Library Associate II

City of Seattle, WA•Seattle, WA

36d•$28 - $34

About The Position

The Seattle Public Library's mission is to bring people, information and ideas together to enrich lives and build community. We view Seattle as a city where imagination and opportunity continue to thrive. Since 1891, we have grown from a single reading room in Pioneer Square to a world-class library system with 27 locations. The Library works every day to foster and support a healthy city and a healthy democracy. We do this work guided by the principles of intellectual freedom, literacy and the love of learning, racial equity, privacy and confidentiality, respect for the community, strong partnerships and innovation. We are an active and committed partner in the City of Seattle's Race and Social Justice Initiative. Library employees are highly regarded by the public for their knowledge, quality of service and caring. As a workplace, we value respectful and transparent communication, partnership and engagement. We are enriched individually and organizationally because of our diversity and growth mindset. We take time to recognize and celebrate the achievements of others. If you share these values and meet the qualifications, the Library invites you to apply for the Library Associate II positions. The current Northeast Branch was expanded and reopened June 26, 2004. It has a large children's area with family-friendly seating. It is one of the most heavily-used branches in our Library system. The Capitol Hill Branch serves a diverse range of people, including some of our most vulnerable and marginalized communities. We welcome everyone and endeavor to provide a calm oasis where people can connect and recharge. The branch highlights the LGBTQ collection and boasts a wall of rainbow books in our Teen corner on the Northeast side of the building. Our restroom facilities, meeting and study rooms, and public computers are very popular. The team at Capitol Hill work closely together to provide resources and exemplary service in a busy, demanding environment. The Library Associate II classification is a rewarding, albeit physically demanding position that is responsible for providing friendly, responsive customer service to patrons and clerical support. Primary duties include checking in and checking out materials, registering patrons for library cards, collecting fees, resolving patron account disputes, providing basic information services for Library patrons, and assisting patrons with the use of Library equipment and resources. Additional responsibilities may include enforcing rules of conduct; maintaining computer and manual files; processing new materials, reserves and department interlibrary loan requests; answering telephones, typing and filing records, data entry, maintaining statistics and providing support in shelving and retrieving materials, when needed.

Requirements

Education: A high school diploma or a Graduate Equivalency Degree (GED) is required.
Customer Service Experience: Minimum of two years of work experience providing customer service to the general public, applying exemplary customer service standards in dealing with complex customer issues. A candidate's experience must demonstrate the ability to apply customer service standards in dealing with the public on complex customer issues as they pertain to organizational policies and procedures. Previous experience working in a library setting is preferred.
Excellent Written and Verbal Communication Skills: Candidates must be able to effectively respond to patron communications in person and on the telephone, specifically the ability to listen to and understand customer concerns, assess available options, and respond accurately and appropriately. Candidates must also be able to respond to patron requests for directional assistance. Candidates must be able to effectively communicate in English, verbally and in writing, as well as comprehend spoken and written English.
Experience using Personal Computers and Office Equipment: Candidates must have experience operating point-of-sale/service computer terminals that use menu-based commands to obtain, interpret, and display data and information related to customer accounts. Candidates must have experience with using Microsoft Office applications (Outlook email, Excel and Word), internet browsers and online catalogs. Candidates must have experience using general office equipment, such as fax machines, photocopiers, printers and cash registers.
Organizational Skills: Candidates must be able to learn to sort books or other materials alphabetically and numerically, quickly, accurately and safely, and must be able to learn sorting and library filing schemes, such as the Dewey Decimal system. Candidates must also be able to organize and maintain information in an electronic format in shared network files.
Other Required Skills and Abilities: Candidates must be flexible in adjusting their work hours and locations. Candidates must also demonstrate the ability to work with others as part of a team on projects and have the ability to understand and apply verbal and written instructions. Candidates must also be able to bend, stretch, stoop, and lift bins up to 40 pounds in weight and push wheeled book carts weighing up to 200 pounds. Candidates must also have the ability to squeeze and release hand brakes on wheeled book carts.

Nice To Haves

Experience working with racially, culturally and economically diverse communities.
Experience interacting with immigrant families, new English speakers, people experiencing housing insecurity, and individuals who are living with addiction or mental illness.
The ability to speak and read Amharic, Chinese, Oromo, Somali, Spanish, Tigrinya or Vietnamese; fluency in American Sign Language.
Familiarity with de-escalation techniques for challenging behaviors and demonstrated experience using those skills.
Experience with merchandise handling and inventory tracking.

Responsibilities

Provide Circulation and Lending Services for Patrons: Serves as a front desk customer service representative. Provides friendly, responsive customer service to patrons; checks materials in and out; renews and reserves materials; collects fees; registers patrons for library cards; resolves patron account issues; applies the Library's circulation policies and procedures; gives directions or information to patrons regarding the location and use of Library materials, equipment and resources; and assesses the nature of, responding to, and effectively resolving, a variety of related issues.
Assists with the Flow and Organization of Library Materials: Sorts, files, shelves and routes books and a wide variety of other materials; lifts and transports books and materials using book carts, hand trucks and similar equipment; uses automated systems; locates and retrieves materials for processing; maintains the order and appearance of materials, re-shelves as needed; and retrieves materials for patrons and Library staff.
Enforcement of the Library's Policies and Procedures: Applies the Library's borrower policies and circulation procedures when interacting with patrons at circulation desks. Assists to enforce the Rules of Conduct from a de-escalation framework to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for patrons.
Performs Support Duties: Gathers information or data; maintains records and files; compiles statistics; and assists with various projects such as processing damaged materials, updating records and/or developing reports. Assists with shelving and sorting materials, when needed.

Benefits

The City of Seattle offers a comprehensive benefits package including vacation, holiday, and sick leave as well as medical, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability insurance for employees and their dependents.

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