Library Assistant - Part Time (Southwest Branch)

Library Assistant

25 hours per week

Southwest Branch

Monroe County Public Library is seeking an engaged and innovative paraprofessional to join our Southwest Branch with a focus on Adult Services and the Teaching Kitchen. This position will provide excellent patron-facing services, while also assisting Librarians in developing weekly programs and aid in the development of high quality readers’ advisory services. The focus on the branch's Teaching Kitchen includes tasks like assisting the Adult Librarian with programming and maintenance of the kitchen. Applicants for this position must be available to regularly work evening and weekend shifts.

Regular schedule:

Tuesday 11am - 7pm

Wednesday 9am - 2pm

Thursday 1pm-6pm

Saturday 10am-6pm

Expertise

I am the public face of the Library and am responsible for ensuring that patrons receive exceptional service as I help them navigate and utilize the Library's physical and digital content, services, and spaces. I maintain positive relationships with Library professionals who direct and guide my daily work and with patrons and the community. I serve as an assistant in various projects and patron programming. I thrive in building my skills and abilities within my specified areas of expertise and I engage with colleagues to enhance my range of knowledge in Library services. 

Essential Functions, Responsibilities, Knowledge and Skills

• I provide excellent face-to-face patron service at Library service points; I am a concierge who greets and assists visitors; I help patrons locate, check out, and place holds on materials; I create and update customer accounts and resolve issues with accounts; I help customers find answers to their questions in person, on the phone, or online; I register patrons for programs and provide other services to meet their needs following best practices.
• I have excellent communication and interpersonal skills for interacting with customers, employees and outside contacts; ability to be consistently pleasant, positive, and responsive to a diverse public and staff.
• I provide clerical assistance for projects and daily routines, including data entry and creating reports.
• I possess good organizational and time management skills, ability to assist in planning, coordinating, and implementing projects and services while meeting deadlines.
• I create and maintain displays and publicity materials.
• I have good writing skills. I create content for social media posts, photos, reading lists, webpages, etc.
• I participate in team and group work developing new services, policies or processes, or other special

projects.

• In fulfilling my daily responsibilities, I strive to embody the Library's values of inclusiveness, accessibility, respect, lifelong learning, integrity, service, and freedom of expression.
• I have a demonstrated interest, advanced skills, and/or experience in literature and preferred instructional modes of relevant audience (children, teens, adults, or outreach) and/or subject specialization.
• I have the ability to learn, adapt, and promote new software and equipment technologies.
• I work individually and as part of a team.
• I demonstrate good critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• I assist and sometimes lead in the mentoring and training of co-workers under the guidance of my manager, resulting in increased employee skills and empowerment.
• I assist in the implementation of process improvement and evaluation initiatives supporting the enhancement of the employee and patron experience.
• I have working knowledge of all library policies and public service procedures, and public library and business computer applications.
• Fluency in a second language is considered helpful.

Required Education/Experience and License/Certifications

• Bachelor's degree or a combination of equivalent education and experience
• Demonstrated strong communication skills and customer service commitment required
• One year of library or related experience working with customer service in a fast-paced library or similar environment considered helpful
• Demonstrated interest, advanced skills, and experience in working with adult, children’s, teen or special audiences
• Demonstrated ability to support users with various digital devices, software, and content

• May require a valid driver's license and proof of insurability

Supervision Received

Receives general direction. Follows standard procedures and operates with infrequent functional guidance.  Works independently and normally sets work flow and performance routines. Unusual questions and situations are referred to the supervisor or manager, frequently accompanied with additional information and suggestions for correction.

Supervision or Leadership Exercised

None.  

Working Conditions

• Regularly sitting and performing various repetitive actions and extensive use of keyboards, mice, monitors, and varied digital devices, requires use of hands, fingers and repetitive motions.
• Frequently standing, walking, moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, and moving from one work site to another.
• Work has standard vision requirements; frequent speaking, vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word; hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels.
• Occasional to frequent travel, entering and exiting vehicles, driving, moving, and carrying materials to and from various locations.
• Occasional moderate lifting (25 lbs.) and infrequent heavy lifting (up to 50 lbs.). Assistance with excessive loads is required.

Reasonable Accommodations Statement: An individual must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodations, each essential function satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to help enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

MCPL remains open during local academic breaks and we are unable to accommodate extended absences, including those associated with semester breaks. MCPL work schedules adjust in response to changing operational needs. 

This job description is not intended as, nor should it be construed as, exhaustive of all responsibilities, skills, efforts, assignments, or working conditions associated with this job.

MCPL is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity in its employees, patrons and community.