Assistant Children

Allen County Public Library•Fort Wayne, IN

About The Position

The Assistant Children's and Teen Services Manager helps lead the Allen County Public Library's youth services department in partnership with the Children's and Teen Services Manager. The role oversees daily operations, supervises and develops staff, coordinates programs, builds community partnerships, and supports excellent service for patrons from birth through high school. It combines leadership responsibilities with direct public service and may focus on children's services, teen services, or both. The position also supports collection development, reference and readers' advisory services, technology assistance, library-wide programming, and community engagement. The successful candidate helps create an inclusive, welcoming environment and stays current with youth-services trends and best practices through professional development and continuing education.

Requirements

Meet one of the following qualification pathways: a master's degree in Library and Information Science or equivalent and two years of professional librarian experience or relevant experience in a youth-serving setting; a bachelor's degree and three years of professional librarian experience; or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience in a youth-serving setting.
State of Indiana Public Librarian Certification (LC4), or the ability to obtain and maintain certification.
Valid driver's license.
Strong leadership, coaching, and employee development skills.
Experience planning and delivering educational programming for children and/or teens.
Excellent customer service and communication skills.
Ability to build partnerships with schools, educators, and community organizations.
Strong organizational and project management abilities.
Experience with readers' advisory, reference services, and collection development.
Comfort using Microsoft Office and other library technologies.
Ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences.

Responsibilities

Provide day-to-day leadership, coaching, supervision, and performance management for assigned staff.
Assist with recruiting, interviewing, onboarding, and developing team members.
Serve as Person-in-Charge when assigned, supporting smooth daily operations and excellent customer service.
Help develop and improve department policies, procedures, and services.
Lead or participate in cross-functional projects and work teams that enhance Youth Services.
Plan, coordinate, and evaluate programs, outreach initiatives, and special events for children, teens, families, educators, and caregivers.
Build partnerships with schools, community organizations, and youth-serving agencies throughout Allen County.
Represent the Library through community outreach, presentations, and collaborative initiatives.
Assist with collection development by recommending materials, evaluating collections, and supporting collection maintenance.
Provide reference, readers' advisory, and technology assistance to patrons.
Help patrons use library resources, digital collections, databases, devices, and online services.
Support library-wide programming and community engagement initiatives.
Stay current on emerging youth-services trends and best practices through professional development and continuing education.
Foster an inclusive, welcoming, and collaborative environment that reflects the Library's mission and values.