Associate Librarian

The Charleston Library Society is seeking a full-time Associate Librarian to support the work of the Library Services team with a direct report to the Director of Collections. The primary work is equal parts creative and administrative.

The person in this role will work on cataloging and collection organization in all areas of the library as well as support the needs of the organization as specifically related to Specialty Library Services, such as Children's and Young Adult offerings most immediately, with potential to expand this as needs arise. The successful candidate is creative and loves working with children, but also thrives in an environment that requires focus and attention to detail.  Generally speaking - this person will be able to relate to preschoolers in an authentic and magical way for a morning storytime and craft hour, but easily pivot to organizing and cataloging books in the afternoon. Under the general direction of the Director of Collections, the Associate Librarian will fill a crucial role in our efforts to provide resources to our members, from birth to adolescence to adulthood.

This is an entry level position and an excellent starting point for recent MLS/ MLIS graduates. The ideal applicant is self-motivated but flexible, and has natural interest in working for a cultural institution within the non-profit environment. Excellent communication skills, dependability and timeliness are required.  All full-time staff are expected to participate in supporting ongoing CLS programming by working several evenings / month during high season.

Specialty Services
The Associate Librarian will support the Library team with crafting specialty service offerings as needs and opportunities arise. Most immediately, the focus will be to create, organize, and deliver well-crafted storytime programs 3-4X/week for young readers, with varied audiences ranging from birth through early childhood, and with an overall goal for optimizing literacy development and fostering a love for books. Each storytime involves 30 to 40 minutes of stories— using a variety of props (eg. flannel boards, puppets, etc.) and other media—with an additional 20-30 minute crafting session relating to the theme of the storytime.  In addition, the person in this role will play a role in developing other programming where opportunities to engage membership presents itself such as camps or specialty children's events.

Other children’s programming responsibilities include:

• Responsibility for shelving and collections care as well as organized and cleanly work areas
• Designing seasonal displays of books and relevant children’s materials
• Providing reader’s advisory services to parents, caregivers, and children
• Collaborating with the Director of Collections for children’s collection development
• Monitoring and sharing notable trends in children’s literature/ children’s literacy as part of the library operations team
• Performing shelf-reading and responsively moving incorrectly shelved items correctly
• Reshelving books accurately by location and call number
• Coordinating with volunteers as opportunities arise for guest reading
• Assisting in other areas as needed

General Library Services Support
The Associate Librarian will also take a proactive role in supporting Library Services across all areas of the collection with general expertise such as cataloging and entering all information for the newest titles in the collection as well as some of the older, non-fiction items in the circulating collection that still need to be added to our digital search. Much of this work requires great attention to detail and an ability to work independently as well as a comfort level navigating search tools and precise data entry.  Applicants must have strong computer skills and familiarity using Mac computers Shared file systems and library management software.  Many tasks and ongoing projects will involve lifting and moving large amounts of books for extended periods of time, so the ability to stand for extended periods of time as well as lift 50lbs is essential.

Related responsibilities include:

• Carrying out tasks directly related to the physical card catalog and shelf list
• Reshelving books accurately by location and call number
• Performing shelf-reading and responsively moving incorrectly shelved items correctly
• Barcoding, labeling, and shifting collection materials 
• Processing and pricing books for book sale
• Working with patrons to support library needs at the front desk
• Assisting in other areas as needed

Hours and compensation

• Full-time salary ranging $40,000-$50,000 depending on experience
• Full-time employees are eligible for competitive benefits including health, 401k with a match and PTO after relative waiting periods