BRIEFING DOCUMENT AND SELECTION PROCESS FOR Branch WITH LIMERICK CITY AND COUNTY COUNCIL

Limerick City and County Council is establishing a panel for the position of Branch Librarian from which permanent and temporary vacancies may be filled.

The Position:

Branch Librarian is an entry-level post within the Service. Branch make a valuable contribution to the provision of the library service centrally and at local branch level by delivering frontline services and by providing support to . The duties of the Branch Librarian shall be consistent with the provision of a modern service that is responsive to the changing requirements of customers of all ages and abilities. The ideal candidate for this post will be a highly motivated person, with drive and commitment to delivering quality public services.

Character

Candidates shall be of good character.

Health

Candidates must be in a state of health such as would indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.

Education, Training, Experience etc. Each candidate must have a good general level of education. It would be desirable if each candidate has a proficiency in the use of Information Technology, e.g. Word, Excel, Outlook, Internet.

Essential Attributes and Skills

 Understanding and dedication to customer services  Energy and enthusiasm with a commitment to the needs of the community  High level of IT proficiency, digital and social media  Strong interest in working with children and young adults and ideally a proficiency with children’s and young adult literature and programming  Strong interpersonal and communications skills

 Organisational and time management  Problem solving  Excellent verbal and written communication, and organisational skills  Community and stakeholder engagement  Strong judgement and capacity to innovate and work on your own initiative and as part of a team.

Work Base:

Limerick City and County Council reserves the right to assign you to any department or premises in use by the Council, now or in the future. Changes in location of employment will not result in payment of disturbance money or other compensation.

When required to do so holders of the office may be required to drive a motor car in the course of their duties and should therefore, hold a full driving licence for class B vehicles free from endorsement, disqualification and medical limitation on driving.

Hours of Work:

The successful candidate will be required to work variable part-time hours over the library's working week, from Monday to Saturday. The successful candidate will be scheduled to work as part of a rota which will include hours on Saturdays and late evenings.

Job Description:

The Branch Librarian is a part-time post in Limerick either managing a part-time branch library or working as part of library team in a main branch. The Branch Librarian reports directly to the Librarian/Executive Librarian.

Responsibilities/Duties

Duties will include but are not limited to:

 Front-line library service duties at a busy public library desk;  Responding to customer queries, including information and requests;  Operating existing and future IT systems - word processing, spreadsheets, database, library systems, e-mail and internet;  Assisting the public in using the public internet, self-service facilities and other Library I.T. equipment;  Assisting in the promotion of the library service through an active role in the organisation and delivery of events – e.g. book clubs; storytelling, class visits, community events & exhibitions;  Branch Relief Work – cover in other locations as required to maintain library branch network opening hours during periods of holiday leave, sick leave, etc.;  General clerical and administrative duties relevant to the Library Service, e.g. processing and RFID tagging of new library stock, cash management, Health & Safety checklist, branch statistics, etc.;  Any other duties that may be assigned as part of the overall functioning of the Library Department.

Salary:

Salary Scale: €12.74 - €21.02 Hourly Rate

Annual increments are payable subject to satisfactory performance.

Pension:

The Local Government Superannuation Scheme applies.

Garda Vetting:

Garda Vetting will be required for all sucessful candidates.

Application Process

Completed application forms must be emailed to [email protected] no later than Monday, 21st December 2020.

An official application form must be completed in full by the closing date for the competition. Please note that amendments to the application form will not be accepted after the closing date.

Please send your application from an email address that you will review regularly as communication during the assessment/selection period will only be through that email address.

Selection Process: Candidates will initially be assessed to ensure that they meet the minimum qualifications set down for this position.

A short list of candidates may be developed from the information contained in their application forms to determine, having regard to the requirements of the position and the number who have applied, if they should be called for interview.

Shortlisting:

While a candidate may meet the eligibility requirements of the competition, if the numbers applying for the position are such that it would not be practical to interview everyone, Limerick City and County Council may decide that a number only will be invited to same. In this respect, Limerick City and County Council provides for the employment of a short listing process to select a group for interview who, based on an examination of the application forms, appear to be the most suitable for the position. An expert board will examine the application forms against pre-determined criteria based on the requirements of the position. This is not to suggest that other candidates are necessarily unsuitable or incapable of undertaking the job, rather that there are some candidates, who based on their application, appear to be better qualified and/or have more relevant experience. It is therefore in your own interest to provide a detailed and accurate account of your relevant qualifications/ experience on the application form.

Competitive Interview:

Selection will be by means of a competition based on an interview conducted by or on behalf of the local authority.

A panel may be formed on the basis of such interview. Candidates whose names are on a panel and who satisfy the local authority that they possess the qualifications declared for the post and that they are otherwise suitable for appointment may within the life of the panel be appointed as appropriate permanent, temporary and casual vacancies arise.

Competencies for the Post

Key competencies for the post include the following and candidates will be expected to demonstrate sufficient evidence within their application form of competence under each heading.

Please take particular note of these when completing the application form as any short-listing or interview processes will be based on the information provided by candidates.

Delivering Results

 Knowledge and understanding of the Library Authority, the Library (200 Marks) Service and its functions.  Plans work and resources effectively.  Implements high quality service and customer care standards.  Makes decisions in a timely and well informed manner.

Performance Management and Team work

 Understands own role and personal contribution to the workplace. (200 Marks)  Works as part of a team to ensure delivery of plans and schedules.  Has a strong team ethic of co-operation and mutual support.

Communicating Effectively

 Demonstrate strong communication skills both written and verbal. (200 Marks)  Ability to communicate well with a wide range of stake holders.  Maintains positive, productive and beneficial working relationships with colleagues and management.

Personal Effectiveness

 Takes initiative and is proactive when he/she sees opportunity to make (200 Marks) a contribution.  Manages time and workload effectively.  Maintains a positive, constructive and enthusiastic attitude to their role.

Candidates who are short-listed for interview may be assessed on at least some of the above competencies. Candidates at interview must achieve a minimum 50% of the total marks available in each of the competencies to qualify for inclusion on a panel.