Deputy County 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 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, Cindy 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 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

This position offers a career building opportunity for an experienced library manager or administrator.  Working under the direction of the County Librarian, the incumbent will provide professional and administrative leadership as part of the Library's Executive Committee, as well as planning, organizing, and directing operations for Library Branches and the Learning Group.  The Deputy County Librarian will function as the Library's Chief Operating Officer (COO), overseeing system-wide operations and special projects.

To learn more about this position please click on the following link to view the recruitment brochure: HERE

IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate is an experienced and thoughtful Library administrator with strong project management, communication and leadership skills.  The ideal candidate will be:

• Adept at both strategy and implementation;
• Highly effective at managing Library operations;
• Experienced in the implementation of strategic planning from conception to completion;
• Flexible and decisive while handling a wide variety of situations with diplomacy and tact;
• Experienced and knowledgeable in working with diverse community residents, library users, and library staff;
• Committed to delivering exceptional customer service, both internal and external;
• Highly motivated to accomplish library goals and objectives, encouraging collaboration across organizational divisions;
• Committed to leading and managing organizational change;
• Experienced in data driven analysis and evaluation;
• Aware of current best practices in libraries;
• Experienced in handling complex labor relations issues while working in a strong unionized environment; and
• Politically astute. 

 

NOTE: The following are the duties performed by employees in this classification. However, employees may perform other related duties at an equivalent level. Each individual in the classification does not necessarily perform all duties listed.

1. Oversees daily operations of the Library;

2. Oversees long-term system-wide projects, including development and implementation of a new service model in the unincorporated Cherryland within the next two years, and construction of a new Newark Library within the next five years;

3. Studies and analyzes the Library's opportunities and challenges and recommends improvements;

4. In the absence of the County Librarian, assumes leadership and direction of the Library's Executive Committee and represents the County Librarian at meetings, conferences and similar functions;

5. Assists in developing and implementing goals and objectives, policies, procedures, programs, and work standards for the Library;

6. Mentors and develops employees to build organizational capacity;

7. Represent the Library in civic and community venues; and,

8. Performs related work as assigned.

Either I

Experience: The equivalent of two years’ full-time experience in the class of Principal Librarian.

Or II

Experience: The equivalent of five years of full-time experience as a Deputy Librarian (or equivalent classification) in a similar urban, suburban, or city library system.

Or III

Education: Possession of a Master's degree in Library and Information Science,

And

Experience: The equivalent of five years of full-time, recent, increasingly responsible supervisory and administrative experience in a community library system, that included at least three years of experience at a level comparable to that of Principal Librarian in the Alameda County classified service.

A degree in Public Administration is highly desirable.

License:

Must possess a valid California Motor Vehicle Operator’s License.

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

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.

In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications, the most suitably qualified candidate will possess the following competencies:

Knowledge of:

• Library administration and organization.
• Principles and practices of planning, organization and management techniques as applied to a modern public library system.
• Principles of personnel, fiscal administration, supervision and staff development.
• Planning, organizing, supervising and evaluating library programs and policies and their relationship with community needs.
• Principles and practices of librarianship, including collection development, circulation, reference, reader advisory services for all ages and the use of technology in library services.
• Principles of budget development and administration.
• Principles of facility management and staff resource utilization.
• Principles and practices of marketing relations and community outreach.
• Methods and techniques of planning, implementing and evaluating library programs.

Ability to:

• Act as Chief Operating Officer of the organization’s services and operations.
• Plan, organize, direct and evaluate comprehensive programs for providing library services.
• Effectively supervise, train and evaluate professional and support personnel.
• Analyze budgetary and staffing requirements and make recommendations.
• Participate in developing controlling and monitoring the Library’s budget and expenditures.
• Organize, analyze and supervise comprehensive library programs and policies and recommend specific plans for modifying or extending library services.
• Communicate effectively both in writing and verbally with individuals and groups.
• Develop and maintain good relations with the public, library staff and community and governmental organizations.

The examination will consist of the following steps:

1. A review of candidates' application 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 the supplemental questionnaire to determine the best qualified.
3. An oral interview which will be weighted as 100% of the candidates' final examination score.  The oral interview may contain situational exercises.

Candidates must attain a qualifying rating on each portion of this recruitment.

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED EXAMINATION STEPS.

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.

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, August 1, 2017

Review of Minimum Qualifications:     Friday, August 4, 2017

Screening for Best Qualified:               Tuesday, August 8, 2017               

Panel Interviews:                                   Week of August 21, 2017

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 & 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
• 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.

Anna Montoya, Human Resources Analyst III
Human Resource Services Division, County of Alameda
510-272-6459
www.acgov.org/hrs

ALAMEDA COUNTY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER