The New York Public Library is hiring: Managing Librarian, Jail and Prison Servi

Overview

The New York Public Library fulfills a mandate to serve populations including incarcerated New Yorkers, homeless populations, people with special needs, veterans and older adults. The Managing Librarian of the Jail and Prison Services Department manages book loan service at New York City Department of Corrections (DOC) facilities, programming at State and Federal Prisons, annual editing and publishing of a reentry resource guide Connections, and works to advance the mission of The New York Public Library by providing access to resources and learning opportunities to people with limited access. A primary responsibility will be to serve currently and formerly incarcerated people, but this librarian will also be expected to identify overlapping services to other populations the Library serves.

Department: Branch Libraries

Location: Andrew Heiskell Library

Compensation: $85,000 - $93,000 / year

Responsibilities

• Own:
  • Management of outreach initiatives to local jails, prisons and other institutions that assist incarcerated or formerly incarcerated individuals or groups
  • Supervision of Jail and Prison Services team
  • Reference By Mail letter-writing service for incarcerated individuals
• Teach:
  • Best practices to Jail and Prison Services team
  • Branch library volunteers when onboarding them for service to jails and prisons
  • Attendees at professional conferences and other special events
• Learn:
  • Best practices for serving diverse high-needs populations
  • Departmental funding structures and budgets
• Improve:
  • Access to as many incarcerated and formerly incarcerated groups and individuals as possible
• Within 1 month:
  • Learn from team members regarding team initiatives and processes and individual projects
  • Visit local jails and prisons
• Within 3 months:
  • Become familiar with Jail and Prison Services departmental funding and budgets
• Within 6 months and beyond:
  • Make any necessary improvements to departmental workflows
  • Become involved in advocacy initiatives at NYPL and with partner departments within other local library systems

Required Education, Experience & Skills

Required Education & Certifications

• ALA-accredited Master’s degree in Library and Information Studies
• Valid driver's license

Required Experience

• 1-3 years of experience managing a library or library educational programs and services
• Collection development experience

Required Skills

• Strong commitment to public service and the ability to work well with diverse groups
• Strong interpersonal skills, demonstrated oral and written communication skills, and the ability to handle detail oriented work
• Successfully demonstrated ability to work well under pressure, monitor budgets, meet deadlines and perform detailed work accurately
• Demonstrated reliability, flexibility and ability to work effectively within different organizational structures
• Excellent project management and leadership skills
• Knowledge of key trends, policy and research related to services to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals
• Demonstrated library advocacy skills

Managerial/Supervisory Responsibilities

• Supervision and performance management of Jail and Prison Services team (8.5 FTE)
• Primary coordinator with local jails and prisons to facilitate visits

Work Environment

• Departmental office at NYPL
• Department of Corrections facilities

Physical Duties

• Requires bending, stooping, reaching, pushing, pulling and lifting/moving 50 pounds and up

Schedule

• 35 hours a week, Monday-Friday, 9:00-5:00 (with some variations)