Children's Program Coordinator

City of Danbury•City of Danbury, CT

22h•Onsite

About The Position

The Children’s Program Coordinator is responsible for creating, budgeting, scheduling, promoting, and evaluating Junior Library programs. They work closely with members of other departments to develop and execute children’s programming and outreach that promotes library services and supports the library’s mission. The Children’s Program Coordinator plans the annual summer reading program for pre-school through fifth grade. They participate in off-site programming and outreach to Danbury elementary schools, nursery schools, and community organizations serving children and families. Maintains open communication with schools to keep them informed of library services and develop partnerships for collaboration.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree with an emphasis on childhood education or children’s literature or related field.
A minimum of two years’ experience working with small children.
Experience researching, planning, and conducting children’s programming.
Requires general knowledge of children’s literature and authors; knowledge of child development
Requires ability to develop contacts with local performers and presenters
Engage community partners, customers and staff in the promotion of library programs.
Ability to work a flexible schedule that includes day, night and weekend hours.
Ability to work independently with a high degree of accuracy
Ability to deal with professionals, public, volunteers, and children
Ability to work independently, planning, organizing, and coordinating tasks.
Proficient interpersonal and customer service skills
Proficient oral and written communication skills
Excellent organizational skills.
Establish and maintain a positive working relationship with a diverse community of customers and library staff.
Little or no physical demands are required to perform the work.
Work effort principally involves sitting, twisting, or kneeling in order to perform assigned work tasks, with extended periods of time spent walking and standing.
The employee is required to occasionally lift, reach, and/or pull objects such as books, office or library equipment.
Duties are largely mental rather than physical , but the job may occasionally require minimal motor skills for activities such as moving objects, operating a personal computer and/or most other office equipment, keyboarding and/or word processing, filing, sorting of papers or operating a motor vehicle.
Visual demands require the employee to routinely read documents for general understanding and routinely for analytical purposes.
The employee is rarely required to determine color differences.

Nice To Haves

None required.

Responsibilities

Responsible for presenting and coordinating children’s programming from birth to fifth grade.
Plans, coordinates, and implements programs and events, both ongoing and special or one-time events.
Researches, makes contact with, and negotiates with potential program presenters and performers, with a focus on programs that support the goals of the library.
Regularly participates in community events and outreach opportunities.
Works collaboratively with other library departments, particularly the Program and Outreach Coordinator and Community Relations Coordinator, to attend outreach events as appropriate.
Consults with other departments to help develop family-focused, library-wide events that are relevant to the Danbury community.
Develops programming for children, parents/caregivers, educators, and other members of the community who work with children throughout the year.
Works with local educators in the Danbury school district, as well as daycares and other organizations, to develop and implement programs and activities for children both in the library and as outreach events.
Conducts story times, class visits, library tours, and other programs for children.
Works closely with the Teen Librarian and Children’s Librarian to plan the annual summer reading program, including planning, promoting, and advertising.
Creates engaging and inviting displays for the Junior floor that promote library services.
Actively participates in community events and outreach opportunities with the school district and other community agencies.
Implements programs that support existing library services, furthers the library’s long-range goals, responds to stated needs from library patrons and the community, and enhances the library’s partnership activities with other community agencies.
Helps develop programming concepts based on feedback from staff and administration.
Participates in monthly Junior department meetings.
Speaks to community groups and gives presentations about the library and its services as needed.
Provides in-person library service at a public service desk.
Utilizes library technology, including online databases and the internet as well as traditional library resources, in answering patron queries.
Instructs and guides patrons in the use of library resources.
Engages in professional development appropriate to youth services, including reviewing current professional journals, attending professional workshops and meetings, and communicating with peers in library settings.
Represent the Danbury Public Library appropriately at workshops and educational meetings relating to Youth Services.
Maintain budget records, keep statistics, and compile evaluations for programs, events, and exhibits.
Works with performers/presenters to ensure their requirements are provided for, including furniture arrangement, AV equipment, refreshments, etc.
Actively engages in self-directed professional development, incl. technology, library trends and issues.
Assists with room set up or accommodations for groups using the meeting rooms as needed.
Ability to travel independently to community outreach events.