DSHS HCLA Adult Protective Service Investigator - Social Service Specialist 3
State of Washington
FreshPosted Feb 24
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Posted: February 24, 2026 (1 day ago)
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Adult Services Librarian
City of Seattle
The Seattle Public Library
Location
Seattle, Washington, 98104
Salary
$44.92 - $54.46
per hour
Type
Full-Time
More Library & Records jobs →Closes
March 7, 2026
Job Description
Summary
This job is for a librarian at the Seattle Public Library's Central Library who focuses on world languages collections and services, helping diverse community members with books, programs, and information both in person and online.
The role involves creating engaging events, maintaining library materials, and ensuring an inclusive space for everyone, including those facing challenges like housing insecurity.
It's ideal for someone passionate about cultural diversity, community building, and public service who enjoys working with people from varied backgrounds.
Key Requirements
- Master's degree in Library Science or equivalent (implied from standard librarian roles)
- Experience working with racially, culturally, and economically diverse communities
- Knowledge of providing programs and services for diverse linguistic communities
- Skills in reference services, readers' advisory, and using tools like LibAnswers
- Commitment to inclusionary, patron-centered practices and amplifying marginalized voices
- Ability to maintain a safe environment using de-escalation principles
- Preferred: Experience with people who are insecurely housed, living with addiction, or mental health needs
Full Job Description
Invitation to Compete #12-26: Adult Services Librarian
World Languages
Central Library, 1000 4th Ave., Seattle, WA 98104
Regular, FLSA non-exempt, benefitted, full-time (80 hours per pay period)
Salary range: $44.92 – $54.46 per hour
Schedule:
Week 1: Wed 9:30am-6:00pm, Thur 11:30am-8:00pm, Fri 9:30am-6pm, Sat OFF, Sun OFF, Mon 9:30am-6:00pm, Tues 9:30am-6:00pm
Week 2: Wed 9:30am-6:00pm, Thur 11:30am-8:00pm, Fri OFF, Sat 9:30am-6:00pm, Sun 9:30-6:00pm, Mon OFF, Tues 9:30am-6:00pm
This schedule is subject to change based on the Library’s current operational need. This position is a member of the bargaining unit represented by AFSCME. A pay period is two weeks in length that starts on Wednesday and ends on Tuesday.
This position is open to the public and employees of The Seattle Public Library. Candidates are asked to submit an application, cover letter and resume in NEOGOV by 5:00 p.m. on March 6, 2026. Please read the How to Apply section of this bulletin for more information.
Overview
The Seattle Public Library is Seattle’s center of information and knowledge and one of the most popular and valued services in the city.
Library staff members are highly regarded by the public for their knowledge, quality of service and dedication.
Staff members are committed to the Library’s organizational values of respect, partnership, engagement, diversity, transparency, and recognition.
They demonstrate these values by fostering partnerships, maintaining open communication, and supporting an inclusive and equitable work environment.
A strategic priority of the Library is to cultivate a culture of innovation that emphasizes creativity, engagement, learning, and staff development.
The Library supports the City of Seattle’s Race and Social Justice Initiative to eliminate institutionalized racism by removing barriers to access, providing opportunities for growth, and ensuring equitable access to Library programs and services.
If you share these values and meet the qualifications, the Library encourages you to apply for the Adult Services Librarian position.
We are seeking a dynamic, community-driven librarian to support the World Languages collections and services at the Central Library.
This librarian will lead projects, develop community-focused programming, maintain collections, and provide basic to advanced reference help and readers’ advisory for Library patrons in person and via LibAnswers.
This position requires a commitment to inclusionary patron-centered practices and amplifying voices from historically marginalized and excluded communities.
The ideal candidate will have experience working with racially, culturally, and economically diverse communities.
They will also have experience providing programs and services for people in diverse linguistic communities.
Writing, editing, and presentation skills are preferred; the ability to provide reference services in non-English languages is an asset.
The successful candidate will be a part of a team of Librarians and Library Associate IVs reporting to an Assistant Managing Librarian.
As a staff member at the Central Library, an Adult Services Librarian is responsible for maintaining a safe and welcoming public environment utilizing principles of de-escalation.
Experience providing service for people who are insecurely housed, or individuals living with addiction or perceived mental health needs, is preferred.
This position will respond to the evolving needs and interest of our communities by facilitating and supporting community-led programs and activities that promote cultural enrichment.
Requirements
- Cultural Competency: Recognition of the need to continually develop and practice cultural competence in customer service, reference services, reader’s advisory, program development, community engagement, teamwork and leadership, especially when working with communities and staff whose lived experience the librarian may not share.
- Programmatic Leadership: Understand how the role of the librarian functions within the context of the system-wide service initiatives and local service delivery. Initiate conversations with staff about service delivery and lead staff, volunteers, patrons, community partners, vendors, etc.
- Operational Leadership: Knowledgeable in the effective use of library facilities, equipment, services, and programming. Cultivate healthy working relationships with colleagues locally and regionally; engaging with them in support of the Library’s programs and services.
Community Engagement and Partnerships: Understand the role of community engagement in identifying community needs and goals, and develop relevant and responsive programs, services, and content that meet those needs.
Engage with community members and organizations to develop and maintain both formal and informal relationships to realize outcomes that further the community’s and Library’s goals.
Understand the importance of bringing Library resources to where people are, both inside the library and spaces in the community.
Reference Services and Readers’ Advisory: Assist patrons of all ages and interests in finding information they need and materials that surprise and delight.
Support system-wide service initiatives and strategic priorities. Develop and deliver local targeted programming for area-specific populations.
Develop and maintain expertise in a wide range of information resources in order to deliver high quality reference and readers’ advisory service in a variety of modes (in person, phone, virtual).
Ensure that information resources and the library collection reflect the range of information needs in the community and effectively serve Seattle’s diverse and growing population.
Program and service design, development, delivery, and evaluation: Commitment to continually support community needs and interests.
Use community information to create relevant programs, services, and content that responds to specific community interests and needs.
Design and deliver relevant training and instruction for the public and library colleagues.
Create and give presentations to colleagues and peers, stakeholders, and/or the Library’s administration to market programming or obtain funding for future programming.
Use evidence-based practices, data-driven decision-making, and outcomes-based evaluation practices to review and ensure programming is meeting expectations.
Project management: Create, execute, and manage all aspects of project planning for designed services delivery including budget, resources, timeline, and outcomes-based evaluation.
Coordinate all administrative and logistical details, such as coordination of volunteers when needed, marketing and advertising, budget tracking, and leading project teams.
Qualifications
- Education: Must have an MLS or MLIS degree from an ALA-accredited library school and Washington State Librarian Certification. (Note: Washington state law prohibits an individual from being hired as a librarian unless they have obtained Washington State Librarian Certification.)
- Information Services: At least one year of experience providing information services to the general public.
- Programming: Minimum of one year experience providing programming to patrons. Demonstrates the ability to develop, plan, implement and evaluate a program using community voice.
- Intellectual Freedom: Applicants must have a strong commitment to intellectual freedom as defined by the American Library Association’s Bill of Rights.
- Race and Social Justice Initiative: Applicants must support the City of Seattle’s Race and Social Justice Initiative and have a strong commitment to providing equitable services to marginalized or underserved populations throughout Seattle.
- Excellent Communication and Interpersonal Skills: Must be able to communicate clearly, diplomatically, and in a friendly and positive manner with staff and library users from diverse language, ethnic, socioeconomic, and cultural backgrounds, as well as with neighborhood-based or special interest groups.
Exemplary Customer Service: Minimum one year of experience providing customer service in person, via online chat, or over the phone; and/or instructional or outreach services to the general public.
The successful candidate will demonstrate a proven commitment to public service and providing exceptional customer service.
Candidates must possess excellent interpersonal communication, problem solving, customer relations, and teamwork skills; a sense of humor; and the ability to demonstrate a positive and enthusiastic commitment to public service.
Project Management and Teamwork Skills: Experience planning programs and designing outreach, developing and implementing a project, and evaluation; preferably using outcome-based evaluation methods.
Experience serving as a member on a working committee or project team in lieu of the above experience may be considered.
Commitment to Continuous Learning: Acquire and maintain the necessary skills to better serve our patrons and help our organization evolve.
A commitment to develop and grow a racial equity practice; this includes but is not limited to focusing on and addressing the emerging needs of specific age groups and understanding the impacts of race and intersectionality in our larger systems, library policy, programs and services
Resiliency: Applicants must be resourceful and prepared to engage with evolving and emerging dynamics in the community as well as the workplace, manage an active dynamic public service environment, and through learning, overcome challenges in ways that respond to patron needs and help the organization move forward.
Must have the ability to maintain a high level of professionalism and customer service while engaging patrons about the Library’s Community Use Agreement, working in public areas, and when confronted by aggressive or challenging patrons.
Leadership: Applicants must be able to utilize their knowledge, skills, and abilities to effect positive change.
They must actively seek out information from the library industry and other industries; pursue opportunities to develop networks with the intent to learn about best practices from other organizations and share The Seattle Public Library’s best practice.
They must take initiative in helping the organization to meet its goals and be able to communicate how the Library is fulfilling its mission.
Technology and Informational Resources: Must have current working knowledge of PCs in a Windows environment and library applications and be able to use online Internet searching methods and information resources.
Familiarity with social media platforms and blogging software is highly desirable. Experience with Horizon library automation or a similar system is preferred.
Other Required Skills and Abilities: Candidates must be flexible, able to handle multiple competing priorities and tasks, adaptable to change, and able to work effectively in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.
An ability to incorporate and apply newer/emerging technologies in support of creative, effective programming, and information services is desirable.
Desired Qualifications
- Fluency in Spanish. This position is eligible for Language Premium Pay.
- Lived experience with or deep experience developing and implementing engagement strategies to support the knowledge, values, and interests of one or more diverse linguistic communities and English Language Learning communities.
- Experience working with people experiencing housing insecurity.
- Experience working with people navigating perceived mental health needs.
- Experience working with people living with addiction.
Additional Information
How to Apply
Candidates who meet the qualifications are asked to submit the following items in NEOGOV by 5:00pm on March 6, 2026. Your application will not be considered if these items are missing or incomplete.
- Complete online application.
- A cover letter that describes how your experience and skills align with the stated job responsibilities and qualifications. Please let us know why you are interested in this position.
- Current resume that summarizes relevant education, professional experience, training and skills.
Applicants will be screened for competitiveness, completeness, and written communication skills. Initial screening will be based on a review of application materials.
The employment history detailed in your application materials MUST validate/support your responses to the supplemental questions.
If your responses cannot be validated, you will not proceed to the next steps of the review/selection process.
The most competitive candidates will be invited to participate in a series of one or more interviews.
Benefits and Salary Information The full salary range for this position is $44.92 – $54.46 per hour.
The City of Seattle offers a comprehensive benefits package including vacation, holiday, and sick leave as well as medical, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability insurance for employees and their dependents.
More information about employee benefits is available on the City's website at: https://www.seattle.gov/human-resources/benefits/employees-and covered family-members/most employees-plans Additional Information If you have questions regarding this bulletin or employment at The Seattle Public Library, please send an email to job.applications@spl.org.
The Library promotes diversity and inclusion in employment. If accommodations are needed during the selection process, please contact us.
Please keep in mind that job offers are contingent on a review of criminal history as well as verification of information provided by the applicant as part of the application process.
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