Bilingual Russian Library Assistants Job at Multnomah County in Gresham

Current employees: Please apply through the employee portal to be considered for this opportunity.

Pay Range: $28.47 - $34.80 Hourly

Department: Library Department

Job Type: Regular Represented

Exemption Status: United States of America (Non-Exempt)

Closing Date: October 19, 2025

The Opportunity:

Creating welcoming spaces that reflect our diverse and multicultural community.

At Multnomah County Library, one of our goals is to create welcoming spaces that reflect our diverse and multicultural community. To do so, we actively seek out diverse candidates who have a desire to bring their lived and learned experiences to work every day in order to serve the greater community.

Would you like to join us?

Multnomah County Library is actively seeking customer service professionals to join us as Bilingual Russian Library Assistants. We have both full and part-time positions available.

As a Bilingual Russian Library Assistant, your primary responsibility will be connecting internal and external patrons with the information they seek, while building professional relationships with those patrons and delivering exceptional service in support of a library location.

Your other duties may include, but are not limited to:

• Providing excellent patron, informational, and account management service to a diverse spectrum of customers of all ages and backgrounds in English and Russian.
• Responding to information requests and circulation questions through various channels in order to answer questions, locate information, or refer questions elsewhere as appropriate.
• Help patrons become aware of, learn about, access and use electronic/digital/virtual library resources including databases, online services, and the public computers available in our locations.
• Interpreting information for patrons and staff from Russian to English or English to Russian.
• Providing readers’ advisory services that include using the catalog and other resources.
• Conducting customer service conversations and reference interviews with all patrons to determine their needs.
• Maintaining, troubleshooting and reporting issues with equipment and software such as computers, copiers, print management, internet sign up, fax/scan stations, checkout stations, credit card payment machines, cash registers, Automated Materials Handling machine, and other devices.
• Supporting a safe and welcoming library experience by maintaining an awareness of the environment, collaborating with coworkers, supporting incident response, and actively building relationships with patrons.
• Assisting with the selection, weeding and replacement of materials in the collection.
• Collaborating with systemwide teams, regional and location teams to assist with planning, delivering & evaluating services, programming and outreach for a variety of cultural groups of all ages with focus on Russian-speaking communities and based on community feedback.
• Providing location support for systemwide programming such as Summer Reading, large cultural events or Everybody Reads.
• Preparing and presenting storytimes and/or facilitating programs and services to all ages.
• Building and maintaining professional relationships with patrons in library locations.
• Training, mentoring and orienting staff and volunteers in current library skills, practices and resources.
• Supporting a location by providing help with scheduling, purchasing, supplies, inventory, booking meeting rooms, tracking facilities requests.
• Keeping library facilities organized, safe, and neat and returning materials to the appropriate location in a timely fashion.
• Opening and/or closing a library location for service/hours of operations, turning equipment on or off, and ensuring the setting is organized and safe for operations.
• Opting to serve as person-in-charge of the location in the absence of a manager.
• Other duties as assigned.

The library is open and welcoming to all members of our community, including individuals who may be encountering hardships or challenges that affect their behavior and interactions.

Multnomah County Library is committed to supporting our communities of color and other communities subjected to marginalization by centering race and intersectionality in the services we provide.

As a member of our team, all staff are expected to act as allies to library staff and patrons from communities of color and other groups subjected to marginalization by:

• Speaking up to support staff and patrons subjected to marginalization.
• Speaking out against racism and oppression.
• Demonstrating behavior that is culturally aware and sensitive.

To Qualify

We will consider any combination of relevant work experience, volunteering, education, and transferable skills as qualifying unless an item or section is labeled required.

Minimum Qualifications/Transferable Skills:

• Associate's degree or the equivalent years of experience.
• Two years of customer service experience.
• Ability to speak, read, and write fluently in Russian as well as English.
• Thorough knowledge of and/or extensive experience with the Russian speaking community, demonstrated by knowledge of the traditions, values, and customs of the community being served.
• Ability to pass a criminal records check, should a job offer be extended.

Preferred Qualifications/Transferable Skills:

• One year of experience working in a library setting.
• Experience serving in a leadership role.
• Experience serving as person-in-charge of a location or facility.
• Experience with programming, such as teaching classes or performing outreach.

The Selection Process:

We expect to evaluate candidates for this recruitment as follows:

• Initial review of minimum qualifications.
• An evaluation of application materials to identify the most qualified candidates.
• Consideration of top candidates/interviews.

Multnomah County is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran or protected veteran status, genetic information and other legally protected characteristics.