Librarian II Materials Selector

City of Baltimore • Baltimore, MD

8d • Onsite

About The Position

The Enoch Pratt Free Library seeks a collaborative and innovative Librarian II Materials Selector to build and maintain a diverse, relevant, and responsive collection. Reporting to the Collection Development Department Manager, the position develops, evaluates, and maintains collections for children and adults, selecting materials that support the library’s mission and respond to community needs and interests across its locations. The role supports the educational and recreational needs of youth in Baltimore and Maryland by providing materials in various formats for branch and central library collections, and assists with timely purchasing of adult materials for branch and central collections.

The position is based onsite at the Central Library, which also serves as the State Library Resource Center. Daily start and end times are negotiable. Employees may be eligible to work remotely one day per week after 90 days of employment, subject to library policy and operational needs. The library system includes a central library, 21 branches, and a mobile unit, with approximately 2.3 million print, digital, and audiovisual volumes.

The Librarian II Materials Selector tracks publishing and community trends; supports library programming through materials ordering and request tracking; prepares replacement lists; and helps evaluate, weed, inventory, and refresh collections. The position uses library data and analytics tools to identify community needs, administers and tracks assigned materials budgets, works with vendors and publishers, and reviews gifts for possible inclusion. It also trains staff on collection management policies and procedures, collaborates with Collection Development and Technical Services colleagues, participates in planning and committees, visits branches and related departments, and pursues continuing education and professional involvement.

Minimum qualifications include an ALA-accredited MLS or MLIS, a Maryland Public Librarian Certificate or the requirements to apply for one within 90 days of starting, two years of experience in a library or setting serving a diverse user population, collection development experience, and Microsoft Office experience. Physical work may involve standing, bending, crouching, reaching, pushing loaded book trucks, and lifting moderately heavy items such as boxes of books or journals. This is an onsite, full-time position with benefits. Salary is $62,375 to $75,811 per year. Final candidates must authorize and successfully complete a criminal conviction check. The position also requires financial disclosure under the City Ethics Law.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Library Science (MLS or MLIS) from an American Library Association-accredited college or university.
• Public Librarian Certificate, or requirements necessary to apply for a Maryland Public Librarian Certificate within 90 days of starting employment.
• Two years of experience in a library and/or setting serving a diverse user population.
• Experience with collection development.
• Experience with Microsoft Office suite.
• Commitment to intellectual freedom and to developing diverse, equitable, and inclusive collections.
• Ability to create bibliographic lists and/or recommend titles for a library collection.
• Experience developing collections that reflect diverse perspectives, cultures, languages, identities, and interests.
• Understanding of intellectual freedom principles and library ethics.
• Knowledge of community-responsive collection development practices.
• Proficiency using print, non-print, and electronic library resources.
• Experience assisting customers with readers’ advisory.
• Experience working with children and/or children’s literature in a school or public library.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with coworkers and others.
• Ability to communicate effectively and respectfully, verbally and in writing.
• Ability to meet deadlines and adapt quickly to changing priorities.
• Ability to read closely, perform detailed work, and synthesize and use multiple streams of information.
• Genuine curiosity, commitment to lifelong learning, and a broad range of interests and reading background.

Nice To Haves

• Two years of experience selecting materials in a library environment.
• Reading knowledge of one or more foreign languages.
• Experience with Sirsi/Dynix, MARC records, and integrated library systems; Sirsi/Dynix is preferred.
• Experience with web-based bibliographic, acquisitions, and library collection analytics tools.
• Experience with children’s cognitive and emotional development.
• Experience with project planning and implementation in a library environment.
• Experience with current publishing trends and collection development principles, practices, and concerns.
• Multicultural experience or experience serving diverse or vulnerable populations or communities.

Responsibilities

• Develop, evaluate, and maintain children’s and adult collections across library locations.
• Select materials in various formats to support the educational and recreational needs of youth and to meet community needs and interests.
• Assist with timely purchases of adult-level materials for branch and central library collections using print and digital selection tools.
• Identify and monitor new titles and trends in children’s and adult publishing through library publications and other resources.
• Support library programming by ordering and tracking materials requests for accurate and timely delivery.
• Prepare replacement lists for assigned fiction and nonfiction subject areas using the Collection Assessment and Replacement Schedule.
• Assist with evaluating, weeding, inventorying, and refreshing collections.
• Implement collection development initiatives with team members.
• Analyze circulation and other library data using electronic analytics tools and reports to identify and respond to community needs, interests, and trends.
• Administer the materials budget for assigned selection areas and track spending using reports and other tools.
• Interact with relevant vendor and publisher account representatives.
• Review gifts from individuals and publishers for possible inclusion in library collections.
• Train branch and departmental staff in collection management policies and procedures, including de-selection.
• Visit branch locations and related departments regularly and maintain open communication with library staff.
• Work with Collection Development and Technical Services staff to set priorities, support workflow, accomplish goals, and resolve issues.
• Participate in department and division planning, library committees, and strategic initiatives as appropriate.
• Keep current through continuing education and participate in local, state, and national professional activities as appropriate.

Benefits

• Benefits included.
• Potential eligibility to work remotely one day per week after 90 days of employment, subject to library policy and operational needs.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level