Youth Services Coordinator

Committed to providing children, teens, parents and caregivers a “portal to life-changing resources”? Mid-Continent Public Library (headquartered in Independence, MO) has the opportunity for you.  MCPL seeks a dynamic library leader to become its new Youth Services Coordinator. As part of the administrative team, the Youth Services Coordinator will be the library’s key representative to the library staff and community serving children and teens—and agencies and organizations serving those audiences. The successful candidate will lead in the development and provision of traditional, virtual and cutting edge services and programs at the local, regional and national levels.

Mid-Continent Public Library, http://www.mymcpl.org/, is a consolidated public library system serving 750,000 people in Clay, Platte and Jackson Counties in Missouri—surrounding the central core of and serving major portions of Kansas City, Missouri. The Library strives to provide exceptional customer service and expanding access to materials, programs, and technology including a world class genealogy and family history library.  MCPL is an independent library district (political sub-division of the State) with a permanent tax rate exclusively dedicated to public library services. MCPL is the largest public library system in the state of Missouri by number of volumes and size of budget.  Its collection ranks among the 100 largest libraries in America, which includes university, public, and private collections. Library staff (600+ FTE’s) serve the District through 34 locations. In 2010-2011, the Library celebrated 4.6 million customer visits and an annual circulation of more than 9 million items. Library programs and services are supported through a $41.9 annual operating budget with 22.5% dedicated to materials purchases and a substantial portion of that being for children’s and teen materials.  Almost half a million residents carry MCPL cards and 39,785 customers participated in the 2012 Summer Reading Program—noted as being one of the nation’s most successful summer reading programs.

Mid-Continent Public Library serves three of the fifteen-county metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City that spans the border between Missouri and Kansas. As of the 2010 Census, the metropolitan area had a population of 2,035,334.  For details on MCPL, the metro area and the surrounding communities see http://www.gossagesager.com/MCPLlinks.htm.  

Responsibilities. This position reports to the Assistant Director of Libraries and is responsible for modeling excellent customer service and providing collaborative leadership to System-wide planning for youth services, including developing policies and procedures for youth services, assisting with programs for youth, assisting with materials selection, planning workshops and in-service sessions, and training in the area of youth services. The position also has System-wide responsibility for public relations and marketing in cooperation with the Marketing and Communications Department. See http://www.gossagesager.com/MCPLYSjobdesc.pdf for the complete job description.

Qualifications. ALA–accredited Master’s Degree in Library Science, a minimum of five years youth services related experience, and a minimum of three years of management or supervisory experience. The successful candidate will also have public library experience, a solid knowledge of children and teen services, the ability to relate and communicate with internal customers as well as developing, promoting and providing external community outreach to agencies and organizations serving children and teens, and technology skills to best develop virtual youth services. A strong collaborative management style and the desire and ability to be part of a “team effort” are essential.

Compensation. The hiring salary range is $55,486-$87,677 with a competitive benefits package.

For further information or to apply, contact Jobeth Bradbury, Bradbury Associates/Gossage Sager Associates, JobethBradbury@gossagesager.com.  A cover letter and current resume as Word (or pdf) attachments will start the application process. This position closes November 4, 2012.