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Exempt: No
Department: Circulation Services
Reports To: Manager, Circulation Services
Location: Fayetteville Public Library
Rate of Pay: Starting at $12 per hour | 20 hours per week
Benefits: Paid Time Off (Holiday, Sick, Vacation)
Safety Sensitive: No
As a library services generalist, you help create an experience that makes our community say, "I love Fayetteville Public Library!" When you work at FPL, you are working alongside a dedicated team that brings their passion and pride to all that they do. You share your technical and product knowledge with patrons and other staff, contributing to the overall success of the library. You relate easily to others, building rapport and collaborative relationships with both the staff and patrons. You are able to communicate and interact with all patrons, create a welcoming and inclusive experience, are a good listener and enjoy working with people. You have a passion for what you do and enrich the patron's experience by using your knowledge to determine the patron's needs and exceed their expectations. You are comfortable in a changing environment, with multitasking, and with learning new systems and procedures.
1. Proactively greet and establish rapport with patrons, enthusiastically engaging them in conversations about all of our materials and services. Provide exemplary customer service in-person at service desks and at all locations throughout the library. Answer directional and general questions about library programs and services and refer callers and visitors to the appropriate staff member or service desk.
2. Effectively communicate to patrons regarding a variety of topics including, but not limited to, library products and services, policies, responsibilities, and code of conduct. Blend creativity, problem solving and decision making to positively impact the customer experience, de-escalate any negative situations, and resolve customer questions and concerns.
3. Ask open ended questions to assess, understand and ascertain the customer needs, determine how to tailor your approach, and provide recommendations using your institutional knowledge to connect our customer with the right solution. This includes complex patron inquiries such as payment plans, the claims return process, equipment check out/in, damaged items process, meeting room renter check in/out process and routine technical assistance with AV systems.
4. Check-out, check-in and renew all materials, including atypical items such as electronics and tools, using the integrated library system.
5. Accurately conduct financial transactions in cash, check or credit/debit card, and using an online point-of-sale system.
6. Maintain patron database with precision and attentiveness to detail. Register patrons and update library accounts ensuring patron privacy and confidentiality of patron information per Arkansas State Statute 13.2.7.
7. As assigned, notify customers of damaged or missing parts, coordinate returns and assess fees on patron account, initiate patron notification of overdue items, fees, and requested items.
8. Locate, process and shelve item holds for patron pickup, notify patrons of held items for pickup status, and assist them in finding items on the shelves and/or items in the shelving status in the sorting room.
9. Correctly shelve library materials according to the Dewey Decimal system or alphabet (according to shelving guidelines) to ensure that internal and external customers can locate materials. Straighten, maintain and check item shelf order and rearrange library materials as needed to ensure proper order. Shift library collections as needed to ensure browseability.
10. Assist in seamless execution of the sorting room by operating the automated conveyor with multi-bin sorting system and supporting computers using established safety procedures, including system settings for opening and closing, and responding to conveyor malfunctions.
11. Unload items from book drops, sorting bins, and other locations, sort and transfer items to appropriate locations, load book trucks and determine shelving priorities, check returned materials for missing parts, damage and needed repairs, and route according to procedure.
12. Unload and process items collected from remote return locations and other library systems.
13. Sort, analyze and process items rejected by sorting system.
14. Recover and straighten the library during each shift, including but not necessarily limited to gathering and picking up items, straightening bookcases, and performing other library housekeeping tasks as required.
15. Assist with searching for and locating materials reported as returned or otherwise misplaced.
16. Display excellent time management skills, attention to detail, problem solving skills, strong organizational skills and the ability to work proactively to balance multiple tasks and prioritize work. Complete work at an appropriate pace with a sense of urgency.
17. Assist with library services, programs and outreach opportunities as needed.
18. Help orient new staff, ensuring a smooth acclimation to the library and our culture. Train staff members as assigned.
19. Keep abreast of changing technologies such as apps and databases to answer simple patron questions.
20. Conduct special projects as assigned.
21. Represent your department on various library committees as assigned.
22. Protect library assets and ensure building security by monitoring security gates, adhering to library policies, and following appropriate closing procedure.
23. Assume personal responsibility for building maintenance and solving minor issues and problems.
24. Perform any other related duties as required or assigned.
All library positions require customer-focused service to both internal and external customers, flexibility, teamwork, punctual and regular attendance, and compliance with all applicable local, state, and federal laws.
1. High school or GED, plus specialized schooling and/or on the job education in a specific skill area; e.g. data processing, clerical/administrative, equipment operation, etc.; plus 0 to 6 months related experience and/or training, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
2. Minimum age to meet AOSH requirements for working near an automated conveyor and sorting system.
3. Basic computer and software skills including the ability to learn the library's automation and inventory system.
4. Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, and percentages. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, ratios and proportions to practical situations.
5. Ability to operate standard office equipment, including a telephone, printer, copier, scanner, fax machine and hand-held radio.
6. Basic library skills including the ability to alphabetize a set of books or library materials by title or author; accurately file and put a set of books or other library materials in alphanumeric order.
7. Minimum mechanical skills including the ability to learn how to operate basic functions of an automated conveyor and sorting system, and work in the conveyor area.
1. Ability to work a flexible schedule as assigned that includes evenings, weekends and holiday shifts is required.
2. Ability to work both independently and as an effective and valued team member.
3. Strong organizational, time management and interpersonal skills.
4. Ability to learn and carry out emergency procedures.
5. Multilingual skills a plus.
The following physical activities described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions and expectations.
While performing the functions of this job, the employee is continuously required to stand, walk, use hands to handle or feel, reach with hands and arms; regularly required to talk or hear; frequently required to sit; and occasionally required to climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds; frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and color vision.
1. Ability to tolerate moderate noise that comes from an office environment with typical HVAC performance, constant visitors, telephone calls, computers and printers; ability to tolerate increased noise during library programs.
2. Ability to occasionally work near mechanical equipment including the book conveyor and sorting system, and mechanical lift for walkup book drop.
Please send completed application, availability sheet, résumé and cover letter to:
Email fplhr@faylib.org
OR
HR Department
Fayetteville Public Library
401 W. Mountain Street
Fayetteville, AR 72701
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