Library Specialist (Part-time, Gunbarrel)

Boulder’s newest library is set to open in late 2025 in Gunbarrel. We are seeking enthusiastic, creative, and customer-service-oriented library paraprofessionals who are eager to help establish a brand-new library branch!

The BPLD is committed to advancing equity in our diverse community by providing accessible programs, print and digital materials, tools and technology, and educational opportunities. Across our five current locations, we are proud to offer resources such as a makerspace, art galleries, outdoor learning areas, a multimedia local history archive, community literacy programs, and a theater.

Boulder Public Library strives to be a safe and welcoming place for all staff and patrons alike. Through outreach, community partnerships, and volunteer-driven programs, we seek to adapt our services to those who may experience barriers to visiting our physical locations.

We circulate more than 1.5 million items annually, but we believe that a library is more than a place to borrow free materials. As a vital civic space, we provide opportunities for our more than 500,000 yearly visitors to study, host meetings, be introduced to new people or experiences, and connect to essential local services.

Our employees are part of a vibrant, uplifting workplace culture that honors the joy and commitment of meaningful public service, while still caring for the needs of the individual. Our work is highly collaborative, adaptive, inquisitive, and is always ongoing. We are passionate individuals with diverse backgrounds, interests, and experiences, and we are dedicated to our mission of connecting people, ideas, and information to transform lives and strengthen our community.

Job Summary: The Library Specialist is a member of an inclusive and collaborative team that models the library’s customer service philosophy and values-based service. Library Specialists create a welcoming environment for patrons by greeting them and responding to their requests for service. They assist patrons with their information needs, coordinate programs, and perform outreach activities. Library Specialists may be temporarily assigned to work shifts at other libraries.

Essential Functions:

• Provides reference, reader’s advisory, technology, research databases, and library account assistance to patrons at public service desks, by phone, which may be in the call center and throughout the library. (70%)
• Plans, provides, and evaluates outreach activities and programs, which may include story times. (15%)
• Maintains library collection by creating book displays, suggesting new books for purchase, and weeding. (10%)
• Serves as Person in Charge with a focus on resolving library issues through de-escalation. (5%)

Additional Responsibilities:

• Performs opening and closing duties at the library facility and provides other backup support to colleagues as needed.
• Communicates effectively with team members to ensure efficient operations.
• Prioritizes tasks and shifts attention as needed to complete daily work.
• Assists the manager in training new employees, substitutes, interns, and volunteers.
• Takes proper safety precautions to prevent accidents. Responsible for the safety of self, others, materials, and equipment. Uses all required safety equipment and follows all safety regulations, policies, and procedures. Reports all accidents and damage to library property.

This is a 20-hour-per-week, non-exempt, at-will role. 

Health and Wellness Benefits

• Group medical, dental, and vision benefits to employees who work 20 hours or more per week
• Lifestyle Spending Account for all benefit-eligible employees
• Employer paid basic life and long-term disability insurance
• Employer-paid employee assistance program for employees and their household members
• Health Savings or Flexible Spending Accounts for all benefit-eligible employees
• Voluntary, employee-paid, group accident, critical illness, and hospital indemnity plans for all benefit-eligible employees
• Employees who work 20 hours or more per week are eligible to take up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave following the birth of an employee’s child or the placement of a child with an employee for adoption or foster care
• Infant at Work Program

Time-off Benefits

• New employees accrue 4 weeks of paid vacation
• 80 hours of paid sick leave per year for employees who work 20 hours or more per week
• 12 paid holidays and 3 floating holidays
• Time off for jury duty, bereavement, and voting
• Pet adoption leave
• New grandparent leave

Helping Your Future

• Public Employee Retirement Association of Colorado (PERA) Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined Contribution Plan
• PERA 401(k) Plan
• Tuition reimbursement program and student debt repayment assistance
• Paid training and professional development

Library Perks

• Easy access to unlimited resources—including books, movies, programs, digital technology, and more

Minimum Qualifications:

• Education and experience: Bachelor’s degree and at least two years of work or volunteer experience in a library, or an equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• General skills: Self-directed and collaborative. Demonstrated interpersonal, communication, organizational, and leadership skills. Skilled with cash handling.
• Technical skills: Intermediate skills in using personal computers, performing data entry, and using information databases.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Spanish language skills and/or experience working with patrons from a variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

Working Conditions:

Primarily physical work with repetitive handling of items, frequent walking and standing, occasional lifting of items up to 40 pounds, and occasional pushing of wheeled carts over 100 pounds.

Work may include extended periods of viewing a computer monitor and operating a keyboard. Requires sufficient manual dexterity that permits the employee to operate a computer, office, and library equipment. Sufficient personal mobility and physical reflexes, which permit the employee to work in a multilevel facility. Seeing, hearing, and speaking are required.

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Please apply by 4 pm on August 18th, 2025.

If selected for an interview, please be prepared to present for 5 minutes on one of the following (your choice):

1. Read aloud a Storytime book for children
2. Book talk for any age group
3. Program proposal for any age group

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Application Accommodations

BPLD is committed to advancing equity in our diverse community, and jobs are one great way for us to do this. Please let us know if you require accommodations due to a disability to apply for this position.

Examples of this could include: providing a paper copy of the application, emailing the interview questions to you in advance, or reading the application to an applicant with a visual impairment. This is not an exhaustive list.

Please note a few things:

• If you need more time to complete any sections of the application, we recommend using a word processing document or text file to fill out the answers. The system times out after 30 minutes and does not retain your information. Having it in a word processing document will help in case you need to copy and paste the information back into the application. There is a 1000-character limit for responses to those questions.
• Uploading documents and qualifications can impact the formatting of your resume. We will not discount your application if Paylocity transcription alters the formatting.

Reach us at [email protected], and we will work with you to determine if we can accommodate your request.