Librarian - Specialized Services

Quasi-Independent Agencies; Raleigh (NC); Hybrid; USD 61,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

Retirement Plan

Parental Leave

Job summary

The Maine State Library is seeking a professional reference and governance specialist to deliver statewide and regional library services. The role focuses on governance structures of nonprofit and municipal libraries, and on applying federal, state, and municipal statutes affecting HR, finances, facilities and library operations.

You will lead the Library Development team, provide high‑quality service to Maine public libraries, and travel regionally as needed to support staff and trustees.

Qualifications

• 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 statutes, policies, and regulations.
• Demonstrated writing ability to develop resources for professional development opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Manage the assigned specialty portfolio.
• Develop informational and learning resources in a variety of formats.
• Deliver professional development opportunities for library staff and trustees.
• Provide timely reference services to staff, trustees, and stakeholders.
• Collaborate to achieve department projects and goals.
• Travel regionally as required.
• Provide governance and management consulting to libraries in Maine.
• Conduct outreach and surveys to assess needs of staff and trustees.

Skills

Policy familiarity

References & consultation

Research & legal resources

Communication skills

Training delivery

Education

Master’s Degree in Library Science

Equivalent combination of related experience/training

Job description

If you are a current State of Maine employee, please submit your application through the internal application process using the FindJobs 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: October20,2026 Closing Date: November03,2026 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 goals
• Participate 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.

• Preferencewill be given to candidates with the following skills or experience: At least 1year of professional experience with municipal governments and/or nonprofit organizations
• At least 1year professional experience with project management, including program evaluation

CONTACT INFORMATION

For more information or questions specific to the position, please contact [e-mail]

The selected candidate will be required to pass the required background checks (fingerprinting may be required) as a condition of employment.

Benefits of working for the State of Maine

• 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%.
• 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 – 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.

There's 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.

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. If you’re looking for a great next step, and want to feel good about what you do, we’d love to hear from you. Please note reasonable accommodations are provided to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.