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Serving Youth at Madison Public Library (MPL)

Madison Public Library offers resources, experiences, and spaces for youth, with the goal of developing lifelong learners, self-advocates and engaged community members. The Library provides free and equitable access to cultural and educational content that celebrate ideas, promote creativity, connect people, and enrich lives.

How We Serve Youth

Madison Public Library is dedicated to serving all youth in Madison with access to diverse collections, safe community spaces, programming and technology. All library staff play a role in providing superior service and access to resources for the youth and families in Madison. Youth Services Librarians strive to offer extended access to targeted underserved and underrepresented populations and groups.

About This Position

This full-time Youth Services Librarian position is a permanent position based out of the Meadowridge Library and will serve youth on the Westside of Madison. This position will focus on collaborations with many key community partners as well as working with neighborhood residents and the Neighborhood Resource Team (NRT) to identify community needs and develop engaging learning opportunities for youth and families in this neighborhood.

The Meadowridge Youth Services Librarian will coordinate, collaborate and work closely with the Meadowridge Library Branch Supervisor and staff to provide assistance and programming for youth both inside and outside of the library building. This position is also part of an exceptional citywide Youth Services team who strategically coordinate services throughout all nine Madison neighborhood libraries and in outreach locations across the City of Madison.

About You

You have a passion for working with children, ages birth to 17, and their caregivers, in creative and engaging ways that promote literacy and learning. Equally, you have a passion for working with the community and developing relationships with people and organizations. You are flexible, and can plan and carry out programs and services. You have a deep commitment to principles of racial equity, inclusion, and social justice. You have a good understanding of library practices and principles. You are a good communicator, both in writing and in speech.

About The Madison Public Library

The Madison Public Library is an award-winning library system, dedicated to celebrating ideas, promoting creativity, connecting people, and enriching lives. Working for Madison Public Library means working alongside a highly talented and truly outstanding group of people. And, we don't just excel in traditional library services: The Bubbler has received national attention for taking the makerspace concept into new and exciting directions; our Youth Services Librarians are teaching educators, home-visiting nurses and neighborhood center staff about literacy best-practices for youth; and Community Engagement Librarians are collaborating with local experts to offer classes for businesses, job skills, and technology classes for adults. Our spaces also shine, with a new community kitchen supporting youth nutrition and community meals at our Meadowridge Library, while the fully equipped Media Lab in our Central Library uses experts in the field to teach everything from audio engineering to video game design to Photoshop. Madison Public Library is bigger than our buildings, though – our focus is community engagement and empowerment – both within and outside the library walls. We are in the business of changing lives.

This posting may be used to fill other Youth Services vacancies, both part- and full-time, that occur in this classification over the next six months.

IMPORTANT: THERE ARE 2 SUPPLEMENTAL ESSAY QUESTIONS ON THE JOB POSTING.
YOU MUST ATTACH YOUR ANSWERS IN THE ATTACHMENTS SECTION OF YOUR APPLICATION.

**APPLICATIONS RECEIVED WITHOUT ATTACHED ESSAY RESPONSES WILL BE ELIMINATED FROM CONSIDERATION.

We strongly encourage Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and those from other underrepresented groups to apply.

PROGRAMMING: In the Library – Plan, implement and evaluate programming in the library to meet the diverse needs of youth in Madison, including children ages birth to 17 and their caregivers. In the Community – Collaborate with youth-serving and family-focused community partners, especially those who serve families who may otherwise lack access or opportunity, to develop meaningful programs.

PARTNERSHIPS: In the Library – Programming and services to youth will be done in collaboration with the MPL Youth Services Team, as well as Meadowridge Library staff. Help build and support an environment in the library wherein all staff are engaged with and supporting services to youth and families.

In the Community – Develop & maintain relationships with youth-serving and family-focused community partners, and those with resources of interest to the youth population.