Librarian I

At the County of Marin, our employees overwhelmingly report feeling their work is meaningful, they like the work they do, and they are proud to tell people “I work for the County of Marin.” Discover more about us, our values and our organizational culture on the Department of Human Resources website. Read on to find out more about this opportunity.

The Marin County Free Library (MCFL) is a special taxing district that operates ten branch libraries in Marin under the authority of the Board of Supervisors. It provides public library services to the residents of the unincorporated areas of the County and the cities of Corte Madera, Fairfax, and Novato.

The Marin County Free Library is an innovative and dynamic civic institution that is committed to providing exceptional services to a community that cares deeply about the library and encourages the library to assume a critical role in supporting the community to be resilient, equitable, and progressive. MCFL is committed to racial equity and the inclusion of those with multiple perspectives and backgrounds in our decision making.

About The Anne T. Kent California Room

Located both within the Civic Center Branch Library and an offsite annex, the Anne T. Kent California Room is a local history resource, special collections, and archive dedicated to collecting, preserving, and interpreting the history and culture of Marin County. The California Room acquires, preserves, and provides access to a wealth of primary and secondary resources and is a center for research, exploration, and discovery for local, national, and international information seekers.

In alignment with MCFL’s goal to actively celebrate diverse perspectives while promoting affirming environments that honor each individual’s unique history and lived experience, The California Room is committed to documenting the history of all communities, developing our collections, and establishing programs that uplift underrepresented community narratives to reflect the cultural, intellectual and creative contributions representative of Marin County’s diverse communities.

We strive to . . .

• Be a premier resource for K-12 educators as well as universities, and local colleges;
• Partner intentionally with our local arts and cultural heritage organizations, museums, and historical societies;
• Engage researchers of all levels, as well as the merely curious;
• Be a place that is welcoming and accessible to all.
  
  

This is an exciting time to join the California Room during a period of transformation as we align our collections, services, and programs with MCFL’s Anti-Racist and Equity Strategic Plan.

Current Vacancy: There is currently one (1) full-time, regular hire Librarian I, California Room position located in the Civic Center branch

Reporting to the Librarian II, the Librarian I position for the Marin County Free Library Anne T. Kent California Room is responsible for a variety of technical and public service assignments, including reference services, community outreach, collection development and maintenance, and programming for a variety of ages. As Librarian I in the local history room, the highly qualified candidate will understand the enduring value and importance of special collections, and knowledge of the basic history, theory, and best practices relating to materials found in archives and special collections libraries.

Under supervision from the Librarian II, the incumbent is expected to work independently, take an active role in library operations as part of a larger team, and support diverse user populations in engaging with the California Room’s physical and digital collections. The highly qualified candidate is passionate about providing excellent library services to community members and committed to working collaboratively with all stakeholders to realize the full potential of this unique and treasured resource.

The Essential Functions Of This Position Include

• Performs specialized reference work, general research, and reader advisory, assisting patrons to access and use physical and digital resources, including a large collection of maps and land surveys;
• Contributes to current initiatives to implement inclusive collection development and resource description, nurture existing relationships, and develop new community-focused partnerships to improve operations, policies, and procedures to match community needs;
• Participates in collection maintenance and development, including processing archival collections and cataloging special collections materials;
• Administration of digital repositories and access platforms, and applying knowledge of best practices to accession, describe, preserve, and make accessible digital and physical collections;
• Assists with the coordination and fulfillment of reproduction requests and digitizes or provides digital files following established procedures;
• Plans or assists in planning and installing displays and exhibits;
• Plans or assists in planning programs that connect users to specific collections and enhance their understanding of the value of primary sources for research and discovery;
• Promotes the use of special collections at two sites through a variety of outreach and advocacy methods;
• Communicates policies and procedure and maintains an orderly atmosphere for patrons, staff, and volunteers in the California Room and Map Annex;
• Communicates effectively with a variety of stakeholders, team members, and archives users;
• Engages as part of the larger MCFL team by participating in organizational committees, attending meetings, and contributing to system-wide activities;
• May direct work of volunteers or paraprofessional staff;
• Performs other duties as required.
  
  

Our Highly Qualified Candidate

The highly qualified candidate will have experience working with archives and special collections in an academic library, public library, or cultural heritage organization. They demonstrate enthusiasm for public history, special collections, and supporting research and discovery at all levels in a dynamic public library setting and possess a high level of cultural sensitivity and understanding of the ongoing information needs of historically minoritized and marginalized communities in archives and special collections environments.

In addition, the highly qualified candidate possesses the following competencies for Special Collections Professionals outlined by the American Library Association:

• Demonstrates an understanding of the enduring value and importance of special collections to shared collective cultural and intellectual heritage;
• Knowledge of the basic history, theory, and best practices relating to materials found in special collections research libraries, including but not limited to printed books, manuscripts, archival material, and ephemera; photographs, prints, maps and other graphic works; audio-visual material in all formats; born-digital and digitized media; art objects and three-dimensional objects;
• Possesses cultural awareness and linguistic competencies appropriate for collections and user communities;
• Develops and maintains knowledge of the production and dissemination of information resources including materials used to create archival and non-print materials by physical, photographic, and digital processes;
• Knowledge of the context, function, and enduring value of archival materials;
• Promoting the use of special collections through a variety of outreach and advocacy methods;
• Engages with and supports diverse user populations in working with special collections; recognizes the potential research and learning uses of a wide variety of collections material and is able to effectively match these to the needs of diverse audiences;
• Commitment to integrating special collections into broader organizational and community environments through collaboration and outreach;
• Develops specialized competencies in particular areas of practice and pursues the acquisition of new skills and subject knowledge as needed;
• Engages with professional organizations and provides leadership within the professional community and is committed to lifelong learning as applied to professional development in a special collections environment;
• Bilingual skills are desirable but not required.
  
  

Qualifications

Knowledge of:

• Archival appraisal, arrangement, and description;
• Special collections policies and procedures and general best practices for physical, digitized, and born-digital collections;
• Archival management software and technologies;
• Protocols for inclusive representation in special collections and archives;
• U.S. Copyright law as applied to libraries and archives;
• Principles, practices, and techniques of library science and information services;
• Techniques for organizing library materials to meet patron needs;
• Automated library information systems software and hardware;
• Principles, practices, and resources of library cataloging.
  
  

Experience With

• Local history resource collections and providing reference assistance with primary source materials;
• Archival processing, materials handling, and long-term preservation of physical and digital collections;
• Applying collections management principles and knowledge of current records management trends;
• Integrated library systems and archives management and access platforms.
  
  

Ability To

• Build relationships and work collaboratively with a variety of stakeholders;
• Advise patrons on reference sources and methods and perform detailed reference searches using on-line, print and other methods;
• Instruct patrons and staff in the use of catalogs and reference tools;
• Identify the needs of the public and assist with collection development by evaluating and recommending materials for acquisition;
• Represent the library system in the community and at professional meetings;
• Explain policies and procedures to patrons and staff;
• Use initiative and independent judgment within established procedural guidelines;
• Organize own work and set priorities;
• Maintain accurate records and files;
• Prepare clear and concise reports, educational materials, and other written materials.
  
  

MCFL actively seeks to recruit and retain individuals who bring a broad range of educational and professional backgrounds and life experiences that enhance our organization’s mission and values. We recognize there are many paths to acquiring experience for this role. Any combination of demonstrable training and experience, including volunteer, capstone, or intern experience, will be considered.

Minimum Qualifications

Equivalent to an American Library Association approved Master's degree in Library Science, Library and Information Services or similar curriculum. Course work in the area of service specialization is desirable.

Bilingual Testing/Certification: To be eligible for a bilingual differential, the successful candidate must possess bilingual skills and must demonstrate proficiency in both Spanish and English prior to appointment. A bilingual proficiency exam will be administered to ensure the candidates possess the appropriate skill level to meet the requirements.

Special Requirements

Candidates selected are subject to fingerprinting by the Sheriff's Department and must pass a Department of Justice LiveScan background check prior to appointment.

All applicants will receive email notifications regarding their status in the recruitment process. Please be sure to check your spam settings to allow our emails to reach you. You may also log into your GovernmentJobs.com account to view these emails.

If you have questions concerning this position announcement, please contact Alisa Samuel, alisa.samuel@marincounty.gov.

Testing and Eligible List: Depending on the number of qualified applications received, the examination may consist of a highly qualified review, application screening, online assessment, written examination, oral examination, performance examination, or any combination to determine which candidates' names will be placed on the eligible list. The eligible list established from this recruitment may be used to fill the current vacancy, and any future vacancies for open, fixed-term, full-time or part-time positions which may occur while the list remains active.

Disaster Service Workers: All County of Marin employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law (California Government Code Section 3100-3109). Employment with the County requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect. Employees are required to complete all Disaster Service Worker-related training as assigned, and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer: If you have questions regarding equal employment, please contact Roger Crawford, Equal Employment Opportunity Director, at 415-473-2095.