Description

OVERVIEW

The Texas State Law Library is seeking a reference librarian at any stage of their career to join our team! We are looking for an applicant interested in research and customer service to help Spanish-speaking Texans learn about their legal rights. Experienced law librarians are welcome to apply, as are early career librarians wishing to build their reference skills while in graduate school. Salary will be commensurate with skills and experience.

For early career librarians, this position will allow students or recent graduates to build work experience and gain skills they can use as they embark on their professional careers. They will be given a thorough legal reference training course taught by the Library’s Director. Upon completion, they will staff the reference desk for a daily shift and assist the other librarians with answering reference questions via email. They will work under the guidance of experienced reference librarians, including but not limited to the Director. Cross-training in other areas of the library will be available depending on their interests. Appropriate increases in responsibility and salary are available upon graduation from a library degree program. 

This position has the opportunity for limited work-from-home scheduling after a six-month probationary period.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

As a member of the Texas State Law Library team, serves as an information consultant to judicial and state agency staff and to the general public. SLL reference librarians play a critical role in increasing access to justice for Texas citizens by connecting patrons with information about their legal rights and referring them to resources for more assistance. The Spanish Language Reference Librarian will serve as a point of contact for Spanish-speaking Texans with questions about the law. This position will develop guides and online resources in Spanish identifying sources of legal information and assistance for those who prefer communicating in Spanish. They will perform outreach to organizations who assist Spanish-speaking Texans to promote awareness of our services. In cooperation with the Web Content team, they will consult on the Spanish translation of portions of our English website. This position will serve professional and self-represented patrons directly by email, telephone, and in person. 

ESSENTIAL TASKS 

• Provides reference assistance in both English and Spanish in person, via email, or by telephone at scheduled hours.
• Conducts in-depth research using primary and secondary sources.
• Uses online circulation system to check materials in and out of the library.
• Handles cash and credit card transactions for patrons.
• Assists patrons with computers, printers, photocopiers, and scanners.
• Assists in developing online research aids and creates instructional materials (FAQs, videos) for patrons using library resources remotely, in English and Spanish.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Fluency in Spanish and familiarity with Spanish legal terminology.
• Completion or planned completion of a MLS program at a library school accredited by the American Library Association.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office software and practices, especially Outlook.
• Excellent communication skills with a demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Ability to tailor communications based on patron’s literacy level.
• Experience providing reference services to the public.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Customer service experience.
• Experience searching records in Koha or another integrated library system (ILS).
• Experience using and troubleshooting the OverDrive e-book platform.
• Experience troubleshooting computer software and hardware.
• Demonstrated interest in law librarianship as a career path.
• Experience providing legal reference services to the public in a law library setting.
• Translation experience in a professional setting.