Job Opportunities
This request is soliciting written proposals from professionally qualified contractors to provide services to Providence Public Library (PPL) to develop a fully immersive DEI implementation plan for the organization.
I. Introduction
In PPL’s 2020 Strategic Plan, we recognized the opportunity to strengthen our DEI practices and invest in DEI throughout our organization. The Board and staff recognized that the institution is in the early stages of the journey to more deeply focus on DEI across the work of the Library. We see this work as both internal to the organization, and outward facing. Increasingly our partners and collaborators are also undertaking these efforts and there is an opportunity to create opportunities for shared learning and evolution.
One of PPL’s core values is a belief that inequities, specifically racial inequities, in our systems and society keep people from reaching their full potential. PPL is seeking a highly skilled facilitator or team to assist PPL in addressing these inequities through a deep and holistic focus on diversity and racial equity in both our work and our workplace.
II. Organizational Background
Providence Public Library (PPL) is a 146-year-old nonprofit corporation providing free public library services through its rich and historical physical and digital collections, extensive information resources, thought-provoking exhibitions, impactful educational programs and expert staff. PPL inspires Rhode Islanders to be lifelong learners by offering access to extraordinary experiences, resources, and ideas. Our vision is for all Rhode Islanders to be engaged, informed, enriched, and thriving, and for libraries across our state to be viewed as essential catalysts in increasing opportunities for all. In service to this mission and vision, PPL will:
-CATALYZE the aspirations and dreams of our community
-RESPOND to our community by engaging them in our decision making and creating innovative approaches to respond to changes and opportunities
-BE AN ACCESSIBLE, WELCOMING HUB of activity, offering innovative educational offerings and cultural experiences
-CONNECT our community to information, knowledge, and resources...and each other
-PARTNER with organizations and systems across the state and be known for our collaborative culture
-BE A JOYOUS SPACE for our community and our staff, who are supported with opportunities for continuous learning
-DIVERSIFY and celebrate our engaged and committed staff, volunteers and Board of Trustees
-Be a FINANCIALLY SUSTAINABLE institution able to deliver on our mission for decades to come
Major focus areas include:
Early Literacy Learning, Children's, and Teen Services- Supports the foundation of pre-reading and language enrichment skills so crucial to the young child’s cognitive and social development, and provides non-traditional learning opportunities that enrich and inspire our community’s next generation of creative thinkers, doers, and leaders.
Adult Literacy & Workforce Development Support- A wealth of free resources, workshops, classes, and technology access to assist adults in learning English, furthering education, finding a job, starting a small business, and building work readiness skills.
Lifelong Learning- A spectrum of enriching, informative cultural and historical educational opportunities to learners of all ages and backgrounds by offering free or low cost programs, exhibitions, lectures, presentations, classes, workshops, and film series through collaborations with other libraries, agencies, nonprofit groups, and individual artists and creators.
PPL has a proven track record of addressing systemic barriers to opportunity for all Rhode Islanders. In 2019 alone, we helped 100 adults become employed, inspired 500 children to read for at least 800 minutes over the summer, helped 111 teens gain work exposure and earn academic credit and digital badges, and equipped more than 1,200 adults with technology skills. But nothing speaks to our impact and commitment to diversity more than our #PPLAlum initiative, which captures stories of the impact our programs have had on participants, in their own words: www.provlib.org/support-us/ppl-alum.
At PPL, we believe inequities, specifically racial inequities, in our systems and society keep people from reaching their full potential. To address these inequities, we are striving to incorporate a deep and holistic focus on diversity and racial equity in both our work and our workplace. Our goal is to accomplish this by removing barriers to information and service access and creating spaces that are open to all, with a focus on those who traditional systems have failed to reach.
Throughout its history, PPL has been a leader in providing free transformative library programs and services. As the Library moves forward into its next chapter, guided by our 2020-2025 Strategic Plan, it aims to inspire Rhode Islanders to be lifelong learners by engaging their curiosity and offering access to extraordinary experiences, resources, and ideas. The Library is already linked extensively to online and statewide networks, where its programming is offered in digital formats as well as communities across the state. We believe that ensuring equitable, welcoming access to all of the places where we have presence, in-person and online, will continue to be critical as we move ahead.
The Library works in partnership with many individuals, community organizations and institutions to achieve ongoing educational innovations and successes each year, particularly focused on providing high-impact workforce development opportunities. Some recent accomplishments include:
- $553,649 in Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) funding and a nationwide partnership to launch a project to test and disseminate innovative adult education and workforce development library practices.
- Working with partners statewide to continue to grow its popular Rhode Coders and Data Navigators programs for teens and adults, and launching of the RI Tableau Users Group (RITUG) - the area’s only such professional learning Group With the City of Providence, Providence Community Library (PCL) and FabNewport, introducing PVD Young Makers and bringing maker spaces into Providence’s 10 public libraries.
- Through a first-ever $75,000 RI Department of Education grant, developing the Tech Hub for Rhode Island Adult Education, a centralized professional development and training delivery system for adult educators statewide.
- With its many city- and statewide partners, continued expansion of its successful Passport to Summer Learning program, serving more than 15,000 Providence school children.
- Presentation of its fourth annual Exhibition & Program series (HairBrained), which explored ways hair defines and reflects culture, self-identity, agency and politics.
- Successful completion of its three-year IMLS Leadership Grant creating a high-impact teen workforce development program model serving more than 600 teens.
In 2020 PPL also completed a $25 million facility renovation project – the largest library renovation in Rhode Island history. The Library’s 65-year-old Empire Street wing has been transformed into a modern and open, user-friendly, collaborative teaching and learning place where communities can connect, experience, create and achieve.
III. Organizational Goals
One goal of PPL’s 2020 Strategic Plan is to embed diversity, equity and inclusion in all that we do. PPL has committed to developing and implementing an organization-wide approach to practicing diversity, equity, and inclusion in all areas of our organization.
To achieve that goal, PPL has created an ad-hoc committee of Board, staff, senior leadership, and community members to develop and oversee an ambitious approach to practice diversity, equity, and inclusion in all areas of our organization. Simultaneously, we have begun capturing our current (internal and external) DEI practices. It is our intention to continue to monitor our efforts and identify additional priorities as we work to integrate DEI across all programs and services.
IV. Scope of Work
Moving forward, PPL seeks proposals from consultants to support the development and implementation of recommended organizational changes. While we fully expect that the process may evolve, the Library seeks proposals that include the following priorities:
Discovery phase:
- Convene board, staff and stakeholder focus groups to discuss and develop goals, objectives and key measures of success;
- Document review and organization-wide audit of PPL policies, spaces and practices; document review will also include examination of the results of a planned diversity audit of library collections;
- Develop demographic scan and/or survey of Providence’s communities, users (and potential users) of our various categories of library services, library staff, community partners, volunteers and Board, as it relates to the current representation of diversity across all groups;
- Liaise directly with PPL’s diverse community of users and partners and ensure their ongoing feedback, buy-in, and needs are incorporated into and reflected throughout the process and throughout the work of each department.
Deliverable(s): Deep-Dive Discussions and Focus Groups; Strategy Brief; Document Review and Assessment
Design Phase:
- Identify internal systems and develop capacity building strategies and framework where DEI integration is needed across PPL: including recruitment, assessment of staffing needs to support DEI initiatives, collections, onboarding, retention, support, mentoring, professional development, compensation & benefits, service delivery, branding/messaging, and culture/norms;
- Develop tracking tool/workflow for PPL to create clear benchmarks to measure progress against DEI goals and objectives and identify best practices for analyzing and disseminating results;
Deliverable(s): Detailed Internal Systems and Capacity Building Framework and Assessment; Benchmarking tools/tracker;
Implementation Phase:
- Facilitate customized trainings with the Board and staff to establish a common vocabulary/shared understanding of how to apply and embody anti-racist principles and practices;
- Deliver curated menu of additional DEI learning options for Board and staff;
- Prepare detailed summary report and sustainability work plan for next steps;
- Facilitate post assessment discussions with staff and Board;
Deliverable(s): Live Facilitation; Curated List of Additional DEI learning opportunities; Detailed Summary Report and Sustainability Work Plan
The ultimate objective of this effort is to create a fully immersive DEI implementation plan for recommended organizational changes that includes training, expected outcomes and metrics, resources required, diversity audit of library collections, approaches to assess progress, timeline and capacity building for sustainability. The anticipated target completion date is June 2022.
V. Required Information and Deadlines
Proposals will be considered based on the information provided for each of the following listed categories:
- Description of the respondents’ organization and qualifications and experience of project staff working with similar goals or organizations
- Experience and theory of working with non-profit organizations and the community in DEI planning
- Expressed commitment to identify and work with local DEI partners if possible. Working with a BIPOC owned firm is strongly preferred.
- Proposed work plan with deliverables based on description outlined above
- Timeline accompanying work plan, ending in approximately June 2022
- Budget with line-item detail
- Any additional information the consultant feels is relevant to the proposal
Proposals should be emailed to Jack Martin, jmartin@provlib.org, with DEI Planning Proposals in the subject line.
Proposals will be accepted and considered on the following timeline:
- 45 Day Response Period: May 3, 2021- June 18, 2021
- 14 Day Q&A Period: June 18, 2021 - July 2, 2021; email queries to Jack Martin, jmartin@provlib.org
- Proposals due July 2, 2021
- Interviews July 19, 2021 - July 26, 2021; notification of hire by August 2, 2021
- DEI Consultant Planning process begins September 2021
HEAD OF INFORMATION SERVICES
This key librarian position reports to the Director of Technology and Information Services and innovatively champions the Information Services team to provide responsive and effective circulation and reference support across all aspects of Information Services operations. The incumbent is accountable for activities related to both Circulation and Reference operations including borrower services, interlibrary loan, delivery, collection development, reference, education and outreach. The incumbent supervises the delivery of point-of-need assistance to library customers and visitors, including second tier technology troubleshooting and support.
Principal Accountabilities:
- Directs Information Services team in providing reference, readers/audiovisual/technology advisory and borrower services for library customers.
- Lead teams to create, coordinate and present library programs, special events and outreach for community and to provide high quality borrower services.
- Maintains weekly and daily schedule for Information Services team in coordination with the Senior Information Specialist.
- Works collaboratively with other departments to present public programs and develop complementary services.
- Coordinate department’s educational efforts including leading and/or developing workshops, series, etc.
- Works with internal Marketing team to create and coordinate publicity and marketing for library educational programs and events.
- Works collaboratively with other departments on library marketing, including book display, merchandising, blog posts, digital signage, website, and social media contributions, etc.
- Develops relationships with area libraries and organizations through presentations and collaborative projects.
- Supervises Information Services team and volunteers; organizes ongoing training for both teams;
- Provides Adult reference and reader’s advisory service to library customers.
- Manages the Library's general collections budget and oversee the selection activity of Information Services librarians; act as a selector for the library's circulating collections.
- Analyze usage trends to guide the development of adult general collections, directs information-driven and intensive collection maintenance efforts, including item database cleanups, weeding projects, quality and bibliographic control, and other activities relating to the upkeep of historic and diverse circulating materials.
- Analyze usage trends to guide borrower policies and procedures; direct policy- and information-driven maintenance of the Library's patron database.
- Participates fully as member of Library’s Collections Committee.
- Participates in Library’s data collection and analysis efforts.
- Participates fully as a member of Library management team
- Willing to work evenings and weekends.
- Stays current with library trends and emerging technologies.
- Participates in professional development activities and represent the library in committee work at local and state level as necessary.
Additional Skills:
- Excellent verbal and written skills.
- Strong attention to details and strong organizational skills.
- Comfortable working with various technology (i.e. Microsoft programs, Google Docs/Drive).
- Perform quality work within deadlines with or without direct supervision.
- Interact professionally with other employees, patrons, and suppliers.
- Work effectively as a team contributor on all assignments.
- Work independently while understanding the necessity for communicating and coordinating work efforts with other employees and organizations.
Education & Experience Required:
- MLS from a graduate library school accredited by ALA and 5 years progressively more responsible professional library experience required.
- Minimum of 3 years of demonstrable supervisory experience.
- A strong background in computers/technology, digital literacy and non-print materials formats.
- Patience, tact, and excellent communication skills.
- Enjoys learning as well as teaching.
- Ability to train and supervise library staff.
- Evidence of teaching/presentation experience and facility
- Strong organizational talents.
- Demonstrates creativity, flexibility, and a positive attitude.
- Poise in a busy setting serving library customers and staff with high expectations.
- Excellent reference skills and ability to relate to library customers of all ages.
- Ability to exhibit good judgment and establish effective working relationships with staff, colleagues within the library system, local government personnel.
- Ability to plan and coordinate the work of others.
- Ability to exercise leadership and motivate others.
- Ability to establish effective working relationships with community organizations.
- Warm, outgoing personality.
- Spanish speaking is very desirable
- Knowledge of automated library systems, reference and circulation service operations, databases, copyright law, and web development strongly preferred.
- Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills are essential.
- Interest in library trends and emerging technologies, intermediate word processing and spreadsheet abilities, and ease with technology and social media are imperative.
- Outstanding work ethic, strong commitment to customer-centered services and flexibility is critical.
- Candidates must possess the ability to work both independently and in a fast-paced team environment with diverse patrons and coworkers.
Additional Requirements:
- Driving/Travel requirements – 0-10%
- Position Location – Providence, RI
- Physical requirements – ability to occasionally lift/move up to 25 lbs.
This position is also:
Exempt and is not part of the Union
Hours: Full time, 35 hours per week, weekends and nights are required
Salary Range: $55,000 - $65,000
Please submit cover letter and resume by June 14, 2021.
Submit Cover Letter and Resume to:
E-mail: HR@provlib.org
OR via regular mail to:
The Providence Public Library
Attn: HR
150 Empire Street
Providence, RI 02903
OR by fax to:
Fax: 401-455-8004
Equal Opportunity
In order to provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all individuals, employment decisions at the Providence Public Library are based on merit, qualifications, and abilities. PPL is committed to a policy of non-discrimination and equal opportunity for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or medical or common conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, familial status, national origin, ancestry, age (40 and above), disability, veteran status, military service, application for military service, genetic information, receipt of free medical care, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law. PPL will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities, in accordance with applicable law.
INFORMATION SERVICES LIBRARIAN
(2 - part-time 20 hours per week)
This position reports to the Head of Information Services and is responsible for providing responsive and effective circulation and research support across all aspects of Information Services operations. A key role on the library’s information services team, this position is accountable for activities related to both Circulation and Reference operations within the reorganized unit of Technology & Information Services, including borrower services, interlibrary loan, collection development, reference, instruction and outreach. The Library has completed a major transformation of most of its public service spaces, including a new technology-rich information commons, the Workshop (an open learning and collaborative space) and a merged public services desk. The incumbent is expected to deliver point-of-need assistance to library customers and visitors, including first tier technology support and troubleshooting in the library’s new public service spaces.
Primary Duties & Responsibilities:
- Effectively assist with all Information Services operations, circulation and patron database, delivery, stacks maintenance and inventory control, information commons and study space management, technology loans, printer management and other services.
- Provide Adult reference and reader’s advisory services to library customers
- Create and present library programs in partnership with the Education department
- Provide effective face-to-face, phone, chat, text and email circulation and reference services using appropriate information resources.
- Assist library customers with accessing and using statewide online and digital resources
- Contribute to the library’s circulating collections through the selection, analysis, upkeep, and weeding of material in targeted areas.
- Work collaboratively with Information Services team members to assess department policies and procedures and assist with department documentation
- Resolve library customer problems with patience and diplomacy and ethically handle sensitive library customer and department information.
- Participate in library marketing, including book display merchandising, blog posts, digital signage, website and social media contributions.
- Participate in Library’s data collection and analysis efforts.
- Contribute to special projects, library-wide initiatives, and sponsor changes and improvements.
- Willing to work evenings and weekends as required.
Additional Skills:
- Excellent verbal and written skills.
- Strong attention to details and strong organizational skills.
- Comfortable working with various technology (i.e. Microsoft programs, Google Docs/Drive).
- Perform quality work within deadlines with or without direct supervision.
- Interact professionally with other employees, patrons, and suppliers.
- Work effectively as a team contributor on all assignments.
- Work independently while understanding the necessity for communicating and coordinating work efforts with other employees and organizations.
Education & Experience Required:
- MLIS degree from ALA accredited school and previous library experience required.
- Knowledge of automated library systems, reference & access services operations, databases, copyright law, and web development strongly preferred.
- Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills are essential.
- Experience presenting workshops is essential.
- Interest in library trends and emerging technologies, intermediate word processing and spreadsheet abilities, and comfort with technology and social media are imperative.
- Outstanding work ethic, strong commitment to customer-centered services and flexibility is critical.
- Candidates must possess the ability to work both independently and in a fast-paced team environment with diverse patrons and coworkers.
Additional Requirements:
- Driving/Travel requirements – 0-10%
- Position Location – Providence, RI
- Physical requirements – ability to occasionally lift/move up to 25 lbs.
This position is:
Non-Exempt (due to salary) and is part of the Union
Hours: 20 hours per week, nights and weekends are required
$22 - $25 per hour
Please submit cover letter and resume by June 21, 2021.
Submit Cover Letter and Resume to:
E-mail: HR@provlib.org
The Providence Public Library
Attn: HR
150 Empire Street
Providence, RI 02903
Fax: 401-455-8004
Equal Opportunity
In order to provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all individuals, employment decisions at the Providence Public Library are based on merit, qualifications, and abilities. PPL is committed to a policy of non-discrimination and equal opportunity for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or medical or common conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, familial status, national origin, ancestry, age (40 and above), disability, veteran status, military service, application for military service, genetic information, receipt of free medical care, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law. PPL will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities, in accordance with applicable law.