Bilingual Spanish Youth Librarian

Multnomah County • Gresham, OR

4d • $35 - $43 • Onsite

About The Position

Multnomah County Library is looking for a creative, charismatic Bilingual Spanish-speaking Youth Librarian to join our team at Rockwood Library! The hiring list created from this recruitment may be used to fill future positions. As a Bilingual Spanish-speaking Youth Librarian, you provide services to the communities served by a library location. You work closely with regional staff and systemwide colleagues and are a liaison between the local branch, regional, and systemwide Youth Services and cultural/language teams. In this role, you are a part of the We Speak Your Language cultural team, which is comprised of staff members who speak one of our core services languages: Chinese, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese. Working from their assigned locations, The We Speak Your Language team connects immigrant and refugee communities to the information and resources they need to be successful in the United States. The team engages our communities with friendly guidance to help them navigate resources and opportunities that will allow them to enrich their lives. As a member of the Spanish We Speak Your Language group, you have access to a support network of peers who share your lived experiences and who will welcome you into the organization. In addition, you are responsible for connecting all patrons with the information and services they seek, building and maintaining professional relationships with patrons and community partners, and delivering a variety of professional-level library services. In particular, while you assist all patrons, you focus on serving youth (from birth to age 18), families, and those who work with youth. You perform the vital task of matching the personal, educational, and recreational needs of patrons with the appropriate information and resources, and of fostering literacy in youth and families. Upholding overarching professional librarianship values is key to this position in order to build trust within the community and grow the community’s trust in Multnomah County Library as a whole. You align those values with local community needs and establish the library location’s priorities based on the Library’s overarching strategic plan. The library is open and welcoming to all members of our community, including individuals who may be encountering hardships or challenges that affect their behavior and interactions. As a member of our team, you should possess the ability to work respectfully and capably with people from all backgrounds and age groups. You must demonstrate a positive attitude, excellent interpersonal skills, cultural sensitivity and a sense of humor while working with customers, co-workers and community. In providing customer service, you may encounter situations that require de-escalation or assistance from a supervisor or Person-in-Charge. You may elect to serve as Person-in-Charge in the absence of a manager or supervisor. Your ability to exercise quick and mature judgment in dealing with potentially disruptive, physically dangerous or abusive customers and emergencies is crucial.

Requirements

• Master's degree in library science from an American Library Association accredited program.
• Ability to speak, write and read English and Spanish fluently.
• Thorough knowledge of and/or extensive experience with the Spanish-speaking community, demonstrated by your knowledge of the traditions, values, and customs of the community being served.
• Strong cultural sensitivity and competency abilities.
• Knowledge and understanding of the theories of child and adolescent learning and development and how those theories might impact library service from birth throughhigh school.
• Experience with current and retrospective children's and teen literature, periodicals, audiovisual materials, web sites, electronic media and other materials that constitute a diverse and relevant youth collections.
• Ability to pass a criminal records check, should a job offer be extended. Results of the records check will be reviewed on an individualized basis. A conviction is not an automatic bar to employment.

Nice To Haves

• Two years of professional youth librarian experience.
• Experience planning, preparing and implementing culturally sensitive programs (including storytimes) that are of interest to children, young adults, caregivers and adults working with children.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees