Job Description

Department:

Libraries and Historical Resources

Start Here. Grow Here. Stay Here.

Are you passionate about preserving local history and sharing it with the community? Do you want to have an active role in providing public access to a large-scale community archive? Then the Sarasota County History Center is looking for YOU!The History Center is a branch of the Sarasota County library system with an extensive archive, a reference library, an impressive collection of local artifacts, and a variety of impactful historic preservation programs.

We are looking for a Librarian to join our growing team at a period of exciting change. We are currently building a brand-new 30,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility to house our collection and increase public engagement through exhibits, programming, and expanded access to our expert staff and resources.

The History Center Librarian will play a major role on our collections management team, assisting with collection development and maintenance, circulation, and reference services. This position will also be the History Center’s primary liaison with the library system’s Technical Services team, ensuring the History Center’s collections are easily discoverable in our integrated library system. The Librarian will also assist with the creation of guides, bibliographies, and tutorials to help everyone from young students to seasoned researchers find the materials they need. Finally, as with all members of our team, the Librarian will plan and execute public programs designed to develop our patrons’ research skills and promote a better understanding of local history and genealogy. If you love the idea of connecting the public with the past, this is the job for you!

About the Position

The duties of the Librarian include:

Collection Development and Management

• Maintaining a detailed familiarity with the History Center’s collections and their research value.
• Assisting with collection development by recommending materials for acquisition.
• Participating in collection maintenance, including shelving, shifting, and weeding.
• Serving as the History Center’s item coordinator and collaborating closely with the Technical Services team to ensure proper representation of collection materials in the department’s ILS and other systems.
• Keeping abreast of developments, new trends, and innovations in cultural heritage institutions.

Communication, Programming, and Outreach

• Coordinating participation of volunteers, interns, or other staff members in special projects, including project development, training, quality control and scheduling.
• Helping to develop and implement policies and procedures governing the use of History Center collections, databases and services.
• Planning and directing programming for adults, young adults, and children, in coordination with other professionals at the History Center and throughout the library system, with emphases on local history and genealogy.
• Analyzing and identifying service population needs and develops plans to meet those needs.
• Preparing guides, bibliographies, tutorials, training videos and other products to make the History Center’s collections, databases and services more accessible to patrons at all levels of familiarity with historical and genealogical research.
• Describing and promoting the History Center’s collections, databases and services through social media, blog posts, online research guides, displays and other platforms.

Customer Service

• Representing Sarasota County to customers, volunteers, staff and donors.
• Implementing standards of service that ensure the prompt and efficient resolution of inquiries and requests from internal and external customers, delivered with the utmost courtesy and respect.
• Assisting with routine public-facing operations at the History Center, including reference services, meeting space management and retrieving materials for customers.
• Providing general reference service in assisting customers by locating answers to questions, including Interlibrary Loan services and referral to agencies outside the library.
• Contributing to public tours, presentations, and workshops at the History Center and around the county relating to the collection and best practices for preserving historical resources.
• Collecting, maintaining and analyzing statistics, reports, and other metrics on various aspects of operations and services.

About the Schedule

Work Hours:

• Full-Time, 40 hours per week.

• Must be available to work: Sunday - Saturday, 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

• Work schedules may vary due to split shifts, rotations, on-call, emergencies, etc.

As a reminder, all county employees are considered essential and must be prepared to protect and support the community and its citizens. Each employee, without exception, will have a duty assignment and be required to work during a disaster or declared emergency.

About You

To be considered for the position, you must have the following:

• Master's degree in Library Science from a college or university accredited by the American Library Association OR a Bachelor’s degree and enrolled in a MLS/MLIS program with the ability to obtain a MLS/MLIS within 12 months of hire.

Preferred Qualifications:

• One year of experience in a library, archive, or museum environment.

Subject to Passing Substance Screening: This position is subject to passing a pre-employment substance screening. An applicant who fails to pass a required drug screening test shall be disqualified from employment in any class for a period of five (5) years.

Fingerprint Screening: This position is subject to a mandatory fingerprint-based background check per applicable federal, state, and/or local laws. The screening will be used to verify criminal history and other relevant information as permitted by law. An applicant who fails to pass a required screening may be disqualified from employment.

About Everything Else

Starting Pay: $58,947.20

Our interview process could include phone interview(s), Microsoft Teams video interview(s), and/or in-person interview(s).

If you are selected to join our team, please click on this link to review the Required First Day DocumentsYou will need to present the following items on your first day:

1. I-9 Acceptable Documents to show your identity and authorization to work. Use this link to learn more and review the different document options: https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents

• If your position requires a Florida Driver’s License, this must be one of your documents. (Your Florida Driver’s License can serve as one of your documents listed in link above – List B Documents.)

2. U.S. Social Security Card (signed, physical card). This is a requirement of our Payroll Department and failure to provide this document could jeopardize timely compensation. (Your U.S. Social Security Card can serve as one of your documents listed in link above – List C Documents.)

Benefits:

• Enjoy great benefits including Health, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance, Short-Term and Long-Term Disability, Flexible Spending Accounts, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Florida Retirement System (FRS) and many, many more! C hoose one of three great medical plans, including one with a $0 premium option, with completed preventative visits!
• For more information about employee benefits, please click this link or visit SCGov.net for additional information.
• Utilize our award-winning wellness program including free gyms at multiple Sarasota County Government locations.
• Enjoy 11 paid holidays, 3 personal days and 16 paid vacation days in the first year of full-time employment with increasing accrual rates with years of service. (That adds up to a possible 30 days off in your 1st year!) ​​

A different blend of voices prompt better conversations, choices and results for everyone. Sarasota County – Many Voices, One Team.

We celebrate and value the experiences, backgrounds, perspectives, talents and strengths that make us different.

Our vision is to attract, develop, retain and engage a talented workforce broadly representative of the citizens and communities we serve. To further value creativity, innovation, collaboration and great customer service – internally and externally.

A job applicant with a disability who requires reasonable accommodation to participate in the application/selection process is requested to make known the need for an accommodation to Human Resources or appropriate county staff members. For assistance with the application, please call 941-861-5353.

Sarasota County prohibits discrimination in all services, programs or activities. View the complete policy at scgov.net (keywords: ADA Compliance).

Sarasota County Government is a Tobacco-Free/Drug-Free Workplace.