Supervisor, Early Literacy Specialists

Title: SUPERVISOR, EARLY LITERACY SPECIALISTS

Location: Koelbel Library, 5955 S. Holly Street, Centennial, CO 80121

Reports to: Manager, Child and Family Library Services

FLSA Status: Exempt, Full-time

Pay Rate: $72,200 - $90,200

Purpose: Responsible for daily operations of District storytimes. Provides team leadership, trains and mentors Early Literacy Specialist staff and provides ongoing communication and solicits regular input and feedback from staff. Responsible for overall quality of District storytime initiative.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

50% LEADERSHIP AND SUPERVISION

Supervision:

• Oversees scheduling, timekeeping, and supervision of the department. Monitors employee learning and course assignments for successful job performance.
• Supervises and manages department assignments and priorities.
• Recruits, interviews, hires and trains new Storytime Specialist staff.
• Recommends salary increases, promotions, transfers, or terminations following ALD processes.
• Handles discipline and terminations in accordance with practice.
• Monitors and develops employee performance, including delivering recognition,
• supporting ongoing professional development and providing constructive and timely evaluations.
• Leads team meetings and coordinates team projects.
• Develops and provides ongoing training specific to the Early Literacy Specialist team and
• maintains documentation of best practices.
• Performs the role and responsibilities of the Early Literacy Specialist position in a backup and/or supportive role as needed by providing storytimes and/or advanced patron support for early literacy questions at a point of service within various library branches.
• A minimum of 10% of time is spent working side by side with employees.

Leadership:

• Leads by example.
• Provides ongoing communication and solicits regular input and feedback from staff.
• Provides ongoing input and feedback on organizational direction and initiatives.
• Promotes collaboration and team building.
• Demonstrates enthusiastic leadership and support for change implementation.
• On-call in crisis situations.

20% OPERATIONS

• Responsible for daily operations of the Early Literacy Specialist team by allocating resources, planning and prioritizing work, gathering and communicating information to employees, and making decisions to ensure the proper functioning of library storytime programs, including troubleshooting materials, spaces, tools, and equipment related issues and communicating with other library departments.
• Responsible for monthly scheduling of Early Literacy Specialist employees to ensure appropriate staff coverage to provide patrons an outstanding storytime experience.
• Oversees daily and weekly scheduling of Early Literacy Specialists, ensuring coverage during peak storytime program time and adequate backup coverage.
• Works with Child and Family Library Services manager and CFLS supervisors to direct tasks of the Child and Family Library Services Assistant Supervisor.

30% STRATEGIC PLANNING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• Develops the knowledge, skills, and abilities of non-Early Literacy Specialist library staff by providing a wide spectrum of advisory trainings and services and mentoring and modeling best practices to expand their ability to conduct storytimes and serve children and families.
• Monitors local, state, and national trends in early childhood literacy and in storytime delivery and training. Makes recommendations for innovative early literacy and storytime initiatives and offers solutions to challenges.
• Advances professional knowledge and networking by representing the Arapahoe Libraries when attending community meetings, presenting and attending professional conferences, and publishing in professional journals or serving on local, state or national library committees.
• Helps set priorities for adapting to systemic change.
• Understands matrix management system in the District with the intersection of branch librarians and core team librarians in skill building. Collaborates with Child and Family Library Services leadership to facilitate regular meetings with branch librarians or same specialty for professional development sharing and advancing early literacy skills.
• Collaborates with Child and Family Literacy Department leadership to inform strategic decisions that impact patrons in the 0-12-year-old age range.
• Creates and develops strategy for given specialty or department together with their manager as it supports District strategy. Strategy work involves understanding demographic changes as they impact programs, services and outreach.
• Builds and maintains relationships with community members. De-escalates and resolves concerns from the public and employees by researching problems, seeking alternative solutions, and making decisions to satisfy patrons and staff.
• Promotes positive relationships with co-workers and collaborates with others to meet the needs of staff and patrons.

Other Duties and Responsibilities:

• May participate in summer reading preparation.
• May assist in promoting literacy to organizations and at community events.
• May participate in coordinating volunteers.
• May participate in additional District projects and operational efforts not specific to specialty.
• May collaborate to develop and facilitate District training to help staff expand their ability to serve children.

Actively contribute as assigned to project work, as team members or project manager, in alignment with ALD Project Management guidelines.

Performs other related duties and may contribute to cross-functional initiatives and projects as assigned and requested.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master's degree in the library and information studies field or the ability to obtain a master's degree in the library and information studies field within three years from the start of the program. An application to the library school must be made within six months of the date of hire.
• Bachelor's degree.
• Three years' experience working with young children and families in a library setting.
• Ability to supervise a remote team in multiple facilities.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to demonstrate effective leadership skills, including responsibility for outcomes, personal productivity, practical thinking, problem solving, adaptability, coaching, mentoring and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to keep confidential information.
• Ability to travel between and work in multiple facilities and have a flexible work schedule including evenings and weekends.
• Ability to work independently, be proactive and show initiative.
• Ability to prioritize and delegate tasks.
• Experience providing library storytimes.
• Advanced knowledge of Every Child Ready to Read and early childhood developmental levels, including experience in early literacy and early childhood initiatives.
• Considerable knowledge of the needs and abilities of children and families and the available library materials and services.
• Collaborates with Child and Family Library Services leadership to inform strategic decisions for the Department.
• Experience with training and mentoring adults. Ability to conduct programming in front of varying groups and demographics.
• Experience with developing and conducting programs and services for all ages, particularly children.
• Intermediate technology skills for Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, Outlook) and familiarity with Microsoft Edge and Microsoft Teams, and an ability to learn and apply new technologies.
• Interest and ability to work with outside agencies and community partners.
• Ability to work collaboratively and flexibly in a team environment.
• Ability to demonstrate curiosity in the vast technological and online resources the library has to offer and comfortable learning side by side with patrons.
• Ability to communicate new ideas, products and services in a positive and engaging manner.
• Demonstrate enthusiasm for an environment of constant change.
• Ability to collaborate with people of all ages and diverse backgrounds.
• Valid Driver's License with an acceptable driving record which meets District standards.

Core Values of Collaboration, Equity and Innovation:

• Ability to promote inclusivity, embrace diverse perspectives and prioritize fairness to contribute to a culture of inclusion and respect.
• Demonstrated ability to foster open communication, mutual respect, problem solving, adaptability and constructive conflict resolution to promote a cohesive and innovative work environment that welcomes continuous learning.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Two years successful supervisory experience.
• Intermediate knowledge of library online resources.
• Ability to provide intermediate advisory services to patrons in multiple collection formats and genres.
• Demonstrate ability to work with children and teens.
• Intermediate skills in Sierra.

Work Environment:

• This is a hybrid work position with the flexibility to work where needed within the state of Colorado. In-office attendance may be required to align with job expectations, team activities and organization events.
• The essential duties for this position are performed in an indoor environment.
• Moderate noise (computers, phones, printers and patron interactions).
• Ability to work varying shifts, including evenings and weekends.

Physical Activities:

Physical activities required to perform essential duties include:

• Must be able to remain in a stationary position 25-50% of the time.
• Must be able to move around 75-100% of the time.
• Ability to lift to 40 lbs.
• Ability to carry up to 40 lbs.
• Ability to push and pull a cart weighing up to 100 lbs.
• Ability to kneel, crouch, reach and stoop 50% of the time.
• Use of hands, fingers, and grasping of books, DVD's are required, with repetitive motion.
• Long periods of sitting, remaining stationary, or moving around.
• Frequency or repetitive actions which includes typing, shelving materials, occasionally opening and closing media cases.
• Bending, grasping, stretching without limitations which includes reaching into bins for materials, moving bins and carts filled with materials, shelving and shifting materials at various height levels.
• Lifting above your waist, head etc. up to 25 lbs.

This job description describes the general level of work being performed and is not necessarily an all-inclusive list of job-related responsibilities, duties or aspects associated with the job, and may be amended anytime based on business need. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

Inclusion and diversity are part of our values at Arapahoe Libraries.

Qualified applicants who represent the diversities of the communities we serve are encouraged to apply.

Salary : $72,200 - $90,200