The New York Public Library (NYPL) has been an essential provider of free books, information, ideas, and education for all New Yorkers for more than 100 years. NYPL’s neighborhood libraries in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island—many of which date to Andrew Carnegie’s visionary philanthropy at the turn of the 20th century—are being transformed into true centers of educational innovation and service, and vital community hubs that provide far more than just free books and materials.
The Library is seeking Adult Librarians to cultivate creative thinkers, enthusiastic readers, skillful researchers, and resourceful users of information. Successful candidates will embody each of these four characteristics themselves.
Key Responsibilities:
Under the supervision of the Library Manager, the Adult Librarian:
- Provides reference service and resource recommendations using print, media and digital resources
- Collaborates with the Adult Educational Services Department to develop, promote, facilitate, present and evaluate innovative programs to meet the expressed and anticipated needs of the community’s adult population including book discussions, author talks, technology classes, financial literacy sessions, arts and wellness activities, and a variety of other programs both in the Library and throughout the community
- Partners with the collection development team to build and maintain the Adult collection ensuring it is diverse, current, and relevant and meets the needs of the community
- Works to engage adults with the collection in ways that allow them to follow their interests and discover new ones
- Encourages digital literacy and provides technology instruction
- Develops and maintains the layout and appearance of the adult space, ensuring a safe and inviting area filled with relevant resources
- Develops and maintains content for social media platforms such as Library blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Pinterest
- Mentors library staff in preparing and presenting adult programs
- Assists with circulation, fines & fees management, reserves and opening/closing procedures
- May take responsibility for the facility, staff and operations in the absence of the Library Manager
- Maintains a working knowledge of trends in adult literature, educational and development needs, adult services and the profession through webinars, internal training, meetings, conferences, professional literature and organizational memberships
- Performs related duties as required
Required Education & Experience
- ALA accredited Master’s degree in Library and Information Studies
- Public Librarian’s Professional Certificate issued by the State of New York
- Preferred language: Spanish
Required Skills
- Strong commitment to public service and the ability to work well with a diverse patronage
- Experience creating and conducting a variety of innovative programs for adults
- Knowledge of Adult literature and experience maintaining an Adult collection
- Experience building partnerships with local organizations to better meet the needs of community users
- Demonstrated interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills, including public speaking and presentation skills
- Successfully demonstrated ability to work as part of a team
- Strong organization and planning skills, including the ability to perform multiple projects or tasks simultaneously
- Strong computer and other related technology skills, including MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Google applications, PCs, Macs and e-reader devices
- Demonstrated knowledge of computer services including online searching, social media, reference resources and databases
Managerial/Supervisory Responsibilities:
- May temporarily oversee the library in the absence of the Library Manager
