The Head of Public Services Librarian supervises Thurgood Marshall Library’s Public Services Departments (Circulation, Reference and Interlibrary Loan).
This position also provides reference service to faculty, students, and other library users. This position is also directly responsible for hiring, training, and supervising student circulation employees, and manages the circulation and reference desk schedules. The Head of Public Services Librarian also assists with library programming, supports library outreach efforts to Bowie State University and the Bowie community, and manages stacks maintenance, inventory, and collection development with the support of the Dean of Library.
This position requires a strong commitment to service and problem-solving skills. The Head of Public Services Librarian is responsible for insuring consistently high service to library users by establishing, documenting, and applying library policies and procedures; training and supervising professional staff and student employees; and working with other Colleges and Departments and issues relating to security, facilities, and use of the library.
Roles & Responsibilities: The Thurgood Marshall Library at Bowie State University seeks an innovative Manager of Public Services to provide leadership for the daily operational activities of the Library’s Access Service Department which includes staff management, facilities, equipment, and collections maintenance, resource sharing services, and user support services. Under the direction of the Dean of the Library, the incumbent works collaboratively with internal and external partners to support users’ needs in a continuously evolving academic environment.
Essential duties are listed below.
Leadership, Management, and Team Building
• Creates an environment where team members are empowered to work individually, collaboratively, and collectively towards achieving departmental and Library goals.
• Oversees the hiring, support and training of access and circulation services staff, including facilitating access to appropriate development opportunities.
• Contributes to developing, executing, and evaluating department and Library-wide goals
• Develops, recommends and administers policies, procedures and processes in support of the Access Services operations.
• Creates and maintains departmental training guides, manuals and online materials.
• Communicates with the Dean of the Library and Academic IT leadership teams regarding public services operations.
• Prepares narrative and statistical reports.
• Advances diversity, equity, inclusion for all library workers and users.
Public Services Responsibility:
• With the Circulation and Reference Service Staff, direct the day-to-day work of the Public Service team and ensure library opening and closing, as well as staff coverage at the circulation and reference services desk during the library’s operational hours.
• Provides guidance to the Bowie State University community in the use of library resources and services, facilities, equipment, and technology; troubleshoots technical problems and equipment issues.
• Assists patrons with complaints, concerns, and other service-related requests, escalating to Library leadership as appropriate.
• Oversees lending of physical materials and technological equipment.
• Serves as fulfillment and user accounts administrator for a variety of library systems
• Manages vendor accounts, billing, and communications for security, library equipment, applications, and other services used by Access Services.
• Manages and updates content on Public Services-related webpages and libguides.
• Collects and analyzes statistics, ensuring consistent and accurate recording.
• Fields reference inquiries via email, text, chat, phone and participates in the Thurgood Marshall Library’s Ask-A-Librarian service.
• Explores emerging technologies and service models and leads the department in evaluating and implementing new services when appropriate. Physical Collections, Public Spaces and Facility Responsibility:
• Ensures a safe and scholarly research environment for library staff, users, and resources.
• Assist with assessing, planning, managing, relocating, and maintaining the stacks and furnishings.
• Oversees shelving operations, collaborating with the library leadership team to analyze physical collections statistics for related space considerations, plans and justifications.
• Maintains and updates library wayfinding and operations-related signage.
• Communicates Library operational changes with Library and Academic IT stakeholders and users.
• Monitors the custodial and maintenance of the public spaces and initiates appropriate action with Academic IT administration and university facilities regarding any issues with furniture, equipment, classrooms, and public library spaces.
• Collaborates with Academic IT Administration to ensure staff and patron safety issues are proactively prevented and building safety security issues are also addressed.
• Maintains and updates emergency preparedness and disaster recovery plans for the library collections and public spaces. Resource Sharing Services Responsibility:
• Oversees resource sharing services operations, serves as the administrator for resource sharing platforms (ILLiad, DOCLINE, OCLC Worldcat, etc.) and implements software updates.
• Oversees accounts, billing and payments for services rendered.
• Collects data and prepares usage and other reports for Library leadership.
• Organizes and monitors the workload and staffing to provide user-responsive services. • Maintains online user guides and coordinates the resource sharing web presence as part of public services.
• Explores trends in technology and resource sharing; collaborates with internal departments and the resource sharing community to develop, implement, and evaluate continuous improvement and integration of resource sharing and other Library and discovery systems.
On-site Position:
• This position involves moderate exposure to normal stress and pressures typical of a department head-level management position.
• Shift changes and evening/weekend work may be required based on evolving priorities, operational needs, and time-sensitive activities. Qualifications:
• ALA-accredited Master’s in Library Science or the equivalent. Preferred Qualifications and Skills:
• Experience in circulation services, particularly using Ex Libris Alma/Primo software.
• Experience with interlibrary loan services, particularly using ILLiad, Docline, or OCLC Worldcat.
• Experience searching online bibliographic databases such as PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus or Web of Science.
• Experience providing reference or 1-1 instruction in an academic and/or health sciences library setting.
• Aptitude for project management, organization, prioritization, coordination, and implementation.
• Aptitude for learning and troubleshooting software/hardware systems efficiently and thoroughly.
• Familiarity with Springshare LibApps platform (LibGuides, LibAnswers, etc.). Experience:
• This position involves moderate exposure to normal stress and pressures typical of a department head-level management position.
• Shift changes and evening/weekend work may be required based on evolving priorities, operational needs, and time-sensitive activities.
• Minimum 3 years of professional experience in an academic or research library.
• Minimum 2 years of experience directly assisting users in a public, academic, or research library.
• Demonstrated commitment to providing outstanding customer service.
• Demonstrated high level of comfort and proficiency with technology.
• Familiarity with best practices, trends, and assessment strategies related to information literacy instruction.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (oral and written).
• Demonstrated commitment to and/or clearly articulated philosophy on the role of library services in fostering student success.
• Previous teaching experience strongly preferred.
• Experience with library marketing, outreach and/or advocacy preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to schedule, supervise, train and evaluate staff.
• Able to communicate effectively, verbally and in writing, with a diverse population of students, faculty, clinicians, and staff.
• Demonstrated ability to identify, prioritize, and resolve problems quickly and effectively, including handling complex and sensitive patron and staff issues with patience, diplomacy, respect, and discretion.
• Demonstrated experience using database or library management software and applications.
• Proficiency with new technologies and computer applications, including but not limited to office software (MS Office), scanners, project management and communications platforms, web searching platforms, team communications platforms, and learning management systems/customer relationship management/content management system-type platforms.
APPLICATION: Interested and qualified applicants should go to https://bowiestate.peopleadmin.com/ to apply online. Paper application submissions will not be considered.
