the Youth Program Librarian in eliciting and reviewing marketing materials to promote Youth programs and services.
10. Prepares programming reports and statistics
11. Monitors current trends in public libraries (specifically story time activities) and early childhood education. 
12. Monitors best practices in programming, and developments in the field.  Shares these new trends to the department through training opportunities. 
13. Conducts outreach programs activities or events as assigned. 

Public Service

1. Assists patrons at the public desk in locating collection materials
2. Applies MPPL-values-based customer service
3. Provides reference and readers advisory services
4. Serves as in-charge staff when assigned
5. Fulfills and/or reviews book bags as requested by community members
6. Assists patrons in the use of equipment items in the public service area

Collection Development

1. Participates in collection development including the promotion, evaluation, selection, and weeding of youth collection material
2. Compiles appropriate booklists and prepares appealing displays

Other

1. Maintains current knowledge of trends related to providing services to youth patrons.
2. Attends appropriate meetings, workshops, and seminars
3. Serves on committees as assigned
4. Supervises volunteers as needed
5. Other duties as assigned

EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND EXPERIENCE

Master’s degree in library science from an ALA accredited library school (or equivalent education and work experience).  Prior experience with children and children’s programming required.  Coursework and/or experience in Early Childhood Development desirable.  

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & WORKING CONDITIONS

Skills & Ability

• Ability to access, input and retrieve data from the computer
• Knowledge of library policies and procedures
• Knowledge in the use of the Integrated Library System
• Knowledge/skill in the use of readers advisory and reference/service interview techniques
• Knowledge of online search strategies
• Knowledge in the use of various computer applications and electronic devices
• Knowledge of youth programming trends, philosophies, and best practices
• Knowledge of children’s material and their universally accepted guidelines or definitions
• Ability to operate a two-way radio and telephone

Behavioral Skills

1. Communication. Able to clearly present information through the spoken or written word; read and interpret complex information; talk with customers or clients; listen well.
2. Customer Focus. Able to demonstrate a high level of service delivery; do what is necessary to ensure internal and external customer satisfaction; deal with service failures and prioritize customer needs.
3. Decision Making & Problem Solving. Able to take action in solving problems while exhibiting judgment and a realistic understanding of issues; able to use reason, even when dealing with emotional topics; review facts and weigh options.  
4. Flexibility. Able to remain open-minded and change opinions on the basis of new information; perform a wide variety of tasks and change focus quickly as demands change; manage transitions effectively from task to task; adapt to varying customer needs.   
5. Initiative. Able to bring about great results from ordinary circumstances; prepare for problems or opportunities in advance; transform leads into productive business outcomes; undertake additional responsibilities and respond to situations as they arise without supervision.  
6. Planning, Prioritizing, & Goal Setting. Able to prepare for emerging customer needs; manage multiple projects; determine project urgency in a meaningful and practical way; use goals to guide actions and create detailed action plans; organize and schedule people and tasks. 
7. Supporting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Able to adapt behavior to others' styles; interact effectively with people who have different values, cultures, or backgrounds; optimize the benefits of having a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workforce.

Working Conditions

• Work is performed in a typical library environment.