HomeMy WebLinkAbout8/16/2013 - Board of Library Trustees (7)Winner of the 2011 National Medal for Museum and Library Service.
“Located in a city of richly diverse neighborhoods, San José Public
Library focuses its programs, services, and staffing to ensure it meets
each community’s needs.”
Read more about it here.
The Community
As the Capital of Silicon Valley, San
José is the world's leading center of
innovation. Encompassing 178
square miles at the southern tip of
San Francisco Bay, San José is
Northern California’s largest city
with nearly one million residents. Its
central location between San
Francisco to the north and
Monterey/Carmel to the south
makes San José a gateway to
adventures throughout California.
San José is readily accessible to the
beaches of the California coast;
Napa and Sonoma Valleys to the
north; Yosemite National Park and
Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada;
and the rich cultural life of the entire
region. Nearly one million people
reside in San José, making it the
10th largest city in the nation.
Situated between the Diablo and
Santa Cruz mountain ranges, San
José’s quality of life is unsurpassed.
With an average of more than 300
days of sunshine a year and a
Mediterranean climate, those living
and working in San José can enjoy
the city’s many attractions, cultural
and performing arts, sports and
recreation opportunities and year-
round festivals and celebrations.
Seventy-eight percent of residents
rated the quality of life in San José
as either “excellent” or “good” in
the City’s most recent Community
Survey.
LIBRARY DIRECTOR SEARCH
imagine working in San José...
San José has received accolades as a place to live and do business from
Business Week, Money Magazine and other national media, and FBI data
shows it is one of the safest large cities in America.
Once a largely agrarian community, with bucolic hillsides and an expansive
valley dotted with orchards, San José experienced one of the most significant
economic changes in California history over the past 80 years, transforming
to a globally recognized high-tech center. The San José area today is home
to the largest concentration of technology expertise in the world, powered by
one of the most highly educated and productive populations in America.
More than 40 percent of the workforce has a bachelor’s degree or higher,
compared with 25 percent nationally
San José is a city proud of the cultural and ethnic diversity of its population
and workforce, as well as the rich cultural identity of its many neighborhoods,
with residents speaking more than 56 different languages. Nineteen public
school districts and over 300 private and parochial schools provide families
with a range of educational choices. Innovative programs in local school
districts include a nationally acclaimed performing arts magnet and
concentrations in aerospace, international studies, math and science, radio
and television, and more. Nearby universities include San José State
University, Santa Clara University, Stanford University, University of
California at Berkeley and University of California at Santa Cruz.
The City of San José operates under a council-manager form of government.
The City Council consists of ten council members elected by district and a
mayor elected at large. The 2011-2013 Operating and Capital Budgets for
the City total $2.84 billion. 5,400 city employees are represented by 11
bargaining units that have strong and active leadership.
With its world-renowned quality of life, it’s difficult to imagine a more
appealing place to live than San José, California!
San José Public Library (SJPL) is the largest public
library system between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
A proud recipient of the Gale/Library Journal Library of
the Year Award, SJPL is a acknowledged leader in
providing innovative services to meet changing customer
needs.
San José’s multi-ethnic and culturally diverse community
is served by the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library and
18 branches. An additional four branches are
scheduled to open in 2013. The historic $212 million
branch development bond approved by voters in
November 2000 means service is provided in modern,
vibrant interior spaces with state-of-the-art technology.
The number of annual visitors equals the combined
home game attendance for all the Bay Area major
professional sports teams!
Staff members provide lifelong learning opportunities
with daily, 24-hour access to a significant and growing
array of electronic services, including a dynamic online
catalog, numerous databases, and electronic books,
magazines, and homework help. Traditional print
materials and AV resources are available in more than
twenty languages, and residents can obtain reference
assistance or search tips from their home or office by
phone, email, and live chat.
The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library is both the City of
San José’s main library and the campus library of San
Jose State University. The award-winning library is the
first in the United States to integrate
services and collections of a major
university and city and make them
available to the entire community.
Strategically located on a campus corner in
downtown San José and in close proximity
to City Hall, the library symbolizes the
successful link between town and gown.
With the capacity for a collection of over
two million items and more than 3,000
seats, the library is 475,000 square feet
spread over nine floors. 10,000 visitors
pass through its doors on a daily basis
during the academic year.
To fulfill its mission to enrich lives by
fostering lifelong learning and by ensuring
that every member of the community has access to a
vast array of ideas and information, SJPL provides a
number of innovative programs to the community. Smart
Start San José is a comprehensive early care and
education support service to early care educations and
the parents of young children. Family Learning Centers
are equipped with computers and special software to
provide a unique learning environment for parents who
are improving their basic skills and children together.
Partners in Reading provides free tutoring to adults who
want to improve their reading, writing and computer
skills.
San José Public Library provides high interest, customer-
focused programs and services in beautiful facilities with
energetic, well-trained staff, volunteers, Friends, and the
Library Foundation. Visit us at www.sjpl.org
The Department
Challenges & Opportunities
•Communicate the importance and value of library service in
the digital age and increase public awareness of services the
library provides
•Provide outstanding public service during a period of
declining revenues and increased use
•Deploy technology that improves the customers’ experience
•Encourage and support staff in their efforts to develop new
and innovative programs to serve the increasingly diverse
residents of the City
•Partner with other City departments, San José State
University, school districts, community organizations, and
local businesses etc. to enhance and expand service to
shared audiences
•Plan for opening the four recently completed branch libraries
and the design and construction of the Southeast Branch, the
final Bond-funded branch construction project
•Provide leadership in the development of a strategic plan that
is responsive to local needs
•Participate in the City’s efforts to place a ballot measure for
voter approval for the renewal of the Library Parcel Tax
•Mentor and coach staff to prepare them to assume leadership
positions as they become vacant
By the Numbers FY 11 - 12
Population served: 958,789
Facilities: 19
Staff: 271 FTE
Inventory: 2,032,730
Languages in collections: 20+
Circulation per capita: 11.88
Reference questions answered: 666,414
Operating budget: $31.9 million
Visitors: 6,168,223
Items Loaned: 11,544,886
Innovator
Proven track record of continuous
improvement approaches and efforts
including alternative service delivery
initiatives
Creates an environment where excellence
and innovation can thrive
Effectively leads and manages change
Is forward thinking and has a positive
track record in implementing appropriate
leading edge technologies
Is intellectually curious
Strategic Thinker
Thinks strategically and makes sound
decisions under pressure
Is skilled in strategic planning and plan
implementation
Is a creative problem-solver
Has a knowledge of current trends and
best practices in libraries
Communicator
Provides timely, accurate, and relevant
information on critical issues to the City
Council, City management, the Library
Commission, library staff, colleagues, and
the public
Is able to develop and communicate a
shared vision of library services
Is willing and able to be an effective,
visible library spokesperson in the
community
Communicates openly, clearly, logically,
and concisely
Has a sense of humor
Relationship Builder
Demonstrates cultural competence and
has a history of responsiveness to
community residents, library users, and
library staff
Acts with a high level of integrity and
develops relationships based on
dependability and honesty
Works successfully with local elected
officials, department heads, and other
City employees
Is customer service-oriented
Is active in professional and civic
organizations
Collaborator
Able to leverage both public and private
resources including the use of volunteers
Is able to work collaboratively and
harmoniously with library staff, Library
Commission, and other key stakeholders
to achieve the library’s mission
Works successfully with the SJSU Library
Dean to co-manage the Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. Library
Manager
Demonstrates outstanding management
skills
Serves as a valuable member of the City
Manager’s cabinet
Makes wise and fair decisions based on
solid facts
Mentors staff and fosters a team
environment
Excels in developing, leading, and
motivating staff
Has a demonstrated record of effective
fiscal management and budgetary
planning
Understands and uses effective
measurement and evaluation methods
The Ideal Candidate
How To Apply
To be considered for this
exciting career opportunity,
please email a letter of
interest, your resume and three
work-related references (who
will not be called until mutual
interest is established) to:
June Garcia
Library Consultant
1195 South Harrison Street
Denver, Colorado 80210
Applications received by
November 16, 2012 will
receive first consideration.
However, this recruitment is
“Open Until Filled.”
Inquiries are welcome. Please
contact June Garcia at
June@JuneGarcia.com or
303 522-2225.
Compensation
The salary range for this at will position is $127,417 – $199,154.
In addition, a generous benefits package is provided which includes:
• Competitive retirement system with full reciprocity with CalPERS.
• Generous vacation, executive leave, and holiday package.
• Competitive health, dental, and life insurance benefits
• 457 (b) Deferred Compensation Plan.
• Tax deferred medical and dependent savings plans.
• Monthly automobile allowance
• Out of area relocation assistance.
The Position
The Library Director is responsible for the planning, development,
organization, and direction of the City Library system
The Library Director is a department head in the unclassified Civil Service and
reports to the City Manager.
A copy of the job description can be found at the
City of San José Human Resources website.
Minimum Qualifications
Any combination of training and experience equivalent to graduation from an
accredited college or university with a Master’s degree in Library Science.
Ten (10) years of increasingly responsible professional librarian work,
including at least four (4) years at the management and policy making level
The City of San José is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
To request an alternative format for printed materials, please call
Renee Bettencourt at 408-808-2156.