What are the responsibilities and job description for the Outreach Services Specialists - Library2Go and Traveling Library Center - 40 Hours position at King County Library System?
Job Number 2025-00070
King County Library System (KCLS) is seeking three approachable and skilled Outreach Services Specialists who have a passion for community outreach and customer service.
About the Opportunity:
The Mobile Services Department has Outreach Services Specialist positions in both the Library2Go Service and Traveling Library Center Service teams. The Library2Go team serves childcares and families, and Traveling Library Center team serves seniors and adults with disabilities.
Traveling Library Center :
This position will work for the Mobile Services Department. This full-time Outreach Services Specialist position will focus on serving seniors and adults with disabilities as part of the Traveling Library Center Service and Home Service. As an Outreach Services Specialist you will embody the KCLS mission of inspiring and cultivating an informed and empowered local community.
You will meet patrons where they need you by driving Traveling Library Center vans, delivering library materials, and providing reader's advisory and ready reference expertise to them directly at designated mobile sites. Through the efforts and expertise of the Mobile Services Outreach Department, KCLS is able to ensure that equitable access to library services and materials is extended to thousands of diverse patrons in King County, many of whom have limited access to library facilities.
You will select library materials based on requests from patrons and conduct independent research related to the interests and needs of target populations. In this role you will provide dynamic recommendations, adaptive plans, and data tracking and analysis of mobile services offered to the specific population you serve. You will safely push, pull, and load carts filled with library materials and equipment onto vehicles and drive throughout King County on scheduled routes. You will also effectively troubleshoot minor technical problems, offering personable and professional support to colleagues and team members.
Library2Go:
This position will work for the Mobile Services Department. This full-time Outreach Services Specialist position will focus on serving childcares and families with Library2Go Service. As an Outreach Services Specialist you will embody the KCLS mission of inspiring and cultivating an informed and empowered local community.
You will meet patrons where they need you by driving Library2Go bookmobile vans, delivering library materials, and providing reader's advisory and ready reference expertise to them directly at designated mobile sites. Through the efforts and expertise of the Mobile Services Outreach Department, KCLS is able to ensure that equitable access to library services and materials is extended to thousands of diverse patrons in King County, many of whom have limited access to library facilities.
You will select library materials based on requests from patrons and conduct independent research related to the interests and needs of target populations. In this role you will provide dynamic recommendations, adaptive plans, and data tracking and analysis of mobile services offered to the specific population you serve. You will safely push, pull and load carts filled with library materials and equipment onto vehicles and drive throughout King County on scheduled routes. You will also effectively troubleshoot minor technical problems, offering personable and professional support to colleagues and team members.
Schedule:
OSS - Traveling Library Center (1 Vacancy):
Monday-Friday: 7am-3pm
OSS - Library2Go (2 Vacancies):
Monday-Friday: 7am-3pm -OR- Monday-Friday 8am-4pm
*Note: June-August schedule is Tuesday-Saturday
About King County Library System (KCLS):
KCLS has a vision of a world where knowledge allows diverse communities to prosper and grow. In order to support this vision, we create opportunities through meaningful connections by acting as the knowledge sharing center for over 1.5 million diverse patrons, providing an unparalleled collection of library materials, resources, technology, services, and programs.
Approximately 1,000 engaged and passionate staff provide service in 50 community library locations and patron engagement using direct outreach, programs, and virtual assistance. Our service area includes cities, towns, tribal lands, and unincorporated districts of King County, with the exception of the city of Seattle.
From a 2021-2022 comprehensive Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Assessment Demographics and Language Report, of the more than 1.5 million residents who live within the KCLS service area, almost half identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC). Moreover, roughly one-third of the KCLS community speaks a language other than English as their first language.
The King County Library System values the diverse perspectives, lived experiences, and cultures of all qualified individuals. We seek applicants that reflect the diversity of the communities we serve and encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply, including BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and other people of color), immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQIA , individuals with disabilities, veterans, etc.
KCLS welcomes reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities as an opportunity to assist qualified individuals to participate in the job application or interview process and/or perform the essential functions of the position upon hire.
Need an accommodation to apply or interview? Call (425) 369-3224 or email employment@kcls.org.
KCLS ensures equal opportunities and consideration for all job applicants, without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. KCLS does not tolerate discrimination or harassment during any stage of employment, including in recruiting, hiring, promotion, termination, leave of absence, compensation, or training.
Essential Duties/Major Responsibilities:
Any of the following duties may be performed. These examples are not necessarily performed by all incumbents, however, and do not include all specific tasks an incumbent may be expected to perform.
- Locate and provide KCLS library materials, and provide reader’s advisory and ready reference to a patron population that is unable to get to any local branch to utilize services or access material for assigned service population.
- Deliver, check-in and check-out the materials at the site, either on-line using PC’s, tablets, or remotely, and downloading the information after the on-site visit when necessary.
- Drive the vehicles to various locations within the KCLS service area.
- Perform circulation routines such as unpacking shipments, checking in materials, library holds, and other collection circulation/maintenance functions.
- Perform specialized functions such as magazine processing, database management, filing office materials, etc.
- Maintain current knowledge of literature, children’s and adult resources, as well as early literacy and adult practices depending on assignment.
- Attend system-wide Children’s Services or Adult Services meetings when available (business and readers’ advisory).
- Support coordinators and librarians in the delivery of high quality programs and instruction for diverse audiences at designated off-site locations. Partner with other staff to identify opportunities to meet needs of population outside of community libraries. Support evaluation efforts and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
- Research materials available to target patron population. Research and engage with potential new service sites.
- Routinely act as lead library staff person when out on mobile site visits. Act as library liaison with staff and patrons of facilities. Uphold library policies and procedures when offsite, including Library Rules of Conduct enforcement.
Secondary Duties:
- Other related duties as assigned.
Core Competencies:
Customer Focus
Primarily focused on customer needs, able to deliver high quality, value added services. Constantly strives to find new ways to increase customer satisfaction and understanding, foster equitable services, and forge meaningful connections.
Valuing Diversity
Manages relationships with all kinds and classes of people inclusively and equitably; respects, values, and encourages the unique dimension each employee adds to the organization and each member of the community brings to the whole. Seeks opportunities to learn from differences.
Ethics, Values, and Judgment
Exercises best judgment, trustworthiness, and professional standards of conduct; consistently demonstrates organizational values, moral principles, and accountability in behavior, character and action. Defends intellectual freedom and patron confidentiality.
Professional & Technical Knowledge
Demonstrates proficiency in professional and technical skills/ and or knowledge in position-related areas; purposely keeps up with current developments and trends in areas of expertise, in order to foster personal success and connections for others.
Approachability
Listens more than they talk; allows appropriate time for interactions; purposely builds rapport, sets positive tone and exhibits confidence by body language and speech. Maintains boundaries.
Dealing with Ambiguity
Can shift gears comfortably; can decide and act without the total picture; can comfortably handle risk and uncertainty, does not exhibit excessive need to control or track, can ‘let go’ and move forward in uncertainty.
Teamwork/Collaborating
Works cooperatively and productively with others to achieve goals and deliverables. Is aware of, utilizes and celebrate their own and team member’s strengths and differences.
Compassion
Authentically cares about people with a desire to help them; demonstrates real empathy with and for others, yet, maintains appropriate boundaries.
Composure
Calm and reflective, self-possessed even in the face of provocation, recognizes and manages stress appropriately, even during tough times.
Education and Experience:
A typical way of obtaining the knowledge, ability and skills necessary to fully perform the essential duties of this position is through:
- Graduation from a high school or GED equivalent supplemented with an associate degree or equivalent specializing in library science, research methods or related field.
- Two to four years’ experience in library operations, and reader’s advisory services and/ or comparable direct customer service to the general public.
- Or other combination of education, experience and training that provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties and responsibilities of the classification.
- Fluency in a language other than English desirable.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
Valid Washington driver license including requirements of satisfactory driving record review. Candidates must successfully complete KCLS driver training within the first three months of employment.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is constantly using hands to grasp objects, books and drive. Frequently required to walk and sit. Frequently reach out with hands and arms, frequent neck twist for driving and occasionally twisting at back and bending when working with books, driving and loading. Frequently using foot controls. The employee will occasionally lift up to 25 pounds for loading or stacking boxes, some shifts may lift seldom up to 55 pounds for equipment. Will occasionally push/pull with moderate force for moving loaded carts and occasionally uses hand trucks using light force.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
Work is outside of a normal office environment and involves extensive travel, heavy lifting, constant standing, working near moving mechanical parts, loading and unloading heavy carts in parking lots and delivering books and other material through confined hallways and rooms. There may be some exposure to angry or hostile individuals.
Salary : $32 - $39
