Library Assistant II | Ottawa Hills Branch

City of Grand Rapids; Grand Rapids (MI); Sur place; USD 17 000 - 25 000; Temps partiel

Résumé du poste

City of Grand Rapids—Grand Rapids Public Library is seeking a part‑time paraprofessional to assist patrons with library resources in person, by phone, and by email. The role emphasizes direct public service, and may involve coordinating other staff and volunteers.

The position requires strong customer service, technology support, and communication skills, with hours that include evenings and weekends and occasional Sundays as noted.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED.
• 2 years of customer service experience, library experience, cash handling experience, office experience, or equivalent combination.

Responsabilités

• Greets visitors and provides assistance to library patrons with basic account management, reference services, and technology support.
• Responds to inquiries and guides patrons to appropriate staff or GRPL spaces and services.
• Represents GRPL at community events and outreach opportunities and assists with program planning.

Connaissances

Public service

Customer interaction

Technology support

Communication

De‑escalation

Description du poste

Part-time Position

This part-time position provides paraprofessional and customer service support to various areas of Grand Rapids Public Library with the overall goal of helping patrons access library resources.

The main priority of this position is direct public service and involves helping patrons access library resources in-person, over the phone, and via email. Work is performed under the general supervision of a Circulation Operations Supervisor and Branch Manager and may involve coordinating the work of other library employees and volunteers.

Schedule

This position is regularly scheduled at the Ottawa Hills Branch:

A-Week

• Monday: Off
• Tuesday: 2:00 - 6:10 pm
• Wednesday: 4:00 - 8:10 pm
• Thursday: 2:00 - 6:10 pm
• Friday: 2:00 - 6:10 pm
• Saturday: 2:00 - 6:10 pm
• Sunday: Off*

B-Week

• Monday: 4:00 - 8:10 pm (Seymour Branch)
• Tuesday: 2:00 - 6:10 pm
• Wednesday: 4:00 - 8:10 pm
• Thursday: 2:00 - 6:10 pm
• Friday: Off
• Saturday: 2:00 - 6:10 pm
• Sunday: Off*

*Sundays from 1:00 - 5:00 pm are occasionally required between Labor Day and Memorial Day

Core Competencies

Customer Service & Community Engagement

• Greets visitors and provides assistance to library patrons including basic account management, reference services, reader’s advisory, technology support, and library information.
• Responds to inquiries and answers general questions related to library services and processes, and/or guides them to appropriate staff.
• Responds to and/or directs inquiries to GRPL spaces and services.
• Represents GRPL at community events and outreach opportunities.
• Assists with planning and implementation of programs and services.

Technology Support & Digital Literacy

• Assists in navigating internal and external technology resources including but not limited to digital resources, basic email and word processing, internet access, and personal devices.

Communication

• Communicates with internal and external stakeholders to facilitate service to the public.
• Assists other staff with special projects, research and idea generation; may write, proofread, or edit reports or other documents as needed.

Operational Support

• Performs general administrative duties in support of the location or department including cash handling, placing supply orders or service requests, and assisting with location equipment issues and maintenance.
• Provides support systemically at all public service desks; works in other library departments at all locations as needed.
• Collects, compiles, and reports statistics related to library resources and programs.
• Ensures the maintenance, presentation, and accessibility of GRPL's collection.

Safety & Compliance

• Ensures a safe and welcoming environment for staff and patrons by managing patron expectations and behavior in public spaces through de‑escalation.
• Ensures patron privacy and abides by library procedures and state laws.

Requirements

• High school diploma or a GED
• 2 years of customer service experience, library experience, cash handling experience, office experience, or some equivalent combination

Preferred

• College degree
• Ability to communicate effectively in Spanish

Abilities

• Provide consistently friendly, accurate, and efficient service to GRPL patrons and staff; ability to make independent and reliable decisions related to patron experience.
• Demonstrate strong de‑escalation skills to effectively manage challenging patron interactions.
• Assist and instruct patrons around hardware and software issues as they relate to library resources and public workstations.
• Learn, effectively use, and adapt to ongoing changes in technology including library‑specific and office software.
• Solve research problems and provide reader's advisory service; knowledge of community, books, and authors; knowledge of digital resources, reading devices and platforms; ability to learn and apply modern library methods and techniques and to acquire familiarity with the GRPL system and services offered.
• Establish and maintain positive working relationships with coworkers and the public; work collaboratively.
• Manage emotions in the workplace and maintain professional composure and judgement.
• Communicate effectively and professionally with diverse groups both verbally and in writing.
• Add, subtract, and perform basic accounting calculations accurately and efficiently.
• Set and meet priorities; adaptability and judgment to reprioritize as needed throughout the course of a shift.
• Perform standardized processes accurately and consistently; follow procedures in processing forms and other communication.
• Make independent and efficient decisions and work without close supervision.
• Maintain an organized and effective work process; flexibility to adapt to changes and updates to processes.
• Maintain library records and prepare reports.
• Work 20‑24 hours per week; work evenings and weekends.
• Work at various desks and locations.
• Meet GRPL’s patron experience standards and library policies to provide basic account management, reference services, reader’s advisory, technology support, and library information.
• Apply patron privacy standards in a wide variety of circumstances with internal and external stakeholders.
• Work with supervisor and process feedback regarding job performance.

Understanding

• General office procedures, processes, and equipment; ability to operate a variety of office equipment including computer workstations, typical electronic devices, cash register and POS systems, and software.

Diversity & Inclusion

GRPL proudly promotes diversity and inclusion in employment, and strives to maintain a workplace culture where respect and positive recognition of differences are cultivated.

Grand Rapids Public Library provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination of any type without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, veteran status, disability, height, weight, familial status, marital status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. GRPL will make reasonable accommodations for employees and job applicants with disabilities.

This applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to recruiting, hiring, transfer, training, promotion, discipline, termination, leaves of absence, compensation, and benefits, as well as work‑related events and activities.

Contact

Grand Rapids Public Library

111 Library St NE

Grand Rapids, MI 49503

616-988-5400 | [e-mail]