Library Assistant Part Time (Union-Afscme)

SALARY RANGE: $25.2447-$32.0757/HOUR

SCHEDULE - PART TIME - 20 HOURS/WEEK

• Starting salary is dependent upon qualifications, but in most cases is no higher than the midpoint for range.

NATURE OF WORK:

The Evanston Public Library Early Learning and Literacy team is seeking a part-time Library Assistant who is eager to share their knowledge and skills. The ideal candidate will be innovative, tech-savvy, creative, dedicated to excellent customer service, team-oriented, passionate about working with all members of the community and be committed to exploring the frontiers of what equitable access to resources means to Evanston. This position is responsible for providing responsive and high quality programming, reference and reader's advisory services to children (from infancy through fifth grade), parents, educators and caregivers at the Evanston Public Library. Schedule is 20 hours per week, and may include evenings, weekends and some holidays.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS (Specific assignment will include some or all of the following):

• Assists library users, primarily children, with the use of library collections, services, equipment and facilities, including help in accessing online resources and downloading library media.

• Plans, presents, and evaluates innovative programming for children, parents, caregivers and educators, both in person, virtually and hybrid inside the library and at other locations in the community.

• Carefully interviews library users to determine what information is required and provides clear, accurate and timely answers to all patron inquiries. Offers appropriate options for further inquiries, including referrals to other library departments or other organizations.

• Conducts searches using online and print readers' advisory tools to suggest titles, read-alikes, and find information for children's and young adult literature. Conducts searches for specific pieces of music, film or video, and general study materials on film or audio. Determines availability of materials for Interlibrary Loan requests and orders via on-line databases.

• Guides patrons to reference resources in order to locate specific materials. Assist and instruct patrons in the use of reference resources. Suggest specific materials in general area of interest and substitute materials when requested materials are not available.

• Develops and maintains in-house databases and/or indexes for children's, educational, and parenting resources; develops and maintains children's reader's advisory aides and "frequently asked questions".

• Maintains current knowledge of the Library's juvenile collections and electronic resources, keeping abreast of industry changes and updates. Reads, listens to, and views a wide variety of children's literature and media.

• Promotes library collections, services and activities to a racially and socio-economically diverse urban/suburban community by creating flyers and posters, bibliographies, pathfinders, social media posts (e.g.Twitter or Facebook), blog entries, and reviews.

• Under the supervision and guidance of librarian(s), may suggest materials for acquisition.

• Conducts tours of the Library for classes and other groups of children, their educators, parents and caregivers.

• Serves as senior staff member in charge of the Youth Services department on weekends and evening shifts, and may serve as staff member in charge in the absence of the Department Head.

• Perform other duties as required or assigned.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS OF WORK:

• Must possess a high school diploma, GED or higher.

• Must possess two (2) or more years of demonstrated, direct work experience programming with children.

• Course work in a related field such as elementary education, early childhood education, or library services to children preferred.

• Knowledge, skills, and abilities in the following areas:

• Considerable knowledge of a broad range of children's and young adult literature and authors, films, music, and media required.

• Must be fluent with social media and personal technologies currently in use among children.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Preference will be given to candidates who are fluent in Spanish or Mandarin.

• Considerable knowledge of and ability to use Internet search engines, word processing software, email, on-line computer catalogs and Windows operating systems.

• Ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagrammatic form, while dealing with several abstract and concrete variables.

• Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide all units of measure to perform the four operations with like or common decimal fractions; to compute ratio rate, and percent and measures; to perform arithmetic operations involving all American monetary units.

• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with a diverse group of customers and staff throughout the Library, as well as outside the organization.

• Ability to multi-task many variable duties, requests and responsibilities.

• Ability to read, understand and interpret manuals, policies and procedures, rules, regulations, journals, newspapers, memos, letters, reports and legal documents.

• Ability to prepare business letters, expositions, summaries, and reports, using prescribed format and conforming to all rules of punctuation, grammar, dictation, and style.

• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including weekends, evenings, and holidays.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS OF WORK:

The ability to work in a primarily sedentary position, with the ability to occasionally use force to exert up to 20 pounds. The ability to lift, carry or otherwise move objects, books, materials, etc. using up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects.

The employee is subject to inside environmental conditions: protection from weather conditions, but not necessarily from indoor temperature changes.

There are no environmental hazards associated with this classification.

SUPERVISION:

Under the supervision of the Early Learning & Literacy Manager, work is performed with the guidance of managerial staff. The individual has contact with other Library institutions and staff at all levels, and uses the necessary resources to meet and achieve goals and/or objectives. Work is assigned through specific projects and customer/clientele requests. The employee is responsible for prioritizing work tasks, and for identifying and utilizing the appropriate resources to resolve a problem or situation. Work performance is reviewed through observation, completion of projects, status reports, conferences and meetings. Guidance is provided through the City Code, departmental policies, City operating practices and procedures, and other resources as applicable to specific projects assigned. Work is evaluated at least annually, with respect to customer service, problem-solving ability and performance in accordance with this classification standard.

PUBLIC CONTACT:

The employee has regular and frequent contact with the general public.

SELECTION METHOD TYPE OF ELIGIBILITY LIST LIFE OF ELIGIBILITY LIST

Structured Oral Interview Category Group Two Years

Qualifications Assessment

Practical Exam

Chosen candidates will be subject to a qualifying pre-employment medical examination and drug/alcohol screen.

The City of Evanston is committed to making all public meetings accessible to persons with disabilities. Any citizen needing mobility or communications access assistance should contact the Facilities Management Office at 847-866-2916 (voice) or 847-448-8052 (TTY).