Job Description

About New Westminster Public Library
The City of New Westminster is a socially, economically and culturally diverse community of approximately 82,000 residents. As a core civic service, New Westminster Public Library aims to engage, strengthen and connect the community by inspiring exploration, imagination, creativity and lifelong learning. We emphasize the development and delivery of innovative programs and services that reflect our commitment to the principles of social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion, delivered through the lens of anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice. We are committed to reconciliation with First Nations and urban indigenous communities. We seek to constantly learn, evolve and adapt our practice to the changing needs of our community, seeking always to identify and remove barriers to service.

Who we are looking for:
Reporting to the Manager of Public Services, the Public Services Librarian guides, reviews, and implements changes to public service delivery at the New Westminster Public Library. This work prioritizes using a service design lens to the creation of new services as well as reviewing and assessing existing ones. This work also aligns with our 2021-2025 Strategic Plan by using an anti-oppressive and anti-racist lens to review public service delivery inside the Library. We are looking for someone who can work collaboratively with staff across the library, and who brings a sense of professionalism, leadership, and an understanding of the importance of diversity, social justice, and equity in public library work.

Primary responsibilities include:
• Collaborate with staff across a variety of departments and job classifications to ensure that services for New Westminster Public Library users are barrier-free and equitable by applying the goals of the Library’s 2021-2025 Strategic Plan to Library-wide service delivery.
• Understand how social exclusion impacts use of Library services and work with staff in multiple departments to reassess services as necessary as well as recommend, revise, and collaborate with the Manager of Public Services to change, adjust, and enhance public service provision.
• Support, coordinate, and supervise the work of Auxiliary Librarian staff.
• Support Public Service Library Assistant staff through training, collaboration, and mentoring.
• Act for the Manager of Public Services when operationally required.
• Participate in and deliver training to library staff as required.
• Lead staff meetings and work groups as required.
• Participate in hiring activities as requested.
• As part of the Public Service staff team, you will provide direct service to the public through regularly scheduled desk shifts, perform collection management duties in assigned subject areas, and collaborate with colleagues to plan and deliver programs relevant to the Library’s community.

Details (hours of work):
• This is a full-time, permanent position of 35 hours a week.
• This position is eligible to participate in the Compressed Day Off program (working an additional 30 minutes per day to earn a regularly scheduled day off approximately every 3 weeks).
• This position will work Monday to Friday, with a regularly scheduled evening (Tuesday) and a rotating weekend (Sunday) day every three weeks.
• Hours and schedules are always subject to change due to operational need and reviewed on an annual basis.

Required Qualifications:
• MILS from an ALA accredited institution.
• Three years of work experience in a public library setting, with a priority on direct service to the public.
• Aware of and interest in emerging trends in public libraries related to service design and delivery.
• Aware of recent shifts in library philosophy around trauma informed approaches and social justice in library work.
• Demonstrated ability to diplomatically respond to patron feedback delivered in-person or via phone or email.
• Demonstrated ability to de-escalate situations between patrons or patrons and staff, and willingness to collaborate with other library staff and City of New Westminster partners and service organizations to support marginalized groups using library services and spaces.
• Comfort with, and ability to deliver, group instruction and other public speaking.
• Able to lead staff working groups and committees.
• Demonstrated experience delivering information and reference services (readers’ services, library technology support, general reference).
• Ability to manage multiple projects and to prioritize work.
• Genuinely passionate about equity, diversity, inclusion and willingness to learn from other experiences.

Desirable Qualifications:
• Coursework or project work in Service Design
• Coursework or project work around social justice in library services
• A combination of lived experience and connection with historically marginalized communities
• Fluency in languages other than English

Recruitment Process:
• All applications will be reviewed following the closing date.
• Those selected for an interview will be contacted by telephone or email.
• Interview questions will be provided in advance of the interview.
• Interviews will be conducted in-person led by the Manager of Public Services, and two other members of the Library staff. If you require accommodation to this process, please contact [email protected] in confidence.
• Results of the interviews will be reviewed and a candidate will be selected for the position.
• Following successful completion of a vulnerable sector check, and a signed letter of offer, the successful candidate would begin their position at a date and time to be determined.

*This position will work Monday to Friday, with a regularly scheduled evening (Tuesday) and a rotating weekend (Sunday) day every three weeks. Hours and schedules are always subject to change due to operational need and reviewed on an annual basis.

To support a workforce that reflects the diversity of our community; women, Indigenous Peoples, racialized individuals, persons of diverse sexual orientation, gender identity or expression (LGBTQ2S+), persons with disabilities, and others who may contribute to diversity of our workforce, are encouraged to express their interest.
New Westminster is on the unceded and unsurrendered land of the Halq’eméylem-speaking peoples.
It is acknowledged by the City that colonialism has made invisible their histories and connections to the land.
We are learning and building relationships with the people whose lands we are on.
We thank all applicants for their interest and advise that only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
This position is only open to those legally entitled to work in Canada.

About New Westminster Public Library
The City of New Westminster is a socially, economically and culturally diverse community of approximately 82,000 residents. As a core civic service, New Westminster Public Library aims to engage, strengthen and connect the community by inspiring exploration, imagination, creativity and lifelong learning. We emphasize the development and delivery of innovative programs and services that reflect our commitment to the principles of social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion, delivered through the lens of anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice. We are committed to reconciliation with First Nations and urban indigenous communities. We seek to constantly learn, evolve and adapt our practice to the changing needs of our community, seeking always to identify and remove barriers to service.
Who we are looking for:
Reporting to the Manager of Public Services, the Public Services Librarian guides, reviews, and implements changes to public service delivery at the New Westminster Public Library. This work prioritizes using a service design lens to the creation of new services as well as reviewing and assessing existing ones. This work also aligns with our 2021-2025 Strategic Plan by using an anti-oppressive and anti-racist lens to review public service delivery inside the Library. We are looking for someone who can work collaboratively with staff across the library, and who brings a sense of professionalism, leadership, and an understanding of the importance of diversity, social justice, and equity in public library work.
Primary responsibilities include:
• Collaborate with staff across a variety of departments and job classifications to ensure that services for New Westminster Public Library users are barrier-free and equitable by applying the goals of the Library’s 2021-2025 Strategic Plan to Library-wide service delivery.
• Understand how social exclusion impacts use of Library services and work with staff in multiple departments to reassess services as necessary as well as recommend, revise, and collaborate with the Manager of Public Services to change, adjust, and enhance public service provision.
• Support, coordinate, and supervise the work of Auxiliary Librarian staff.
• Support Public Service Library Assistant staff through training, collaboration, and mentoring.
• Act for the Manager of Public Services when operationally required.
• Participate in and deliver training to library staff as required.
• Lead staff meetings and work groups as required.
• Participate in hiring activities as requested.
• As part of the Public Service staff team, you will provide direct service to the public through regularly scheduled desk shifts, perform collection management duties in assigned subject areas, and collaborate with colleagues to plan and deliver programs relevant to the Library’s community.
Details (hours of work):
• This is a full-time, permanent position of 35 hours a week.
• This position is eligible to participate in the Compressed Day Off program (working an additional 30 minutes per day to earn a regularly scheduled day off approximately every 3 weeks).
• This position will work Monday to Friday, with a regularly scheduled evening (Tuesday) and a rotating weekend (Sunday) day every three weeks.
• Hours and schedules are always subject to change due to operational need and reviewed on an annual basis.

Required Qualifications:
• MILS from an ALA accredited institution.
• Three years of work experience in a public library setting, with a priority on direct service to the public.
• Aware of and interest in emerging trends in public libraries related to service design and delivery.
• Aware of recent shifts in library philosophy around trauma informed approaches and social justice in library work.
• Demonstrated ability to diplomatically respond to patron feedback delivered in-person or via phone or email.
• Demonstrated ability to de-escalate situations between patrons or patrons and staff, and willingness to collaborate with other library staff and City of New Westminster partners and service organizations to support marginalized groups using library services and spaces.
• Comfort with, and ability to deliver, group instruction and other public speaking.
• Able to lead staff working groups and committees.
• Demonstrated experience delivering information and reference services (readers’ services, library technology support, general reference).
• Ability to manage multiple projects and to prioritize work.
• Genuinely passionate about equity, diversity, inclusion and willingness to learn from other experiences.
Desirable Qualifications:
• Coursework or project work in Service Design
• Coursework or project work around social justice in library services
• A combination of lived experience and connection with historically marginalized communities
• Fluency in languages other than English
Recruitment Process:
• All applications will be reviewed following the closing date.
• Those selected for an interview will be contacted by telephone or email.
• Interview questions will be provided in advance of the interview.
• Interviews will be conducted in-person led by the Manager of Public Services, and two other members of the Library staff. If you require accommodation to this process, please contact [email protected] in confidence.
• Results of the interviews will be reviewed and a candidate will be selected for the position.
• Following successful completion of a vulnerable sector check, and a signed letter of offer, the successful candidate would begin their position at a date and time to be determined.
*This position will work Monday to Friday, with a regularly scheduled evening (Tuesday) and a rotating weekend (Sunday) day every three weeks. Hours and schedules are always subject to change due to operational need and reviewed on an annual basis.

Apply online with your resume and cover letter in one document at www.newwestcity.ca/employment by October 13, 2023.

To support a workforce that reflects the diversity of our community; women, Indigenous Peoples, racialized individuals, persons of diverse sexual orientation, gender identity or expression (LGBTQ2S+), persons with disabilities, and others who may contribute to diversity of our workforce, are encouraged to express their interest.
New Westminster is on the unceded and unsurrendered land of the Halq’eméylem-speaking peoples.
It is acknowledged by the City that colonialism has made invisible their histories and connections to the land.
We are learning and building relationships with the people whose lands we are on.
We thank all applicants for their interest and advise that only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
This position is only open to those legally entitled to work in Canada.

Required languages: English

Education level: as above

Required skills: as above

Closest intersection: 6th and Royal