Library Page (Part-Time)

Our diverse and inclusive workforce of more than 7,000 employees play a key role in the success of San José, the heart of the Silicon Valley. All City of San José employees work together as one team to make San José a vibrant, innovative, and desirable place to live and work. Visit here to learn more about our One Team Leadership Values and Expectations, including quality and excellent customer service and here to learn more about San José.

The City of San José is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants for all job openings will be considered without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status or any other consideration made unlawful under any federal, state or local laws. The City of San José is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to job applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at 408-535-1285, 711 (TTY) , or via email at CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov .

About the Department

The award-winning San José Public Library (SJPL) consists of more than 600 employees, a 23% bilingual workforce, and has 24 branch libraries across San José, in addition to the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, which is the city’s main library jointly operated through a unique partnership with San José State University. SJPL serves a diverse community of roughly one-million residents and currently has nearly 700,000 library members. It annually attracts over 6 million visitors (pre-pandemic) and circulates more than 8 million items per year.

Over the past few years, SJPL has cultivated a 21st century library experience dedicated to public service and committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion at the core. In addition to providing library services to the community, SJPL proudly leads two citywide initiatives - the Education and Digital Literacy Strategy and the SJ Access digital equity initiative, which has become the number one provider of free public access to Wi-Fi connectivity, tech device lending, and multi-lingual digital literacy programs and support. SJPL is led by Jill Bourne, City Librarian, who was nationally recognized in 2017 as Library Journal’s “Librarian of the Year.”

SJPL enriches lives by fostering lifelong learning and ensuring that every member of the community has access to a vast array of ideas and information. The library department is a place where people do great work and make a difference in our community. To see examples of SJPL’s work and learn more about its impact, visit www.sjpl.org. Join us to make a difference!

Position Duties

The San José Public Library is looking to fill openings across all our branch locations and units. Library Pages selected will be scheduled to work 16 hours per week on a year-round regular basis. The days and hours assigned will vary depending on location and the scheduling needs of that branch/unit. The schedule may include evening, Saturday, and Sunday shifts.

Library Pages are responsible for providing direct customer service and handling library materials. This can include the following: Filing materials on the shelves quickly and accurately, providing assistance at the customer service desk, assisting in maintaining an orderly and welcoming environment, answering questions from customers in person and over the phone, explaining library policies and procedures, addressing challenging customer behaviors, conducting basic searches on library catalogues, checking materials in/out, helping customers register for a borrower's card, collecting fines, interacting with and working well with other team members.

These positions require pushing or pulling carts loaded with materials; packing, unpacking and transporting shipment boxes; reaching, bending, and stooping to put materials on low and high shelves; actively moving for several hours at a time, retrieving items from deep bins, and standing for periods of time.

Bilingual skills preferred.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this, or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment.

Minimum Qualifications

These qualifications are typically required. An equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to satisfactorily perform the duties of the job may be substituted.)

Education and Experience
Completion of two (2) years of high school.

Special Qualification: A work permit is required, at the time of hire, for persons under 18 years of age.

Other Qualifications

The ideal candidate will possess the following competencies, as demonstrated in past and current employment history. Desirable competencies for this position include:

Job Expertise - Demonstrates knowledge of and experience with applicable professional/technical principles and practices, Citywide and departmental procedures/policies and federal and state rules and regulations.

Communication Skills - Effectively conveys information and expresses thoughts and facts clearly, orally and in writing; demonstrates effective use of listening skills; displays openness to other people's ideas and thoughts.

Computer Skills - Experienced with common business computer applications including but not limited to: MS Outlook, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, MS Access, and MS Excel.

Customer Service - Demonstrates the ability to anticipate customers' needs and deliver services effectively and efficiently using professional demeanor.

Flexibility - Makes effective decisions and achieves desired results in the midst of major changes in responsibilities, work processes, timeframes, performance expectations, organizational culture, or work environment.

Multi-Tasking - Can handle multiple projects and responsibilities simultaneously; has handled a wide variety of assignments in past and/or current position(s).

Reliability - Completes quality work assignments in a timely and efficient manner; fulfills responsibilities and maintains confidentiality as appropriate.

Teamwork & Interpersonal Skills - Develops effective relationships with co-workers and supervisors by helping others accomplish tasks and using collaboration and conflict resolution skills.

Selection Process

The selection process will consist of an evaluation of the applicant's training and experience based on the application and responses to the Job Specific Questions. Only the candidates whose backgrounds best match the position will be invited to proceed in the selection process. Additional phases of the selection process will consist of one or more interviews, one of which may include a practical/writing exercise.

You must answer all job-specific questions to be considered for this vacancy or your application will be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration.
1. Please indicate if you completed at least two (2) years of high school or the equivalent:

• Yes
• No

2. Please indicate your experience in the following areas: (Select all that apply)

• Checking materials in/out
• Alphabetical filing
• Numerical filing
• Pushing or pulling heavy items
• Sorting items
• Packing/unpacking bins or boxes
• Shelving/stocking items
• Operating a cash register
• Answering telephones in a professional setting
• None of the above

3. Please indicate your experience in the following areas: (Select all that apply)

• Customer Service
• Working as part of a team
• Working or volunteering in a fast-paced environment
• None of the above

4. Please indicate your customer service skills/experience in the following areas. (Select all that apply)

• Interacting with the public
• Locating materials for customers
• Answering questions
• Explaining policies/procedures
• Looking for and providing information
• Giving directions/instructions
• Referring to correct person/location
• Handling difficult situations and/or taking complaints
• None of the above

5. Please indicate if you are fluent in any of the languages below: (select all that apply)

• Spanish
• Vietnamese
• Cantonese
• Mandarin
• Other
• None of the above

6. Please indicate your availability to work: (select all that apply)

• At least sixteen hours a week
• At least three days per week
• At least four hours a day, typically between 8:00 am - 9:00 pm
• None of the above

7. Are you available to work Saturdays and some Sundays:

• Yes
• No

8. Can you work at any of the City's 24 library branches or the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library? (For a complete list of the branches, go to SJPL Locations )

• Yes
• No

9. Please indicate your work or volunteer experience in the following areas: (select all that apply)

• In a Library
• In a library-like setting such as bookstore or retail environment
• None of the above

10. In your response to question 9, please describe your responsibilities and indicate the organization where you earned this experience.

11. Please describe a time when you were part of a successful team. What was your role and what made the team successful?

12. Please describe your experience working or volunteering in a fast-paced environment.

If you have questions about the duties of these positions, please email Daniel Aholt at Daniel.Aholt@sjlibrary.org.

Additional Information

This classification is covered by the living wage policy and pay is now $27.77 an hour for this part-time unbenefited position instead of the posted amount.

Employees in this classification are represented by Municipal Employee's Federation (MEF), AFSCME, Local No. 101.

The application deadline is 11:59 PM on Thursday May 1, 2025. Please allow adequate time to complete the application and submit before the deadline or the system may not save your application. If your online application was successfully submitted, you will receive an automatic confirmation email to the email address you provided. IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE THE CONFIRMATION, please email CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov and we will research the status of your application.

Please note that applications are currently not accepted through CalOpps or any other third-party job board application system. To apply, applicants must complete an application via the City of San Jose’s website at www.sanjoseca.gov/citycareers.

Additional Information:

Employment Eligibility: Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in this country. Please be informed that the City of San Jose will NOT sponsor, represent or sign any documents related to visa applications/transfers for H1-B or any other type of visa which requires an employer application.

You must answer all job-specific questions to be considered for this vacancy or your application will be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Applicants are expected to write their own essays/responses. Please be advised that use of AI content in your responses may result in your removal from the hiring process.

Please note that applications are currently not accepted through CalOpps or any other third party job board application system.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this, or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment.

Please allow adequate time to complete the application and submit before the deadline or the system may not save your application. If your online application was successfully submitted, you will receive an automatic confirmation email to the email address you provided. IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE THE CONFIRMATION, please email CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov and we will research the status of your application.

Part-time positions(less than 40 hours per week) are required to participate in the City’s PTC 457 Deferred Compensation Plan per Federal regulations. Employees are required to contribute 3.75% of gross earning and the City contributes a matching amount of 3.75%. The funds contributed by the City are 100% vested upon initial deferral and will be held in in a stability of principal investment. This plan is in lieu of social security and does not include any healthcare benefits or contributions.

Part-time employees may elect to contribute additional retirement savings through the City’s Voluntary 457 Deferred Compensation Plan. Additional Information on both plans can be found on the City’s website.

Closing Date/Time: 5/1/2025 11:59 PM Pacific

• 

• City of San Jose

• 408-535-1285

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