Saturday, February 23, 2013

Job Description and Assessment

Professional Toolkit Assignment

Job Description and Assessment

Children's Librarian - College Hill Branch
Tracking Code

699-133
Job Description

- Plans and conducts programs for children to encourage reading, viewing, and listening of library materials in an effort to create lifelong readers.
- As second in command, assists with supervision and training of staff and assumes responsibility in absence of Branch Manager.
- Performs reference and reader's advisory services in person, by telephone and by e-mail, using materials in a variety of formats.
- Provides service to the community and schools through programming, teacher collection services, and other Library services.
- Maintains knowledge of circulation system in order to assist at circulation desk.
- Uses computers and the Internet effectively for providing Library service.
- Identifies reading trends among juvenile patrons.
- Other duties as assigned.
Required Skills

- Strong Customer service skills.
- Experience working with children and children's programming preferred.
- Knowledge of children's literature preferred.
- Must be able to work evenings and weekends.
- Knowledge of the Library's policies and procedures.
- Analytical abilities sufficient to perform reference searches quickly and accurately with material at the appropriate age level.
- Is self-motivated.
- Excellent interpersonal skills, including building and enhancing diverse relationships.

Job Location
Cincinnati, , United States

Position Type
Full-Time/Regular

Salary
39,894.40 - 59,800.00 USD

Education
Master’s Degree in Library Science from an ALA-accredited school.

Hours
40 hours per week

Salary
Grade M: $39,894.40 - $59,800.00

Deadline
February 12, 2013


I have strengths and weaknesses in the required skills list and job description for a Children’s Services Librarian.  I have no experience planning children’s programs, but can learn how to do so by attending professional development classes, graduate classes, and by observing at other libraries.  I have not supervised staff members before, though I often supervise volunteers in my current position.  I have taken a class in management and can use the information and skills learned to manage staff members.  With time, I can easily learn the circulation system in place since I have had experience in a circulation department of a library in the past.
I have great customer service skills because I like to help and work with patrons.  I will do whatever is necessary, within reason, to find the patron what he or she is looking for.  I am cheerful, friendly, and patient with patrons and coworkers.  I enjoy interacting with patrons and think that I have great interpersonal skills. 
I have experience working with children and children’s programming.  I have worked in a public library for four years and often work with children, occasionally performing reader’s advisory services.  While I have performed in children’s programs before, usually story time, I have not created a program from scratch before.  The story time programs and crafts are usually thought out ahead of time at the library that I have experience at.  I host story time when the director, who usually does story time, is sick or unavailable.  During story time, I animatedly read three or four books to the children and then we have a craft to make.  This requires positive interaction with the children, patience, and understanding of what motivates the child to do what he or she does.  I have some problems with reading aloud, but I am overcoming those difficulties with practice.  The issue that I have when reading aloud is that I will sometimes become so focused on reading the words that my voice becomes flat and monotone and I enunciate each word individually, which can make the sentence sound disjointed and odd.  As I mentioned, I am practicing reading aloud and am overcoming this difficulty.
I have a growing knowledge of children’s literature.  In my undergraduate schooling, I took a class on children’s literature, in which we read books for different age groups.  I tend to like the simplicity and adventure in children’s books and will often read them in my spare time.  I find that this helps with reader’s advisory services because I can tell a child, from experience, how good this particular book is.  To prepare for work in this area of service, I will continue to read an array of children’s books in order to extend my knowledge of them. 
I am available at any time, so I can work evenings and weekends.  Actually, for the job that I currently have, I mostly work evenings and every other weekend, so I could easily continue to do so.  I have a general knowledge of library policies and procedures, though I suspect that the location specific ones will be quickly learned once I am on the job.
Having worked in a public library before and with the fact that I am currently working on obtaining my degree in library services, I have an understanding of how to conduct a reference search.  The two experiences combined have gifted me with an apt knowledge of how to find the information that I am searching for.  I believe that I am self-motivated, which is a trait that is necessary when taking classes online like I am currently doing.  Another necessary trait in taking classes online that can be used in this position is the knowledge of internet and computer services. 
In order to better prepare myself for working as a Children’s Services Librarian, I will volunteer at other libraries so I can gain a broader knowledge of how programs are conducted in different locations.   I will take graduate classes and professional development opportunities when available. 

Professional Development

Professional Toolkit Assignment

Professional Development

I can use the professional tools and online learning tools available through ALSC and YALSA to develop myself professionally.  I could attend the ALSC National Institute, though the dates for the current year are not set.  The ALSC National Institute in 2012 took place in Indianapolis from September 20 to 22. 
Through the Virginia Library Association, I could attend the professional conference or the paraprofessional conference, though the costs are not listed for either of them.  The paraprofessional conference is May 19 to 21 and the professional conference is September 25 to 27. 
I could attend the 26th Annual Conference on Children’s Literature, which takes place April 26 in Florida.  The only cost that I can see is the one of traveling to Florida and the parking fee, which is $1.25 per hour.  No conference fee is listed. 
Other resources that would help me in my professional development are webinars offered by the organizations mentioned, graduate classes, volunteer experiences, and web tutorials.  The technology available today allows individuals to learn anything they wish to from the internet.  They simply have to know how to find the resources available.
 
ALSC. (n.d.). Online learning. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/alsc/onlineeducation
ALSC. (n.d.). Professional tools. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/alsc/professional-tools
Broward County Public Library. (n.d.). 26th annual conference on children's literature registration. Retrieved from http://www.broward.org/Library/EventsClasses/Pages/ChildrensLiterature.aspx
YALSA. (n.d.). Online learning. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/yalsa/onlinelearning
YALSA. (n.d.). Professional tools. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/yalsa/professionaltools

Associations

Professional Toolkit

Associations

Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC). www.ala.org/alsc/ 
This association is important for anyone entering the field of children’s services in libraries.  They include professional development opportunities, professional tools, grants and scholarships available, and opportunities to connect with others in the field.  This tool would help me find professional development opportunities available for individuals in the field of children’s service and would allow me to network with others that are interested in the same topics.
PUBYAC. www.pubyac.org
This is a discussion list and list serve focusing on public library services for children and young adults.  The types of items posted are craft ideas, articles relating to children and young adult services, grants, job postings, story time ideas, and many other resources for individuals that focus their career or education on serving children and young adults.  This would be beneficial to me because they are often sending new resources available for people interested in such topics, which would help me keep abreast of the issues impacting such services and get ideas of what others are doing in the field.

Blogs about Children's Services

Professional Toolkit

Blogs

ALSC. [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/
I was happy to find this blog because it discusses not only books for children and programs, but also early literacy.  Since this is a blog created by ALSC, the other topics discussed include scholarships, collection development, advocacy, gaming, outreach services, and story time.   This resource will be helpful in my future as a children’s services librarian because it provides so much information on topics of the field that I would not have considered, such as the outreach services.
Dillon, S. [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://tweendom.blogspot.com/
This blog reviews books of the children’s and young adult varieties.  This will be a great resource for future reader’s advisory services.  I look forward to reading books discussed on this blog so that I may truly suggest them to kids of all ages.
Hartwell, D. [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://bookzone4boys.blogspot.co.uk/
This is a great tool for children’s services librarians today!  Hartwell began his blog in 2009 and reviews books that he thinks boys would like.  Children’s services librarians have to be able to give books to kids when they ask and this resource offers somewhere to start when suggesting books for boys.  Hartwell also lists other blogs that discuss books for boys.  I will find this useful in the future when young boys ask me for suggestions of what to read.
[Web log message]. Retrieved from http://thelupinelibrarian.me/
This is a fun blog created by a woman interested in children’s services and children’s books.  She gives great ideas for children and librarians and discusses library programs that she has participated in.  This resource will give me ideas for creating programs and developing the children’s collection in the future library that I will work at. 

Competencies, Job Descriptions, Guidelines

Professional Toolkit

Competencies, Job Descriptions, Guidelines

"Competencies for Librarians Serving Children in Public Libraries", American Library Association, November 30, 1999.
http://www.ala.org/alsc/edcareeers/alsccorecomps (Accessed February 23, 2013)
doi: b67d0c86-2082-e624-596b-d602d5b38b90
This is a list of core competencies recommended for any individuals that are interested in children’s services.  It provides an idea of the skills needed for work in this field.  This tool would help me to give the children services of the quality that they deserve. 
IFLA. (n.d.). Guidelines for children's libraries services. Retrieved from http://archive.ifla.org/VII/s10/pubs/ChildrensGuidelines.pdf
This is a list of guidelines for having children’s services in a library from the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions.  It discusses meeting the children’s needs, the goals, funding, materials, and so much more.  This would be an asset to me when I begin working with children because it discusses the importance of publicity and networking and gives information about creating services for children.
WebJunction Connecticut. (2012, January 26). Children's librarian job descriptions. Retrieved from http://www.webjunction.org/documents/webjunction/Children_039_s_Librarian_Job_Descriptions.html
This page contains a variety of children’s services librarian job descriptions in Connecticut.  The listings on this page are samples so that individuals may understand the layout of the post and gain a basic knowledge of what is needed in a children’s services librarian.  This is beneficial to me because it allows me to get an idea of what libraries are looking for in their children’s services librarians, which will give me a change to adapt myself to what other libraries want.

For Kids in Children's Services

Professional Toolkit

For Kids

Houston Public Library. (n.d.). Kids. Retrieved from http://www.houstonlibrary.org/kids
This is a library page that provides sites and databases that children would be interested in.  Some of them you need your library card number to use.  They focus on games, internet safety, and homework help.  While I cannot use some of the resources on the page, it is helpful because it gives me an idea of what internet resources a library can provide for children through the library’s website.

Journals for Children's Services

Professional Toolkit

Journals

Nemec, J. (2011). It's (still) never too early to start. Children & libraries: The journal of the association for library service to children, 9(3), 015-021.
In this journal article, Nemec discusses how in-depth children’s services can be and how you come to know the patrons.  She advocates the Born to Read program to promote early literacy in children.  This helps me because it lets me know what has been done to advocate early literacy and gives me an idea of what I can do in the future.
PLA. (2011, February). The role of public libraries in children's literacy development. Retrieved from http://www.ifpl.org/Junior/studies/Role of Libraries.pdf
This study was performed to determine the role public library services play in a child’s literary development in Pennsylvania.  The programs reviewed were the summer reading programs and preschool programs.  This would be helpful to me in determining what programs children and parents are looking for in libraries today.
School Library Journal. www.slj.com
This journal provides ample resources for the children’s and youth services librarian.  There are articles about collection development, career building, e-books, scholarships, conferences, and more information necessary for an individual interested in children’s services.  This site could help me in so many ways, including finding books that would interest children of all ages. 
Swan, D. W., & Manjarrez, C. A. (2012). Children's services at public libraries: a port in the storm. Metro Trends, Retrieved from http://www.metrotrends.org/commentary/libraries-imls.cfm
This article discusses the need for children’s services in public libraries in areas of high need.  In areas of high poverty, libraries are a valuable resource for children who may otherwise lose interest in school.  This is an important journal article to me because it tells me how children’s services are needed and in what areas specifically.
Swell, K. (2012). Beyond library walls. Children & libraries: The journal of the association for library service to children, 10(1), 27-29.
This article discusses how library services could benefit children in at-risk communities.  Swell advocates the Ready to Read Corps, which focuses on kindergarten readiness.  This article is useful to me because it shows me how individuals prepare children for learning to read.

Programs for Children's Services

This is for my Professional Toolkit assignment for my Public Library class.

Programs

ALA. (n.d.). Early literacy & libraries. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/advocacy/literacy/earlyliteracy
This page lists four programs dedicated to teaching children to read early in life.  Some of the programs focus on the parents and some on the children.  I can use this page in the future when I am wanting to create a program that improves early literacy.
Department of Education. (n.d.). Archived information: library services. Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/parents/Library/Services.html
This page gives some basic ideas for children’s programs in the library.  The information on the page is focused on telling parents how libraries can help their children.  I can use this page because it can give me ideas of programs to create in the future and tells me what parents expect from the library. 
Department of Education. (n.d.). Beyond books: library services for children. Retrieved from http://www.readingrockets.org/article/130/
This source is useful for creating library services for children.  It discusses different types of programs and materials for various age groups and covers an array of reading topics, such as early literacy.  This site will be beneficial when I need to plan programs that will interest children of different ages.
Goldstein, R. (2011, April 03). Kids crafts program continues at Pikesville Branch Library. Pikesville Patch. Retrieved from http://pikesville.patch.com/articles/kids-crafts-program-continues-at-pikesville-branch-library
This is another source that can help me create programs for children in the future.  The idea of having a craft project kit in a box for advanced preparation for children’s crafts is a great one.  This method provides librarians with the ability to stay organized and prepared for short notice programs.
Krause, D. (n.d.). Library programs for kids. Retrieved from http://pinterest.com/dawnkrause/library-programs-for-kids/
This is a great Pinterest page of ideas for library programs for children.  The difficulty of the projects varies and some are definitely for older kids or teens.  I will use this page in the future to create programs for children of various ages.
"Programs for school-aged kids", American Library Association, August 30, 2012.
http://www.ala.org/alsc/kickstart (Accessed February 23, 2013)
doi: 499b0c37-d158-2154-9db9-5e0b8d3f14e8
This tool is a wonderful source of ideas for programs for children in the library.  It is even organized into topics based on the subject of the program.  In the future, this would help in scheduling programs for children, particularly for the ones in school since that is the group that the list is focused on.  The programs could be altered so that they would be appropriate for younger or older children.