Principal Librarian

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.

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.

 

Applications will only be accepted on-line.

 

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.

 

ALAMEDA COUNTY LIBRARY

 

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, Cynthia Chadwick, 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 of the Library or Library League groups in each community support library programs and services. To learn more about the Alameda County Library, please visit their website at: http://www.aclibrary.org/

 

 

THE POSITION

 

Under the general direction of a Deputy County Librarian, is responsible for Library administrative and programmatic functions. The Principal Librarian operates as  Division Director and serves as part of the Executive Administrative team and directs the implementation of Library administrative and programmatic initiatives as determined by the Deputy County Librarian.

 

To view the full job description for this position, please click here.

 

CURRENT VACANCIES

 

The Learning Group: The Learning Group is based out of Fremont and oversees Outreach, Programs, and Technical Services including Cataloging and Collection Development.

 

IDEAL CANDIDATE

 

In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications listed below, the ideal candidate will possess the following attributes, and have demonstrated a successful track record in:

·        Providing oversight and direction to library management and staff.

·        Comprehensive knowledge in planning, implementing and managing innovative library programs. 

·        Understanding and enforcing policies, standards and objectives of library management.

·        Building cohesive partnerships with key internal and external stakeholders to achieve library goals and initiatives.

·        Maintaining a positive work ethic while experiencing constant changes in work responsibilities, environment, processes and culture.

·        Handling administrative responsibilities such as facilitating meetings, analyzing data, creating reports and varying personnel matters.

·        Effective time management by balancing competing priorities and ensuring work is completed efficiently. 

Either I

The equivalent of four years’ full-time experience as a Supervising Librarian II, in the Alameda County classified service. (Non-classified includes District Attorney’s Office, Hospital Authority, and the Consolidated Courts.)

And

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

Or II

The equivalent of four years’ full-time, responsible professional experience as a Librarian and/or program experience, including the equivalent of two years’ full-time supervisory responsibilities.

And

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

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

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:

Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of librarianship, marketing to diverse populations, cataloging, library automation and current technology.
• Public library programs and their relationship to community needs.
• Principles of supervision and management.
• Books, periodicals, and audiovisual formats in general use.
• Printed and automated reference resources.
• Library business methods, procedures, and practices.
• Budgeting principles and practices.
• Current library trends and practices.

Ability to:

• Implement system-wide policies, procedures and services.
• Plan and organize operations of a large, complex organization.
• Problem solve and analyze.
• Make decisions, exercise judgment.
• Provide management control.
• Demonstrate leadership.
• Exercise interpersonal sensitivity.
• Communicate effectively, orally and in writing.
• Use personal computer hardware and software.
• Make presentations on marketing of library services and resources to the public.
• Prepare written reports.
• Give general direction to managers, coaching and mentoring all staff to develop their skills and potential.
• Understand and interpret developments within a community and the County as a whole in relationship to the Library system.
• Analyze, recommend, create and carry out revenue enhancement initiatives to increase library funding.

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. Only the most suitably qualified candidates will move forward in the exam 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 many 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.

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:	Tuesday, July 10, 2018
Review of Applications for Minimum Qualifications:	July 24, 2018
Review of Supplemental Questionnaires for Best Qualified	Week of August 13, 2018
*Oral Interviews	Week of August 27, 2018 August 14, 2018**

*The combined oral examination/hiring interview, in addition to establishing an eligibility list, may serve as the final selection interview for vacancies in this classification.

**Updated as of July 25, 2018

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

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 statutes. 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

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 & Well-Being

• Medical – HMO & PPO Plans
• Dental – HMO & PPO Plans
• Vision or Vision Reimbursement
• Share the Savings
• Basic Life Insurance 
• Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage for eligible employees)
• Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance 
• County Allowance Credit
• Flexible Spending Accounts - Health FSA, Dependent Care and Adoption Assistance
• Short-Term Disability Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Voluntary Benefits - Accident Insurance, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity and Legal Services
• Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

• Retirement Plan - (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
• Deferred Compensation Plan (457 Plan or Roth Plan)

For your Work/Life Balance

• 11 paid holidays
• Floating Holidays
• Vacation and sick leave accrual
• Vacation purchase program
• Management Paid Leave**
• Catastrophic Sick Leave
• Employee Mortgage Loan Program
• Group Auto/Home Insurance
• Pet Insurance
• Commuter Benefits Program
• 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
• 1^st 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.

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 insure 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.

Jordan Grow, Human Resources Analyst
Human Resource Services Division, County of Alameda
Jordan.grow2@acgov.org
510-208-3954
www.acgov.org/hrs

Alameda County is an Equal Opportunity Employer