Library Services Director jobs in California

About Solano County Library

The Solano County Library serves the community with nine branches and virtual services in six of the seven cities in Solano County and is supported by over 125 employees. With its strategic location, affordable housing, natural resources, and historical significance, Solano County is a growing community with a promising future as a place to live, learn, work and play.

Solano County Library Mission and Strategic Direction

The Solano County Library is guided in its mission to enrich the lives of the people in the County by a Strategic Plan, which is community focused, staff inspired, and outreach oriented. To realize these goals over the next several years, the Library has committed to embracing a spirit of flexibility and experimentation as we examine our current organizational structure and enact changes that will permit us to focus our services in response to community desires. At Solano County Library, we are the people, places, and services that spark curiosity, inspire creativity, and champion learning. mg

Essential Duties

The Assistant Director of Library Services

The Assistant Director of Library Services provides professional and administrative assistance to the Director of Library Services in planning, organizing and directing services and programs for the Solano County Library. The Assistant Director of Library Services is accountable for ensuring effective program planning, systems and quality of operations for library services and staff in addition to directing day-to-day library operations. The Assistant Director of Library Services is also responsible for budget preparation and facilities management.

This position is an “at-will” position and is exempt from the civil service; incumbents serve at the discretion of the appointing authority.

Position Qualifications:

Education: Graduation from and American Library Association accredited university with a Master’s degree in Library Science or Library and Information Science

Experience: Four years of supervisory or administrative experience which has included the administration of library programs and services and supervision of professional and technical staff coupled with extensive education, training or additional experience in public administration including budget, planning, evaluation and implementation of services which demonstrates possession of and competency in requisite knowledge and abilities.

The Ideal Candidate:

The County of Solano seeks an Assistant Director of Library Services who is data driven and possesses strong analytical abilities and problem-solving skills; sound judgment to address personnel, policy and procedural matters; political acumen and decorum, and the ability to build and maintain positive and effective stakeholder relationships. A top candidate will also have knowledge of and experience with the principles and methods of budget preparation and monitoring and project management techniques. The ideal candidate must also possess a sense of humor.

The ideal candidate may also have the following desired knowledge, skills and abilities:

• Experience with budget preparation including division or service program budgets, preparing reports, and short- and long-range planning
• Ability to conduct research, analyze data to improve, develop, or change services; comprehend and make inferences from written material such as plans, policies, and procedures to guide Library operations; develop and implement cost-effective operating and maintenance procedures; evaluate trends and needs for services, and manages the implementation of new programs and services
• Participate in professional activities and stay informed of professional issues, trends and attitudes, including managerial, financial, political and personnel issues
• Communicate with staff, the public, other County employees, vendors, management, contractors, public officials and other stakeholder groups to provide, coordinate, develop, organize, and operate public services; instruct and train staff and colleagues regarding library procedures, plans, and developments.
• Prepare written documents and reports, analyses of services, requests for proposals, contracts and bid specifications
• Prioritize and assign work to personnel and prioritizes own administrative and supervisory work
• Resolve procedural, operational, personnel and other work-related problems by assessing and prioritizing problems and work assignments and gathering facts for analyses.
• Communicate effectively in a timely manner and work cooperatively with the Library Director and various stakeholder groups; manage the work of others through managerial and supervisory methods and the principles, methods and practices of library administration
• Exercise initiative in the improvement, development, and conduct of library services; plan and implement system improvements; develop, clarify and implement policies and procedures; conduct studies of problems of administrative concerns and make recommendations

Position Requirements

Selection Process

05/23/24 – 5:00pm Deadline to submit application and required documents for first application review.

Based on the information provided in the application documents, the qualified applicants may be invited for further examination and will either be pre-scheduled by the Department of Human Resources or be invited to self-schedule. All applicants meeting the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through any subsequent phase of the examination. Depending upon the number of applications received, the selection process may consist of an initial application screening, a mandatory information meeting, a supplemental questionnaire assessment, a written and/or practical exam, an oral board exam, or any combination listed. Responses to supplemental questions may be used as screening and testing mechanisms and will be used to assess an applicant’s ability to advance in the process; as such, responses to supplemental questions should be treated as test examination responses. Information contained herein does not constitute either an expressed or implied contract.

All potential new hires and employees considered for promotion to management, confidential positions or unrepresented positions will be subject to a background and reference check after contingent job offer is accepted. These provisions are subject to change.

RETIREES - Solano County invites all to apply for positions; however pursuant to Government Code Section 21221(h) and 21224, hiring restrictions may apply to California Public Sector Pension Plan Retirees.

Document Submittal

A Master’s degree in Library Science or Library and Information Science is required for this position. All candidates are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of their college diploma (verifying the degree, date earned and area of specialization) or official/unofficial transcripts (verifying institution, student, date, degree and area of specialization conferred) by the final filing deadline. Candidates who fail to submit their diploma or transcripts by the final filing date may be disqualified from the recruitment.

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING: Candidates who attended a college or university that is accredited by a foreign or non-U.S. accrediting agency must have their educational units evaluated by an educational evaluation service. The result must be submitted to the Human Resources Department no later than the close of the recruitment. Please contact the local college or university to learn where this service can be obtained.

How to Submit Your Documents
In addition to uploading attachments when applying online, candidates may submit documents by fax to (707) 784-3424, or by email to recruitment@solanocounty.com. Be sure to include the recruitment title (Assistant Director of Library Services) and the recruitment number (24-147160-01) in your email or fax.

Americans with Disabilities Act

It is the policy of Solano County that all employment decisions and personnel policies will be applied equally to all County employees and applicants and be based upon the needs of County service, job related merit, and ability to perform the job.

APPLICANTS WITH DISABILITIES: Qualified individuals with a disability, who are able to perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation, and need an accommodation during any phase of the recruitment/testing/examination process (as detailed in the “Selection Process”)
in the Human Resources Department by the application review deadline. Applicants will be contacted to discuss the specifics of the request.