No phone calls will be accepted. Questions may be emailed.
Adams Memorial Library in Latrobe, PA, is seeking an Assistant Director with experience in cataloging, collection development and reference. The library is located in downtown Latrobe but serves a largely suburban membership. The city is the birthplace of two legendary figures, Fred Rogers and Arnold Palmer, and is the origin of the first banana split, the first professional football game and the first non-stop airmail pickup. It is the home to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ summer training camp, held at nearby Saint Vincent College. The area is historically known for specialty steels and alloys, engineered machine parts, coal mining and brewing.
Our library maintains a staff of about 20, including 5 degreed librarians, who serve a population of 49,000 people across eight municipalities with our main library and one branch. Our main library opened in 1927 and built its current two-story facility in 1954. The board of directors are working towards a renovation to modernize and expand the building. Our branch library is a shared-use facility within the Derry Area High School Library, and the school is also working towards a renovation.
Our collection is comprised of 77,500 items and our 2023 circulation was 115,000. The collection includes a Library of Things with board games, baking pans, science equipment and educational toys. The Library of Things was closed during the pandemic and is being overhauled for reopening as a multi-use space. We offer virtual resources such as Overdrive, Kanopy Plus, Novelist, The Great Courses and Candid Foundation Directory.
Adams is an active member of a county-wide federated library system and district, Westmoreland County Libraries (WCL). Both professional and support staff have frequently been active participants across a variety of committees at the consortium level and elsewhere. The Assistant Director will be expected to represent Adams on at least one, the WCL cataloging committee.
The consortium uses Polaris ILS, and all of our cataloging records need to meet standards established by WCL. To that end, the Assistant Director will need to pass consortium-level cataloging certification within a mutually determined timeframe. All consortium levels are achievable with standard training opportunities, and the Director will guide the employee through the process and beyond.
The Assistant Director handles the bulk of all cataloging for the main branch, including adult materials, children’s materials, Library of Things (realia), and some digital media. Other staff, including the Director, handle the remaining work, typically branch materials and video media. The majority of this work is importing and cleaning bib records, and attaching item records to existing bib records, but does require occasional original cataloging.
The Assistant Director also plays an active role in collection development, helping to choose new titles in both physical and digital formats, and coordinating with other departments as appropriate. The Assistant Director has access to typical aids such as reviews in Booklist, Library Journal, Horn Book, School Library Journal, etc. and is encouraged to suggest titles from a wide range of genres and topics.
The Assistant Director is responsible for placing most of the actual book orders (coordinated with the Director and Branch Manager) using Baker & Taylor, Amazon, Overdrive, McNaughton, independent publishers and other vendors. The Assistant Director also helps the Bookkeeper with tracking of orders and coordinates with other staff for purchases made in honor of or in memory of someone.
The Assistant Director reports to the Director. In the Director’s absence, the Assistant Director will oversee 4-5 support staff and ensure normal daily operations. All employees, including the Director and Assistant Director, assist patrons at the desk as needed. The position works the great majority of its hours in a high-visibility location in the main section of the library, and provides reference in rotation with other librarians including the Director.
The Assistant Director supports the Director with tasks such as prepping for meetings, gathering statistics for reports, acting as a sounding board and contributing ideas during planning sessions, proofing documents, and helping to keep track of project deadlines.
The schedule is 9:00-5:00 on Mondays & Wednesdays, and 12:00-7:30 on Tuesdays & Thursdays, with the remaining time rotating between at least two Saturdays a month from 9:00-5:00 and flexible time on alternating Fridays, when the library is closed to the public. Please do not apply if you are not able to accommodate those hours. The Assistant Director occasionally needs to work outside these hours to accommodate a program or event, but will receive comp time. It is full-time at 37.5 hours and comes with full medical benefits, plus dental, eye and life insurance. The position has paid vacation and sick days. Salary before benefits is $35,000-$43,000, commensurate with experience.
We are looking for an applicant with an MLIS, and a minimum of two years’ experience in cataloging is preferred. Clearances are required for employment: PA Child Abuse History; PA State Policy Criminal History; FBI Criminal History. Adams Memorial Library is an equal opportunity employer.
Interested candidates may submit a resume and cover letter, plus three references to
Director
Adams Memorial Library
1112 Ligonier St
Latrobe PA 15650
OR
No phone calls will be accepted. Questions may be emailed.