Job Description
DescriptionConnect Adults with Stories, Resources, and Community Join the Palo Alto City Library as an Adult Services Senior Librarian
The Palo Alto City Library is seeking an Adult Services Senior Librarian to help shape welcoming programs and services at Rinconada Library. This role focuses on adult library users, with a special emphasis on engaging Palo Alto’s older adults and retirees.
You’ll work with the Adult Services team, community partners, and colleagues across the library system to develop programs that reflect community interests and needs. You’ll also provide reference and reader services, participate in outreach, and manage designated collections at one or more branches.
About the Library and Rinconada
The Palo Alto City Library connects people with knowledge, resources, and opportunities for discovery. Across five branches, our staff help community members explore new interests, find reliable information, and connect with one another.
Rinconada Library offers a particularly rich setting for adult services. Located across from the Palo Alto Art Center, the branch is home to the Library’s physical Local Interest Collection and provides space for programs, learning, and community gatherings. For a Senior Librarian, it’s an opportunity to build on these resources while developing services that speak to the interests of adults and older residents.
What You’ll Do
- Plan, promote, and deliver programs and services for adults, including older adults and retirees.
- Build relationships with community organizations and partners to expand the library’s reach.
- Collaborate with the Adult Services team and manager to strengthen services across branches.
- Help customers discover information, library resources, and their next great read.
- Select, evaluate, and maintain designated library collections.
We’re looking for a librarian who enjoys connecting with people, turning community interests into engaging programs, and working with others to make library services more responsive. Strong communication, collaboration, and customer service skills are essential. Experience developing programs or services for older adults is especially welcome.
Why Palo Alto?
Known as the birthplace of Silicon Valley, Palo Alto brings a spirit of curiosity and innovation to public service. Library staff have the chance to turn that spirit into something tangible: welcoming spaces, thoughtful collections, meaningful programs, and stronger community connections. This position offers room to bring your ideas to life while collaborating with colleagues across the library system.
Schedule: Sunday through Thursday, including one evening shift.
This position is represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
Essential Duties
Essential and other important responsibilities and duties may include, but are not limited to:
- May perform duties of Librarian as required.
- Responsible for selection and de-selection of library materials in one or more subject areas on a rotating basis. Evaluates need to add or retain collection materials based on variety of criteria; verifies and evaluates customer requests for purchases; responsible for daily collection maintenance and evaluation; coordinates processing of discarded materials.
- Monitors physical arrangements and other requirements relevant to collection size and promotion of specific areas/collections in the library. Monitors maintenance requirements for and assists public in use of a variety of library equipment including microfilm reader printers and photocopiers, and computers.
- Responsible for security of building and safety of customers and staff.
- Responsible for all elements of library programming including planning, coordination, promotion and conducting of programs. Cooperates with other City departments, community and library groups in co-sponsorship of programs.
- Conducts reference interviews; analyzes, interprets and answers inquiries at all level of complexity utilizing resources in Palo Alto Libraries as well as other libraries and in the community, when required to meet public information needs; keeps informed of new and outdated resources; provides direct assistance to customers of all ages in location and selection of appropriate library materials and may specialize in service to children; assists customers in use of facility, materials and access tools.
- Selects, evaluates, tests, demonstrates and promotes on-line databases and other on-line products.
- Trouble-shoots problems with products in-house and remotely as needed; gathers statistics and makes recommendations based on use, value and fit in the collection.
- May assist customers with the use of library technology.
To review full job description, click here.
Minimum Qualifications
Sufficient education, training and/or work experience to demonstrate possession of the following knowledge, skills and abilities, which would typically be acquired through:
- Master's Degree in Library and Information Science
- Three years professional experience as a librarian. Master's degree in Library or Information Science may be substituted for one year of professional experience.
See our Benefits at a Glance Bookletfor more details.
Learn more about our Memorandum of Agreements (MOAs) between the City and its bargaining units, by clicking HERE.
Closing Date/Time: 10/19/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
City of Palo Alto
650-329-2376The Community
The birthplace of Silicon Valley, Palo Alto, is a community of approximately 68,000 residents and nearly 100,000 jobs. Located on the mid-Peninsula between San Francisco and San Jose, Palo Alto is recognized worldwide as a leader in cutting-edge technology, medicine, and green innovation. The community's treelined streets and historic buildings reflect its California heritage, and, at the same time, many world-class businesses maintain or started offices here, such as Stanford Health Care and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Amazon, Broadcom, Hewlett-Packard, Houzz, Rivian, SAP and SAP Ariba, Tesla, and Varian Medical Systems. Numerous start-ups are also at home in Palo Alto, arguably making it the start-up capital of the world. Stanford University is foundational to the history and prestige of Palo Alto, reflected in the community's dedication to lifelong learning. Stanford's cultural and educational offerings are integral to the vibrancy and charm of Palo Alto, while the City's exceptional K-12 school district ranks among the top public-school systems in the country. With more than 50% of adult residents holding a graduate degree or higher, Palo Alto is frequently listed as one of the most educated cities in the nation. Palo Alto boasts a genuine sense of community and an active citizenry with strong environmental values. Beautiful neighborhoods are complemented by vibrant commercial corridors and a bustling economy featuring premium shopping and dining options. Excellent healthcare facilities, performing arts, and diverse recreational opportunities are some of the community's incredibly desirable and cherished amenities. To learn more, visit https://www.paloalto.gov/Departments/City-Manager/Latest-News
City Government
Palo Alto is a full-service charter city with a council-manager form of government. The seven-member City Council is elected at large, and the City Council annually selects the Mayor and Vice Mayor from among its members. The Mayor and City Council appoint the City Manager, City Attorney, City Clerk, and City Auditor. The City Manager is responsible for the strategic direction and day-to-day operations of the City. Palo Alto is organized into 15 departments/offices with 1,093.10 authorized positions in FY 2025. There is also a FY 2025 capital budget of $316.2 million. Palo Alto owns and operates its own utilities, including electricity (carbon-neutral), gas, water, wastewater, and an expanding fiber network. This dynamic municipal environment ensures an ever-engaging platform for unique problem-solving and advances new initiatives, including sustainability, broadband, and effective service delivery. Community assets also include five libraries, 36 parks, five community centers, a museum and zoo, youth centers, a general aviation airport, an 18-hole golf course, a regional water treatment plant, and wildland open space preserves at the San Francisco Bay and in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains offering 41 miles of walking/biking trails in addition to its police, fire, and ambulance services. Palo Alto has long been a leader in sustainability, and the City's ambitious greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals are part of what sets it apart. Since the City's first Climate Protection Plan was passed in 2007, Palo Alto has set goals that exceed State and Federal targets. Today, the City's goal to reduce emissions 80% below 1990 levels by 2030 (the "80x30" goal) and achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 guides sustainability efforts. An award-winning City, Palo Alto is recognized nationally as innovative and well-managed. City services and performance also receive impressive marks from community members in the Palo Alto Community Survey.
Many of those ratings put City programs and services in the highest percentiles among the hundreds of benchmark cities. Palo Alto makes decisions through comprehensive processes and proactively seeks to involve its extremely informed, educated, and engaged residents. Projects are naturally a cooperative effort among the City Council, Boards, Commissions, Committees, engaged residents, neighborhoods, businesses, property owners, and staff.
Join an Award Winning Team
Palo Alto is an award-winning City recognized nationwide as innovative and well-managed. Palo Alto is one of a small number of California cities with a AAA bond rating. Recently, Palo Alto became one of the most livable cities in the U.S. by Livability.com. It's the only city to receive the Platinum Beacon Award in sustainability best practices by California’s Institute for Local Government. We offer a variety of career paths that relate to building and improving communities. The City has fourteen departments employing 1,000 full-time staff. Police officers, fire fighters, paramedics, and building inspectors keep us safe. Engineers and public works staff build and re-build the physical infrastructure. City planners help envision and shape future community growth. Recreation, arts and library professionals enhance community life. Utilities provides electric, gas, water, sewer and other services. Internal services departments help manage, staff, and protect the City.
Want to learn more about our benefits? Learn more by reviewing our "Benefits at a Glance Booklet."
Contact Us
Phone: 650-329-2376
Email: Recruit@paloalto.gov
Location: City Hall, 1st Floor | 250 Hamilton Ave 94301 | View Map
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