Overview
The New York Public Library (NYPL) has been an essential provider of free books, information, ideas, and education for all New Yorkers for more than 100 years. NYPL’s neighborhood libraries in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island—many of which date to Andrew Carnegie’s visionary philanthropy at the turn of the 20th century—are being transformed into true centers of educational innovation and service, and vital community hubs that provide far more than just free books and materials.
The Library is seeking Young Adult Librarians to empower young adults ages 12-18 to become creative thinkers, enthusiastic readers, skillful researchers, and resourceful users of information. Successful candidates will embody each of these four characteristics themselves.
Key Responsibilities
Under the supervision of the Library Manager, the Young Adult Librarian:
- Provides reference service and resource recommendations using print, media and digital resources
- Collaborates with the Youth Educational Services Department to develop, promote facilitate, and evaluate innovative programs to meet the expressed and anticipated needs of the community’s young adult population including reading clubs, homework help, instructional workshops, STEM and literacy programs, gaming, summer reading events, maker programs and a variety of other programs both in the Library and throughout the community
- Partners with the collection development team to build and maintain the Young Adult collection ensuring it is diverse, current, and relevant and meets the needs of the community
- Works to engage young adults with the collection in ways that allow them to follow their interests and discover new ones
- Conducts outreach to and develops partnerships with community based organizations, schools and local businesses to promote the library’s services (e.g. MyLibraryNYC, the Library’s partnership with NYC schools), programs and collections with a focus on young adults
- Encourages digital literacy and provides age-appropriate technology instruction to young adults
- Develops and maintains the layout and appearance of the young adult space, ensuring a safe and inviting area filled with relevant resources
- Facilitates the work and activities of teen volunteers and teen advisory councils
- Develops and maintains content for social media platforms such as Library blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Pinterest
- Mentors library staff in preparing and presenting young adult programs
- Assists with circulation, fines & fees management, reserves and opening/closing procedures
- May take responsibility for the facility, staff and operations in the absence of the Library Manager
- Maintains a working knowledge of trends in young adult literature, educational and development needs, youth services and the profession through webinars, internal training, meetings, conferences, professional literature and organizational memberships
- Performs related duties as required
Required Education & Experience
- ALA accredited Master’s degree in Library and Information Studies
- Public Librarian’s Professional Certificate issued by the State of New York
Required Skills
- Strong commitment to public service and the ability to work well with a diverse patronage
- Experience creating and conducting a variety of innovative programs for Young Adults
- Knowledge and appreciation of Young Adult literature, audiovisual materials, computer resources, and other materials that constitute a balanced, relevant youth collection
- Experience developing, maintaining and marketing Young Adult collections
- Experience building partnerships with local organizations and schools to better meet the needs of community users
- Demonstrated interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills
- Successfully demonstrated ability to work as part of a team
- Strong organization and planning skills, including the ability to perform multiple projects or tasks simultaneously
- Strong computer and other related technology skills, including MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Google applications, PCs, Macs and e-reader devices
- Demonstrated knowledge of computer services including online searching, social media, reference resources and databases
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Knowledge of emerging library technologies, service and programming trends for young adults in urban public libraries preferred
Core Values
All team members are expected and encouraged to embody the NYPL Core Values:
- Be Helpful to patrons and colleagues
- Be Resourceful in solving problems
- Be Curious in all aspects of your work
- Be Welcoming and Inclusive
Work Environment
Physical Duties
- Light lifting/moving required
- Remain in stationary positions for periods of time
- Daily use of a computer
Physical Required?
No
Union
Local 1930
FLSA
Non-Exempt
Schedule
- 35 hours per week to be scheduled during regular branch hours
This job description represents the types and levels of responsibilities that will be required of the position and shall not be construed as a declaration of all of the specific duties and responsibilities for the role. Job duties may change if Library priorities change. Employees may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description as needed.
The New York Public Library Salary Statement
At the Library, we believe that pay transparency and pay equity are important to ensuring we source the best candidates and keep the best employees. When making a determination as to the appropriate salary for a candidate, we consider a variety of factors such, including, but not limited to, the position requirements, the skills, prior experience, and educational background required or preferred for the job, the scope and impact of the role within the organization, internal peer equity, and the candidate's specific training, experience, education level, and skills. No single factor is conclusive; the Library reserves the right to consider any and all relevant factors and make a decision consistent with its policies.
Union Salaries are determined by collective bargaining agreement(s).
The New York Public Library is a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With 92 locations—including research and branch libraries—throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, the Library offers free materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions, programming and more to everyone from toddlers to scholars, and has seen record numbers of attendance and circulation in recent years. The New York Public Library serves more than 18 million patrons who come through its doors annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources at www.nypl.org.
