Manager of Central Youth Services – St. Louis Public Library (Central Library, St. Louis, MO)

Central Library has an opening for a Manager of Central Youth Services position. Our ideal candidate is someone who is a vibrant personality and passionate about public service for children and teens. The Manager of Central Youth Services is someone who is organized and detail-oriented. The role requires someone who can manage numerous projects at once, act as an ambassador for the library during programs and outreach activities, and present a strategic vision for youth services at Central Library. This position advances the Library’s mission as a customer-centered public library by ensuring high-quality and equitable youth programs and services that meet the diverse needs of children and youth in St. Louis while working in a one-of-a-kind 100-year-old library in downtown St. Louis.

In this role you will:

• Lead a team of six in the Children’s Library and Teen Lounge through task direction.
• Plans, executes, and evaluates programming for school-age children, teens, and families within Central, including preparatory work as well as communicating with the Assistant Director of Central Services, Logistics Committee, and Custodial Staff regarding any special needs for Room setup.
• Work with Central Youth Services staff to create a welcoming environment for youth in the Children’s Library and Teen Lounge.
• Provides routine reference, readers’ advisory, and technology assistance, including reference to digital resources for children, young adults, and the adults who accompany them.
• Compile statistics and complete a monthly report of programs and services, in addition to reporting programming attendance numbers.
• Interviews, hires, trains, mentors, and evaluates Central Youth and Teen Services staff. Train new Youth and Teen Specialists (including outreach shadowing, Central orientations).
• Represent the Library at outreach events in the community.
• Provides a written incident report regarding problems with staff, customers, materials, or facilities when warranted, utilizing the PITS software system.
• Provides and schedules tours for schools of the building promoting Central Library, the services, materials, and programs available.
• Promotes programming to customers, including children, teenagers, and adults.
• Prepares and provides deposit collections, both monthly and upon request, for teachers, service providers, and youth-serving customers within Central’s service area.
• Submits replacement orders and customer requests, as well as identify collection needs to the Youth Services Subject Specialist
• Other duties as assigned.

You will need to be:

• Friendly, outgoing, and able to build relationships at all levels.
• Able to balance the big picture with the day-to-day needs of Youth Services.
• Able to develop staff and hold them accountable to expectations.
• Organized, detail-oriented, and able to work with competing tasks and priorities.
• Familiar with Zoom and Google Meet platforms and capable of running online programs.
• Able to speak publicly in order to execute unique and exciting programs.
• Enthusiastic about the mission of public libraries and making a difference in our community.
• A dedicated professional who shares a genuine love of working with children and teens, with a passion for building a love of reading and lifelong learning.
• An innovative individual who is inspired about empowering children to become creative critical thinkers, enthusiastic readers, and skillful researchers.
• Committed to serving St. Louis Public Library’s diverse customer base and developing your own cultural awareness.

You will need to have:

• Master of Library Science degree or equivalent; or four to ten years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Customer Service experience.
• Experience working with children in a professional setting.
• Strong communication, writing, and speaking skills.
• Strong organizational and time management skills.
• Strong technical skills and an understanding of how technology can be incorporated into learning opportunities.

You will get:

• Competitive salary range starting at $44,800
• Medical, dental, and life insurance
• Paid vacation, holidays, and sick days
• Pension plan through the Employees Retirement System of the City of St. Louis
• Professional development

Hours for this position are:

Mon-Wed, 8:30 – 5:30, Thu, 11-8, Alternating Fri & Sat 8-5, occasional Sundays, 1-5

Hours are subject to change.

About SLPL:

St. Louis Public Library is a true urban library, representing the historic center of the St. Louis region: the City of St. Louis.  With its roots in the mid-1800s, St. Louis Public Library has a long history of innovation and service, a large and historic collection including rare books and extensive special collections, and a diverse and dedicated staff.  Our technology is a major resource throughout the City and beyond, and the Library makes an enormous investment in technology annually to keep them state of the art. We operate 17 locations in a relatively small city of 61 square miles.  These range from our magnificent Central Library – one of the world’s great public libraries – to regional and neighborhood libraries that vary in size and design but are centerpieces in their communities.   St. Louis was an early, passionate supporter of library services to children, and that remains a core value and mission.  Outreach into our varied communities, marketing the Library’s remarkable strengths, and working with civic and cultural partners to benefit St. Louisans are all closely held values and goals at the Library.

To apply:

If you are interested in pursuing this opportunity, please apply online and submit your resume and cover letter with your application.