Human Resource Services
Alameda Skyline

Librarian IV

Recruitment #15-4177-01

Introduction

THIS IS A NEW ASSEMBLED EXAMINATION.  The eligible list resulting from this examination will cancel any existing list and may last approximately one year, but can be extended.  Applications must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing.  Applications will only be accepted on-line.

Supplemental Questionnaire:  A properly completed Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted with each application.  Applications and Supplemental Questionnaires must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing. Postmarks are not accepted.  Failure to submit the Supplemental Questionnaire will result in disqualification.

DESCRIPTION

THE COUNTY
Alameda County, located on the east side of San Francisco Bay, is California's seventh-largest county.  The County employs 9,080 full-time employees and operates on an annual budget of $2.39 billion.  Oakland, the County seat, is California's eighth largest city.  One and a half million people call Alameda County home and live in a variety of incorporated cities, unincorporated communities and rural areas.  As a major urban county, Alameda provides a full range of services to its citizens.  The County is a blend of culturally and ethnically diverse communities, and its mixture of cosmopolitan and suburban areas provides the perfect environment for families and their active lifestyles.  The County offers extensive cultural resources, countless recreational opportunities and an array of fine public and private colleges and universities.  

 

THE AGENCY

The Alameda County Library provides library services from ten branch libraries in the cities of Albany, Dublin, Fremont, Newark and Union City and the unincorporated communities of Castro Valley and San Lorenzo. Outreach services are provided through the Bookmobile, the Literacy Program, the Senior Outreach Program, and the County Jails.  

 

The County Library was established in 1910 and is governed by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. The Alameda County Library Advisory Commission advises County Librarian Carmen Martinez and the Board of Supervisors on library services.  

 

The County Library is funded primarily by local property taxes, with additional revenue from State grants and contracts with cities for additional open hours and services. The Board of Supervisors allocates a portion of a utility users and business license tax which is collected only in the unincorporated areas of the County to the Library for service to the unincorporated areas. The Alameda County Library Foundation and active Friends or Library League groups in each community support library programs and services.  

 

For more information on the Alameda County Library, please visit: http://www.aclibrary.org/

 

THE POSITION

Under the general direction of the Deputy County Librarian or a Principal Librarian, assumes staff advisory responsibility for the development and coordination of library service programs. 

 

VACANCY

While the current vacancies are for Coordinator of Childrens' Services and Coordinator of Young Adult services, the eligible list established as a result of this recruitment and examination process may be used to fill future vacancies that occur.

 

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES

Librarians IV are responsible for the system-wide services in a specialized area and/or to a specific service population. This classification differs from that of Supervising Librarian by the latter having responsibility for branch library or select technical services operations.  

 

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

In addition to meeting the listed minimum qualifications, the ideal candidate must be adept at change management, social media, community outreach and have exhibited attributes of a futurist, as the library system is ever-evolving; and will have demonstrated a successful track record in the following:

  • Planning, implementing, coordinating, and evaluating innovative library programming and events, particularly in children’s services
  • Knowledge of guidelines, standards, goals and objectives related to children’s services
  • Being adaptable and keeping a positive work ethic when experiencing changes in work responsibilities, work environment, process or culture
  • Ability to interact and build key relationships with all levels of staff and administration, library departments, County departments, community groups.
  • Effective use of social media and new technology in the library environment.
  • Effective oral and written communication with a variety of audiences.  

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Either I

Experience:

The equivalent of two years' full-time experience as a Librarian II, having developed expertise relevant to the position.

Or II

Experience:

The equivalent of 18 months full-time experience as a Librarian III, having developed expertise relevant to the position.

Or III

Experience:

The equivalent of one-year full-time experience as a Supervising Librarian I in the Alameda County classified service (non-classified includes District Attorney’s Office, Hospital Authority, and the Consolidated Courts), having developed expertise relevant to the position.

Or IV

Education:

Possession of a master's degree in Library Science or Public Administration awarded by an accredited college or university,

And

Experience:

The equivalent of three years' full-time, responsible professional library experience, having developed specialized knowledge in a particular field or the equivalent of three years’ full-time program experience in a professional environment. Supervisory experience is desirable.

Special Requirements:

Incumbents of this class may be assigned to work schedules including weekend and/or evening shifts.

NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

NOTE: The level and scope of the following knowledge and abilities are related to duties listed under the "Examples of Duties" section of this specification.

Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of librarianship as applied to a public library system.
• Public library programs and their relationship to community needs.
• Current standards of library reference and services and familiarity with Adult, Teen and Children’s literature.
• Library reference and circulation methods, technology, procedures and organization.
• Principles of supervision and training.


Ability to:

• Plan and organize.
• Analyze and problem solve.
• Make decisions through weighted judgment.
• Direct, manage, and centralize coordinated tasks and duties.
• Lead and direct change.
• Use interpersonal sensitivity and emotional intelligence.
• Communicate effectively orally and in writing.
• Conduct workshops.
• Maintain quality of system services in a specialized area.

EXAMINATION COMPONENTS

THE EXAMINATION WILL CONSIST OF THE FOLLOWING STEPS: 

1) A review of candidates' applications to verify possession of minimum requirements. Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process.

2) A review of candidates’ Supplemental Questionnaires to select the best qualified applicants to continue in the process.

3) An oral interview which will be weighted as 100% of the candidate's final examination score. The oral interview may contain situational exercises.

 CANDIDATES MUST ATTAIN A QUALIFYING RATING ON EACH PORTION OF THIS EXAMINATION.

We reserve the right to make changes to the announced examination components.

Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit.  Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position.  Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position, in which case, the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position.  Other recruitments may be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies, or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work.

To learn more about our recruitment and selection process, please visit the “What You Need to Know” section of our website, www.acgov.org/hrs.  

Selection Plan

Applicants will be informed via email with reasonable notice in advance of any examination process which will require their attendance.  The following dates are tentative and subject to change based on the needs of the Agency:  

TENTATIVE SELECTION PLAN: 

Deadline for Filing

5:00pm, Wednesday, April 20, 2016**

Review of Minimum Qualification

April 25, 2016

Supplemental Questionnaire Review for Best Qualified

May 9, 2016

Oral Interview Exam

May 24-25, 2016

*WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED RECRUITMENT & SELECTION PLAN*  

NOTE:  Deadline for Filing Extended from April 6, 2016 to April 20, 2016

Alameda County and the Human Resource Services Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination and/or selection process to accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities and/or medical conditions in accordance/compliance with the State Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Alameda County’s Reasonable Accommodation Policy and applicable statues.  To request an accommodation due to a disability/medical condition during this or other phases of the examination/selection process, please contact the assigned Human Resources Representative listed on the job announcement before the last date of filing. Alameda County requires applicants to provide supporting documentation to substantiate a request for reasonable accommodation. In order to qualify for a reasonable accommodation, applicants must have a disability/medical condition pursuant to the ADA, FEHA and applicable statutes.

For more information regarding our Reasonable Accommodation procedures, please visit our website, www.acgov.org/hrs.  

BENEFITS

Alameda County offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that affords wide-ranging health care options to meet the different needs of a diverse workforce and their families. We also sponsor many different employee discount, fitness and health screening programs focused on overall well being.  These benefits include but are not limited to*:

For your Health & Welfare Benefits

  • Medical – HMO & PPO Insurance
  • Dental – PPO & DHMO Insurance  
  • Vision
  • Basic Life Insurance 
  • Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage) 
  • County Allowance (Employer Credit)
  • Health Flexible Spending Account
  • Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
  • Accident, Critical Illness & Hospital Indemnity
  • Long Term Care Insurance
  • Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

  • Short-term Disability Insurance
  • Long-Term Disability Insurance
  • Retirement Plan – (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
  • Deferred Compensation Plan

For your Work/Life Balance

  • 11 paid holidays
  • Vacation and sick leave accrual
  • Vacation purchase program
  • Management Paid Leave**
  • Group Auto/Home Insurance
  • Commuter Benefits Program
  • Group Legal
  • Guaranteed Ride Home
  • Employee Wellness Program (e.g. At Work Fitness, Incentive Based Programs, Gym Membership Discounts)
  • Employee Discount Program (e.g. theme parks, cell phone, etc.)
  • Child Care Resources
  • 1st United Services Credit Union 

*Eligibility is determined by Alameda County and offerings may vary by collective bargaining agreement.  This provides a brief summary of the benefits offered and can be subject to change.

** Non-exempt management employees are entitled to up to three days of management paid leave. Exempt management employees are entitled to up to seven days of management paid leave.

Conclusion

All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @acgov.org and alamedacountyHR@acgov.org as accepted addresses to any email blocking or spam filtering program you may use. If you do not do this, your email blocking or spam filtering program may block receipt of the notices regarding your application for recruitments. You are also strongly advised to regularly log into your County of Alameda online application account to check for notices that may have been sent to you. All email notices that will be sent to you will also be kept in your personal online application account. You will be able to view all of your notices in your online application account by clicking on the 'My Applications' button on the Current Job Openings page.

Please take the steps recommended above to ensure you do not miss any notices about a recruitment for which you have applied. The County of Alameda is not responsible for notices that are not read, received, or accessed by any applicant for a County recruitment.

NOTE: All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box alamedacountyHR@acgov.org are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. If you have questions please go to our website at www.acgov.org/hrs. You may also contact the Human Resources Analyst listed on the bulletin for the recruitment for which you have applied.

Shelisa Jackson, Human Resources Analyst II
Human Resource Services, County of Alameda
Shelisa.jackson@acgov.org
(510) 208-3954

Alameda County is an Equal Opportunity Employer