Librarian - Specialized Services

MaineGuide; Augusta (GA); Remote; USD 61,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Work-Life Balance

Health Insurance Coverage

Retirement Plan

Gym Membership Reimbursement

Flexible Spending Accounts

Student Loan Forgiveness

Job summary

The Maine State Library is seeking a professional reference and governance specialist to support statewide, regional, and local library needs. You will advise on nonprofit and municipal governance, fiscal policies, and library management issues.

You will lead training programs, provide high-quality reference services, and collaborate with the Library Development team to advance Maine libraries. Extensive travel within Maine is required.

Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Library Science and two years of professional library work experience or an equivalent combination of related experience and/or training.
• Experience with governance structures of nonprofit and municipal libraries and knowledge of related statutes.
• Ability to conduct complex reference interviews and summarize legal resources for a lay audience.
• Experience in training library staff and trustees and delivering professional development.
• Strong writing and presentation skills and ability to work with diverse stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Manage the assigned specialty portfolio and contribute to department projects.
• Develop informational resources in multiple formats for library staff and trustees.
• Deliver professional development for staff and trustees.
• Provide timely reference services to staff and stakeholders.
• Collaborate with colleagues to support Maine Regional Library System and advisory councils.
• Research statutes and policies affecting Maine libraries and provide guidance.

Skills

Governance knowledge

Public library management

Legal research

Reference interviewing

Training facilitation

Writing skills

Presentation skills

Team collaboration

Project planning

Education

Master’s Degree in Library Science

Job description

If you are a current State of Maine employee, please submit your application through the internal application process using the Find Jobs report in PRISM. Seasonal employees who do not have PRISM access should apply through the State’s career page and indicate on the application that they have previously worked for the State.

Maine State Library

Opening Date:October 20, 2026

Closing Date:November 03, 2026

Grade/Admin Unit: 27 / Professional/Technical

Job Class Code: 3106

Salary: $60,840.00 - $85,488.00/Annually

Position Number: 014701300 Location: Augusta

Telework: Remote with occasional in-office time.

Currently, this position is not eligible for visa sponsorship or STEM OPT extensions.

OVERVIEW

The Maine State Library (MSL) is dedicated to serving the information needs of all Maine residents and strengthening libraries statewide by supporting individual information needs, building library capacity, and transforming information into knowledge. MSL fosters a collaborative, team-oriented environment that values innovation, initiative, and shared problem-solving. Excellence in service is central to our mission. We seek individuals who thrive in collaborative settings and demonstrate outstanding interpersonal and communication skills across a wide range of stakeholders.

JOB DESCRIPTION

This is a professional position responsible for providing statewide, regional, and individual reference and consultative services to Maine public library staff, trustees, and other library stakeholder groups. This position specializes in governance structures of nonprofit and municipal public libraries, public library management, including knowledge of federal, state, and municipal statutes that affect HR policy, fiscal responsibility, facilities, and other areas required to run an effective public library in the state of Maine.

This position will provide leadership in its specialty area within the Library Development team and provide high-quality service to the Maine public library community. This position is an important contributor to the overall success of the Library Development team and collaboration with the team is an essential component of the work. Work is performed under limited supervision. Occasional regional and statewide travel is required.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manage the assigned specialty portfolio
• Develop informational and learning resources in a variety of formats
• Facilitate and/or deliver professional development opportunities for library staff and trustees
• Provide timely and relevant reference services to library staff, trustees, and library stakeholders
• Contribute collaboratively to achieving annual department projects and goalsParticipate in departmental and other required meetings.
• Library governance and management consulting
• Assess the needs of library staff and trustees related to library governance and management through annual department outreach including using surveys and conducting site visits
• Perform research on and monitor the status of local, state, and federal statutes, regulations, and policy that affect libraries in Maine
• Facilitate and create materials for workshops, training, and other learning opportunities for library staff and trustees using research findings
• Maine Regional Library System support
• Serve as a region liaison for one or more of the regions in the Maine Regional Library System
• Collaborate with region representative(s) to the Maine Library Advisory Council to provide learning and networking opportunities within the assigned region
• Provide direct consulting services to libraries within the assigned region working collaboratively with other consultants

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED

• Familiarity with library policy and the ethics of librarianship
• Familiarity with Maine statutes that affect library governance, management, and services
• Demonstrated ability to research complex topics in response to reference requests from library stakeholder groups
• Ability to conduct a complex reference interview on issues pertaining to library governance and management
• Experience conducting legal research and summarizing legal resources for a lay audience
• Ability to facilitate and/or provide training for Maine library community members on relevant federal, state, and municipal statutes, policies, and regulations relevant for library management and the delivery of services
• Demonstrated writing ability to develop resources for professional development opportunities for library staff
• Demonstrated presentation skills including online/virtual webinars
• Ability to work collegially with all types of library staff, library trustees, and other library stakeholder groups
• Ability to work with a diverse and independent team
• Ability to analyze, plan and implement projects to accomplish MSL mission and goals

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Master’s Degree in Library Science and two (2) years experience in professional library work including experience in the field of specialization, -OR- an acceptable equivalent combination of related experience and/or training in the required specialty.

PREFERENCE

• At least 1 year of professional experience with municipal governments and/or nonprofit organizations
• At least 1 year professional experience with project management, including program evaluation

BENEFITS

• Work-Life Balance – Rest is essential. Take time for yourself using 13 paid holidays, 12 days of sick leave, and 3+ weeks of vacation leave annually. Vacation leave accrual increases with years of service, and overtime-exempt employees receive personal leave.
• Health Insurance Coverage – The State of Maine pays 85%-100% of employee-only premiums ($11,857.68-$13,950.24 annual value), depending on salary. Use this chart to find the premium costs for you and your family, including the percentage of dependent coverage paid by the State.
• Health Insurance Premium Credit – Participation decreases employee-only premiums by 5%. Visit the Office of Employee Health and Wellness for more information about program requirements.
• Dental Insurance – The State of Maine pays 100% of employee-only dental premiums ($365.28 annual value).
• Retirement Plan – The State of Maine contributes 14.06% of pay to the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS), on behalf of the employee.
• Gym Membership Reimbursement – Improve overall health with regular exercise and receive up to $40 per month to offset this expense.
• Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts – Set aside money pre-tax to help pay for out-of-pocket health care expenses and/or daycare expenses.
• Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness – The State of Maine is a qualified employer for this federal program. For more information, visit the Federal Student Aid office.
• Living Resources Program – Navigate challenging work and life situations with our employee assistance program.
• Parental leave is one of the most important benefits for any working parent. All employees who are welcoming a child—including fathers and adoptive parents—receive forty-two (42) consecutive calendar days of fully paid parental leave. Additional, unpaid leave may also be available, under the Family and Medical Leave Act.
• Voluntary Deferred Compensation – Save additional pre-tax funds for retirement in a MaineSaves 457(b) account through payroll deductions.

State employees are eligible for an extensive and highly competitive benefits package, covering many aspects of wellness. Learn about additional wellness benefits for State employees from the Office of Employee Health and Wellness.

Note: Benefits may vary somewhat according to specific collective bargaining agreements and are prorated for anything less than full-time.

As an Equal Opportunity employer, Maine State Government embraces a culture of respect and awareness. We are committed to creating a strong sense of belonging for all team members, and our process ensures an inclusive environment to applicants of all backgrounds including diverse race, color, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, physical or mental disability, religion, age, ancestry, national origin, familial status or genetics.

There may be a job and then there's purposeful, transformative work. Our aim is to create a workplace where you can learn, grow, and continuously refine your skills. Applicants demonstrate job requirements in differing ways, and we appreciate that many skills and backgrounds can make people successful in this role.