At the County of Marin, our employees overwhelmingly report feeling their work is meaningful, they like the work they do, and they are proud to tell people "I work for the County of Marin." Discover more about us, our values and our organizational culture on the Department of Human Resources website. Read on to find out more about this opportunity.


The Marin County Free Library (MCFL) is a special taxing district that operates ten branch libraries in Marin under the authority of the Board of Supervisors. It provides public library services to the residents of the unincorporated areas of the County and the cities of Corte Madera, Fairfax, and Novato.
 
The Marin County Free Library is an innovative and dynamic civic institution that is committed to providing exceptional services to a community that cares deeply about the library and encourages the library to assume a critical role in supporting the community to be resilient, equitable, and progressive. MCFL is committed to racial equity and the inclusion of those with multiple perspectives and backgrounds in our decision making.

Located both within the Civic Center Library and a unique offsite map annex, the Anne T. Kent California Room is an archive dedicated to collecting, preserving and interpreting the history and culture of Marin County, and to a lesser extent, California. In alignment with MCFL's goal  to actively celebrate diverse perspectives while promoting affirming environments that honor each individual's unique history and lived experience, The California Room is committed to documenting the history of all communities via exhibits, outreach, and programming, as well as acquiring books and collection materials representative of Marin County's diverse communities.    

We strive to . . .  

• be a premier resource for K-12 educators as well as universities and local colleges; 
• partner intentionally with our local arts & cultural heritage organizations, museums and historical societies;  
• engage researchers of all levels, as well as the merely curious;   
• be a place that is welcoming and accessible to all. 

• Promotes special collections effectively to diverse audiences through well-developed communication skills; inspires interest in the teaching, learning, and research potential of special collections materials;   
• Develops and maintains public services and practices that provide access to special collections material, including a large collection of unrecorded land surveys, in a manner consistent with MCFL's mission; 
• Works collaboratively with community members and researchers to perform reference and reader advisory services; assists and advises patrons regarding the use of library materials, catalogs and databases; 
• Creates interactive programs, exhibitions, and displays that enhance user experience and promote engagement with the public library's special collections; 
• Develops procedures and initiatives to improve archives and records management; develops and maintains current knowledge of best practices regarding digitized and born-digital collections;
• Processes, arranges, appraises, preserves, and describes special collections materials in accordance with standards and best practices outlined by the Society of American Archivists; ensures that description is made available to patrons in a timely manner and understands the role of access and retrieval in making descriptive decisions; 
• Represents the library in meetings, functions, and activities with the community or special interest groups, including the professional surveyor community, the Association of College and Research Libraries/Rare Books and Manuscripts Section, and the Society of American Archivists;
• Establishes and nurtures strong donor relationships;
• Performs related duties as required.

Our Highly Qualified Candidate: The highly qualified candidate for this role possesses the following experience, competencies, and traits: 

• Significant experience working with archival and special library collections. 
• Strong team leadership skills and supervisory experience. 
• Experience building relationships with internal and/or external partners with a strong commitment to public service. 
• Knowledge of archival management software and technologies. 
• Experience with programing and community engagement, including presentations, displays, social media, and oral history projects. 
• Experience providing instruction, workshops, and/or reference assistance with primary source material. 
• Experience working with local history collections; an interest in the history of Marin County is a plus. 
• Commitment to ensuring inclusive representation in the Library's special collections. 

• Principles, practices and techniques of library science and information services.
• Reference sources and search techniques, including the use of on-line catalogs, databases, Internet, print and other sources.
• Techniques of organizing library materials to meet patron needs.
• Principles of collection development and materials selection.
• Principles and practices of employee supervision, including work planning, review, and evaluation.
• Automated library information systems software and hardware.
• Customer relations techniques.
• Depending on assignment, techniques and practices of adult or children's services, including providing extensive readers' advisory services or juvenile literature and storytelling. 

• Advise and instruct patrons on reference sources and the online catalog.
• Perform detailed and difficult reference searches using on-line methods.
• Plan, organize, supervise, review and evaluate the work of staff; effectively recommend selection of staff, disciplinary actions and other personnel matters; train staff in work procedures.
• Provide reader's advisory services and referrals to patrons of various age groups.
• Identify the needs of the public and assist with collection development by evaluating and recommending materials for acquisition.
• Represent the library system in the community and at professional meetings.
• Explain policies and procedures to patrons and staff.
• Use initiative and independent judgment within established procedural guidelines.
• Organize own work and set priorities.
• Maintain accurate records and files.
• Prepare clear and concise reports, educational materials and other written materials.
• Direct the preparation of effective displays.
• Use current automated library technology effectively.
• Manage multiple projects and adapt to changing needs.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of the work.
• If assigned as a cataloger, apply cataloging skills to enhance public access to information in a text and/or web-based catalog.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
Candidates selected are subject to fingerprinting by the Sheriff's Department and must pass a Department of Justice LiveScan background check prior to appointment.
 
All applicants will receive email notifications regarding their status in the recruitment process. Please be sure to check your spam settings to allow our emails to reach you. You may also log into your GovernmentJobs.com account to view these emails.

BILINGUAL TESTING/CERTIFICATION: 
Bilingual skills in Spanish and English are highly desirable, but not required.
A bilingual proficiency exam will be administered to candidates who identify as bilingual to ensure the they possess the appropriate skill level to meet the requirements. 

Testing and Eligible List: Depending on the number of qualified applications received, the examination may consist of a highly qualified review, application screening, online assessment, written examination, oral examination, performance examination, or any combination to determine which candidates' names will be placed on the eligible list.  The eligible list established from this recruitment may be used to fill the current vacancy, and any future vacancies for open, fixed-term, full-time or part-time positions which may occur while the list remains active.
 
Disaster Service Workers: All County of Marin employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law (California Government Code Section 3100-3109). Employment with the County requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect. Employees are required to complete all Disaster Service Worker-related training as assigned, and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.
 
Equal Employment Opportunity Employer: If you have questions regarding equal employment opportunities, please contact Roger Crawford, Equal Employment Opportunity Director, at 415-473-2095.  If you have questions concerning this position announcement, please contact Alisa Samuel at alisa.samuel@marincounty.gov.