Assistant Library Director (Public Services) 1: Collections

Weber County•Ogden, UT

7d•Onsite

About The Position

As a member of the library’s senior professional team, under the supervision of the library director, this employee provides strategic direction, system-wide oversight, and senior professional leadership for collection development and materials selection and management, across a multi-branch county library system. This position serves as the library’s designated professional authority for system-wide collection evaluation and stewardship. This employee is responsible for the implementation of collection development practices, ensuring print and digital materials are selected, maintained, and evaluated according to established policies, community needs, budget guidelines, and quality standards. This employee upholds and communicates the library's collection vision; oversees the professional staff in the execution of their collection management responsibilities; oversees collection budgets and resource allocation; and acts for the associate library director and director in their absence.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Library Science from an American Library Association-accredited program or an equivalent combination of education and experience that provides the required knowledge and abilities for the position
At least six years’ experience as a librarian in primary area of responsibility, with four years of managerial experience with demonstrated ability to develop, manage, and sustain a major system resource or function in a public library setting; demonstrated leadership in collection development/management, materials selection, and system-wide collection management planning; demonstrated experience in budget management in government context
Demonstrated mastery of public library collection development principles, including selection, evaluation, deselection, preservation, and lifecycle management of materials in all formats
Demonstrated expertise in balancing demand, literary merit, diversity of viewpoint, community standards, and constitutional protections in materials selection
Substantial knowledge of publishing industry practices, vendor platforms, licensing models, and emerging content formats
Demonstrated fiscal stewardship in administering substantial materials budgets with transparency and accountability
Strong understanding of current publishing trends, digital resources, and emerging library technologies
Substantial working knowledge of public library trends, theories, and major services and programs
Working knowledge of employment law and policies
Working knowledge of formal recruitment and hiring processes
Substantial working knowledge of public service management theory and practice, including customer satisfaction, strategic planning for results, staff development and supervision, time management, organizational skills, community relations, and publicity and promotion techniques
Substantial knowledge of, and ability to interpret and apply, Library Board policies and administrative procedures
Understanding of the relationships and responsibilities of Library divisions and buildings
Understanding of Library mission and roles, and the general role of public libraries within a community
Understanding of librarianship and its foundational documents, including the Library Bill of Rights, Code of Ethics, and the Freedom to Read Statement
Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal skills
Advanced ability to critically evaluate materials using professional review sources, publishing trends, bibliographic data, circulation analytics, and community demographic information, balanced by a strong understanding of the library’s commitment to the stewardship of core collections
Ability to assess collection gaps and strategically build sustainable, responsive, and future-oriented collections
Capacity to identify systemic risk, bias, or imbalance in collection practices and implement corrective strategies
Authority and expertise to assess/evaluate the professional collection decisions of selectors across the system
Ability to professionally manage and respond to formal materials challenges and reconsideration requests in accordance with Board policy
Demonstrated ability to analyze data and apply metrics to decision-making
Demonstrated experience with the provision of library services to all types of patron groups, such as children, students, adult learners, and those living in poverty
Ability to function effectively in a political environment, where real-world compromises are sometimes necessary for the health of the organization
Ability to exhibit good judgment according to a formalist system of ethics and establish a cordial and effective working relationship with the public, support staff, colleagues, Board members, and County officials
Ability to exercise initiative and independent judgment
Ability to think conceptually
Ability to organize job duties and work independently
Ability to plan and coordinate the work of others to obtain established results
Ability to resolve conflict rather than create it, and implement change rather than block it
Availability for morning, afternoon, evening, weekend, and some holiday shifts
Pre-employment drug screening and criminal background check required
Engage with high-risk populations
Must use hands and fingers to operate a computer.
The employee is regularly required to lift up to twenty-five pounds, and occasionally up to fifty pounds.
The employee must be able to remove library materials from shelves at a maximum height of six feet and push library carts weighing up to 175 pounds.
Must be able to move about the work area, talk clearly with customers, and hear customer and employee responses.
Must have excellent close vision and good distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

Nice To Haves

Fluency in more than one language

Responsibilities

Perform predominately intellectual work requiring exercise of discretion and judgment for a multi-branch county library system with public buildings used by diverse populations, in compliance with county, state, and federal regulations
Implement the Board of Trustees’ Collection Management Policy; facilitate, audit, and train implementation of Collection Development Manual and all associated processes and procedures
Provide strategic leadership for system-wide selection, acquisition, cataloging, processing, evaluation, and deselection of materials in all formats
Oversee equitable allocation of the materials budget across branches and service populations
Oversee professional selection teams to ensure adherence to collection management policy, annual calendar, and procedures; responsible expenditure of budget allocation; and appropriate stewardship of library core collections to preserve integrity and longevity
Ensure collections reflect community diversity, literacy needs, and lifelong learning priorities in accordance with library guiding principles and ALA core intellectual freedom documents
Oversee vendor contracts, licensing agreements, digital resources, and cooperative purchasing arrangements
Establish and monitor performance metrics related to collection use, turnover, in-depth evaluation cycles, and format distribution
Respond to material challenges in accordance with established reconsideration procedures
Ensure compliance with accepted cataloging and metadata standards in coordination with technical services leadership
Participate in long-range planning process for the library system, including recommending changes or improvements and developing new types of services and operations
Aid director in oversight of physical plant/library facilities
Audit selection, cataloging, processing, and deselection of all materials according to accepted standards
Facilitate the development and updating of employee training materials at all levels (professional and support)
Facilitate professional development and training, actively seeking ways to train and mentor employees
Collaborate with director in facilitation of performance review process
Collaborate with director in budget development and administering process
Work periodically at a service delivery point in order to provide professional services, evaluate workflow, facilitate training, and model radically civil engagement with internal and external customers.
Exhibit competency with functions and applications of library technology in order to audit how well patrons are being served by infrastructure provided
Administer library policies to guide library operations, as adopted by the board, and articulate policy issues to be addressed by the board without taking sides
Remain politically neutral in representing the library in the community; promote intellectual freedom for all county residents
Attend workshops, library conferences, and other professional training opportunities, engaging support and professional employees in these as appropriate to position held
At the instruction of director, represent organization by speaking before groups and maintaining positive relations with other agencies
Recruit, hire, train, evaluate, discipline, and recommend action to dismiss, retain, or promote a competent workforce made up of both professional and support employees for the achievement and delivery of superior library service
Oversee workflow, scheduling, and use of leave