Openings: Two Positions, Los Angeles County Law Library

The Los Angeles County Law Library (LACLL) is seeking qualified candidates for Senior Librarian - Branch Manager and Librarian - Reference and Research. LACLL offers an excellent benefit package. To apply, send resume, cover letter, and names, addresses, and phone numbers for three professional references to:

Susan Niemeyer, J.D.
Manager, Human Resources
Los Angeles County Law Library
301 W. 1st Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Senior Librarian - Branch Manager

Working with the Division Director, this position will help to develop and implement divisional goals. Must supervise and manage seven remote library branches, and will participate in community outreach programs throughout Los Angeles County. Will be involved in marketing the Law Library’s services, beyond traditional Library activities and resources, to current and potential users.

Responsibilities:

• Supervise, direct, and evaluate branch staff through hiring, training, overseeing work product, counseling, disciplining, and completing performance evaluations.
• Assist in implementing a marketing plan that will effectively carry the Law Library’s services to the legal community and public libraries throughout LA County.
• Maintain professional memberships and represent the Law Library in local, state and national library associations.

Essential Duties:

• Supervise all branch assistants and branch functions.
• Review and analyze multiple areas of collection management and recommend new materials, formats, additional or replacements copies; weeding.
• Ability to communicate to many audiences including the Director of Access Services, the Executive Director, other Division Directors and Supervisors, and staff.
• Promote high quality customer service through training and leading by example.
• Professional and efficient handling of complex references inquiries.

Minimum Required Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Ability to assist in the development of marketing plans.
• Ability to speak well and knowledgably about available Law Library programs and resources before small and large groups of legal professionals.
• Exercise sound business judgment and make independent decisions in keeping with Law Library policies and procedures.
• Knowledge of legal print and electronic resources in order to share legal information with users having diverse backgrounds and a range of research skill levels.
• Must be able to effectively supervise all branch operations, deal with difficult users, explain and fairly enforce Law Library procedures as they apply to staff and users, and demonstrate use of Law Library equipment.

Education/Training Requirement: Graduate degree from a school or institution accredited by the American Library Association.

Experience Requirement:

• 5+ years of direct experience managing a department within a public/academic library or the library of a law firm.
• 2+ years of demonstrated supervisory experience, preferably in a multi-site organization.

Librarian - Reference and Research

The Librarian – Reference and Research is responsible for providing information, direction, general reference, and in-depth research in response to inquiries from Library users. In addition, this position participates in collection development and in the development of web-based content, pathfinders, guides, and instructional materials. The Librarian – Reference and Research participates in Library seminars both within and outside the Library, tours, projects, and programs.

Major Duties & Responsibilities:

• Conduct reference interview and respond to inquiries using all available print and online resources.
• Ability to work effectively in a busy reference environment.
• Develop and maintain bibliographic guides and research pathfinders including print and online resources.
• Create research materials for distribution and/or sale in specific areas of legal research.
• Provide bibliographic instruction to users with varying levels of knowledge and experience.
• Provide instruction and training for new products and services for both the staff and users.
• Stay current on library trends, general legal processes, and new literature.

Minimum Required Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Must possess excellent verbal, written, and customer service skills.
• Good computer ability in order to provide access to legal information using Westlaw, Lexis-Nexis, digital databases and the internet to users.
• Ability to effectively handle difficult customers, exercise sound business judgment, explain library procedures, follow all policies and procedures; demonstrated use of all library equipment.

Education/Training Requirement:

• A graduate degree from a school accredited by the American Library.
• One to three years previous experience as a reference law librarian preferred but willing to train a recent graduate with no prior library experience.
• Working knowledge in one or more foreign languages helpful but not required.