The City of Westminster is seeking a compassionate and collaborative Library Associate who loves working with teens and adults! The Library Associate II - Teen & Adult Services position is responsible for cocreating and delivering innovative programming, providing reference and readers’ advisory to all ages, and supporting outreach efforts.

The Library Associate II - Teen & Adult Services position is responsible for co-creating and delivering innovative programming, providing reference and readers’ advisory to all ages, and supporting outreach efforts. The Library Associate II - Teen & Adult Services is a part-time position that regularly works the reference desk, provides outstanding customer service, answers an array of technology and reference questions, and creates engaging displays to highlight the library’s collection. With librarian supervision, this position also contributes to collection maintenance through ongoing weeding.

The ideal candidate for this role has a heart for public service, champions teamwork, and values equity and empathy in a community-focused urban library setting. Someone with progressive programming ideas, passion for public services, tech savviness, and patience with teens and adults will thrive in this environment. The Teen/Adult Services Associate is a paraprofessional position, and reports directly to the Teen/Adult Services Librarian. Irving Street Library will be home base, but collaborative programming and desk shifts at College Hill are also expected.

The Irving Street branch is a neighborhood library at the heart of Historic Westminster. It is a small and busy location in a densely populated area with a diverse population, including Hispanic, Hmong, and Native American representation with a wide range of socioeconomic and generational backgrounds. Bilingual candidates are highly encouraged to apply.

Applicants must be available to work at least one night and weekend day each week. The full salary range for this position is stated above. Starting wages are negotiable and dependent on the qualifications and experience of each individual candidate. The City of Westminster offers a bonus of up to $1,500 per year depending on the employee’s fluency in Spanish, Hmong, Laotian, and/or American Sign Language (ASL).

The City's work culture encourages passionate, positive and enthusiastic employees who, along with our City Council and City Manager, are strong supporters of our mission: Westminster’s purpose is to provide core services and foster economic resilience to give our community the opportunity to thrive. Westminster is a city of beautiful, safe, well-maintained neighborhoods and destinations with a vibrant, diverse economy, rich and resilient environment and a strong sense of community belonging. Our core values are embodied in our SPIRIT (Service – Pride – Integrity – Responsibility – Innovation – Teamwork).

This position supports the goals of the Parks, Recreation and Libraries Department, whose mission is together we create exceptional opportunities for a vibrant community with a commitment to nature, wellness and literacy.

The Library’s mission statement is Westminster Public Library builds community by connecting people to quality collections, programs, services, staff and spaces, rooted in nature, wellness and literacy.

Every employee is accountable to:

• Demonstrate a high level of customer service; encourage others to focus on the customer; foster an environment where customer service is a priority
• Communicate with customers to ensure that, where possible, they are satisfied, and that their needs are being addressed; solicit and evaluate customer feedback
• Act as an ambassador by understanding and fostering the organization's mission and vision
• Exhibit pride in self, the department, the city, and the community; conduct self in a professional manner
• Demonstrate integrity and build trust through credibility, reliability, commitment, loyalty, and ethical behavior
• Address difficult or contentious issues in a constructive manner
• Support/promote change; demonstrate flexibility, and take calculated risks when appropriate
• Participate in personal growth opportunities, and attend trainings designed to enhance capacity to bring new skills and ideas to the job and the organization
• Work to continuously improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the service or product being delivered
• Demonstrate support for team efforts by accepting new roles and responsibilities, and helping others achieve objectives
• Value diversity; demonstrate an awareness of differences; demonstrate sensitivity and adapt behaviors and communication to accommodate these differences

GENERAL COMPETENCIES

Citywide - Every employee in this position is accountable to:

• Establish effective interpersonal relationships through honest, open communication and follow-through on commitments
• Recognize personal strengths and weaknesses, and target areas for personal self-development
• Demonstrate initiative in performing job tasks
• Exhibit problem-solving skills leading to sound judgment and quality decisions
• Achieve goals, and handle assigned workload and new assignments effectively; demonstrate an ability to work independently
• Communicate effectively with individuals and groups using clear and concise verbal and written communications
• Demonstrate accountability for work and take ownership in job performance
• Demonstrate concern for the accuracy and quality of work; take steps to correct mistakes and improve the overall product

Job Specific – Every employee in this position must be able to:

• Demonstrate thorough knowledge of:
  • reference and information services, including experience using information resources in a wide range of subject areas
  • books, authors, databases and online resources, especially for teens and adults
• Provide outstanding customer service to patrons and coworkers
• Establish and maintain effective relationships with patrons, students, Front Range Community College staff, and City of Westminster employees
• Collaborate regularly with colleagues and community members
• Work effectively with a team
• Work enthusiastically and effectively with diverse people
• Develop and facilitate programs based upon community needs and current trends in library services
• Perform community outreach functions
• Work effectively in a dynamic, rapidly changing environment
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing
• Apply professional judgment and discretion in promoting a positive image for the library in all contacts with patrons, staff, and other members of the community

Essential Job Functions, Duties, Responsibilities, and Tasks

• Provide staff coverage and excellent customer service at the Information and/or Youth Services desks
• Make recommendations to patrons searching for titles to read, help students with assignments, assist patrons with topic searches, direct patrons to other areas of the library, and help patrons fill out purchase requests and interlibrary loan requests
• Assist in weeding, mending, and ordering of books and materials
• Plan, develop, and lead engaging programming
• Contribute to engaging materials displays and demonstrates a commitment to diversity and inclusion
• Participate in cross-functional planning teams as assigned
• Possess a valid driver's license and maintain a safe driving record
• Maintains regular and punctual attendance

Other Duties and Responsibilities

• Instruct patrons on the use of electronic resources through formal and informal situations
• May assist in creating bibliographies, bulletin boards, library promotions, and book displays
• Assist with the Youth Services and Circulation desks as needed
• Lead tours of the library facilities
• Supervise volunteers when other library staff is not available

Education, Experience, Skills, Formal Training, Licenses, and Certifications

Required:

• Must be 18 years of age or older
• Graduation from High School or GED
• At least two years of customer service experience
• Possess a valid driver's license and maintain a safe driving record
• Previous experience providing services and/or programs for teens and/or adults

Preferred:

• Graduation from an accredited, four-year college
• Previous library and/or bookstore work experience
• Spanish language skills

Any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience, which would provide the required knowledge and skills, may be considered.

Physical Requirements

Work performed is physical in nature and involves sufficient physical strength and stamina to:

• Occasionally sit and stand at one area to perform customer service and book check-out and check-in; constantly standing and walking throughout a public library facility
• Frequent crouching, squatting, bending, and twisting to shelve books from floor level to above head; frequent climbing and balancing to use step stools, ladders, etc.
• Constant light grasp to prepare returned and new materials/books for check-out and patron use, and constant reaching at waist level to return material to proper shelves; frequent firm grasp, pinching, and fine motor skills to prepare materials/books, and reaching overhead to stock books
• Constant near acuity to read computer screens and book and shelving labels; frequent hearing to communicate with public, staff, and vendors
• Frequent lifting of up to forty (40) pounds from ground to waist to move returned books to check-in area; frequent lifting of up to twenty (20) pounds from ground to overhead to return books to stacks and stock supplies and materials; occasional carrying of up to forty (40) pounds 200 feet to move books and materials; occasional pushing and/or pulling of cart of up to 150 pounds throughout a public library

WORKING CONDITIONS

Work is constantly performed indoors in a public library setting. Some work may be performed outdoors. This position involves high public contact and mobility throughout a public use facility.

Required Materials and Equipment

Frequent use of telephones, personal computers, fax machines, photocopiers, scanners, bar code readers, book security system equipment, microfiche/microfilm reader-printer, and various electronic and audiovisual equipment including DVD/Blu-Ray players, LCD projection, and image scanners. Regular use of personal transportation to the library's various facilities and other locations in the provision of regular library services and programs.

PRE-EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS

• Background checks will include employment references and criminal history, and when applicable, driver’s license record, and education verification
• Drug screen
• Physical
• Must be legally entitled to work in the United States