Location
Description
ABOUT THE CITY
We offer a wide range of meaningful career opportunities with potential for growth, training and development, competitive salaries, flexible work schedules, paid time off, and robust benefits. The Redwood City team is guided by the core values excellence, integrity, service, collaboration, inclusion, and innovation. Inherent in these values is a great organizational culture based on trust, strong and supportive leadership, respect, risk-taking, empowerment, and effective communication. The community is known for its inclusivity, strong engaged neighborhoods, and civic pride.
The City works diligently to maintain positive and productive relationships with community partners, together providing outstanding services, programs and opportunities for residents and businesses. This mix of tradition and progress, community and diversity, makes Redwood City an extraordinary place to work and call home. If you’re looking to grow your career as a part of a hard-working and fun Library team that fosters innovation, creativity and collaboration, we hope you’ll apply.
ABOUT THE POSITION
There are multiple positions full-time (38-hours per week) and part-time (20-hours per week). The current vacancies are at our family-friendly Redwood Shores Branch Library performing a wide variety of customer service and technical library work, providing services for children, adults, and families. The incumbent may also be assigned to work at other Redwood City Public Library locations. This position requires work during the day, evenings and weekend rotation (both Saturday and Sunday) and these are onsite/in-person positions. We may use the eligibility list created from this recruitment process to fill any part-time or full-time positions that occur in other Redwood City Public Library locations, during the life of the eligibility list.
Typical tasks include, but are not limited to:
- Primarily provide customer service in the following capacities (but not limited to):
- Provide customer service experience that strives for the highest level of satisfaction.
- Assist the public with technology.
- Answer routine in-person and telephone directional and informational questions; refer more difficult or technical questions to appropriate library staff.
- Assist customers in locating library materials and information.
- Register new customers; collect fees and overdue fines.
- Check in and prepare materials for return to the library collection.
- Assist library customers with checking out and checking in library materials.
- Repair library materials.
- Compile data and prepare summary activity reports.
- Follow opening and closing procedures of the assigned library.
- Input into library database information such as bibliographic and customer records.
- Assist in the processing of new library materials; process and discard old and worn library materials. Prepare routine reports, special reports and surveys.
- Retrieve and shelve books and other materials.
- Perform routine clerical assignments, including typing and answering telephones.
- Assign routine tasks and provide instructions to Library Aides in area of responsibility.
- Assist in ordering and receiving library materials and supplies.
- Receive, sort and distribute incoming and intradepartmental mail.
- May prepare and maintain displays and exhibits.
- Assist with library programs, special events, and outreach.
- Perform related duties as assigned.
Ideal Candidate
Will embrace the City’s emphasis on excellent customer service; will be detail oriented and able to manage multiple tasks; will use initiative and independent judgment; will be a team player who likes working with a variety of City staff and the public including people of diverse socio-economic backgrounds; work onsite and in-person, and have a good sense of humor.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities are qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:
Education & Experience
Library Assistant I:
Experience: One year of direct customer service experience working in a library or customer service organization.
Education: Equivalent to completion of twelfth grade. College training may be substituted for the required experience on the basis of one year of college being equivalent to six months of experience.
Library Assistant II:
Experience: Two years as a Library Assistant I or equivalent experience
Education: Equivalent to completion of twelfth grade supplemented by clerical and specialized college level courses in library science or a related field.
License & Certificates
- Incumbent may be required to travel between various locations during their scheduled work shift.
- Possession of a valid California Driver’s License and a satisfactory driving record.
Special Requirements:
Possession of, or ability to obtain, an appropriate, valid California Driver’s License.
Availability to work weekends, both Saturday and Sunday on rotation.
Library Assistant I
Knowledge of:
- Customer service principles.
- Basic technology devices, programs and applications.
- General types and uses of library materials; basic library terminology and services.
- Modern office procedures and methods.
- Basic mathematical principles.
Ability to:
- Learn library practices and procedures, and the location of materials in the libraries.
- Assist customers in locating library materials and using library materials.
- Learn to operate library system databases and circulation systems.
- Perform a variety of library technical and clerical work with speed and accuracy.
- Understand and carry out both oral and written instructions.
- Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
- Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
- Work with numbers and alphabet accurately.
- Type at a speed necessary for successful job performance.
- Troubleshoot technology problems.
- Sit, stand for expanded period time periods, walk, kneel, crouch, squat, stoop, reach and lift 20 pounds and push/pull 50 pounds
- To work during the day, evenings and weekends.
Library Assistant II
Knowledge of: (in addition to Library Assistant I)
- Library system databases and circulation system databases and rules for entry of materials.
- Principles and practices of technical library work, including library system databases search procedures.
- General department policies and procedures.
Ability to: (in addition to Library Assistant I)
- Provide guidance and training to assigned staff.
- Work independently.
- Operate library system databases and circulation systems.
Special Instructions
A City application, cover letter and supplemental questionnaire are required. Applications must be filled out completely. Failure to complete the application, cover letter and supplemental questions will disqualify the applicant from the recruitment process. Failure to list work experience, education or training or stating “See Resume” in the work experience section of the application will be considered an incomplete application and subject to disqualification. Resumes may be attached separately, but resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a City application.
Prior to appointment, candidates will be required to pass a background check (at no cost to the candidate) including the following:
- Criminal History Check
- DMV Check
- DOJ Fingerprinting
- References