Student Intern (Unclassified, Part-Time) - Library Department

Job Description

Our diverse and inclusive workforce of more than 7,000 employees play a key role in the success of San José, the heart of the Silicon Valley. All City of San José employees work together as one team to make San José a vibrant, innovative, and desirable place to live and work. Visit here to learn more about our One Team Leadership Values and Expectations, including quality and excellent customer service and here to learn more about San José.

The City of San José is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants for all job openings will be considered without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status or any other consideration made unlawful under any federal, state or local laws. The City of San José is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to job applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at 408-535-1285, 711 (TTY) , or via email at CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov .

About the Department

The award-winning San José Public Library (SJPL) consists of more than 600 employees, a 23% bilingual workforce, and has 24 branch libraries across San José, in addition to the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, which is the city’s main library jointly operated through a unique partnership with San José State University. SJPL serves a diverse community of roughly one-million residents and currently has nearly 700,000 library members It annually attracts over 6 million visitors (pre-pandemic) and circulates more than 8 million items per year.

Over the past few years, SJPL has cultivated a 21st century library experience dedicated to public service and committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion at the core. In addition to providing library services to the community, SJPL proudly leads two citywide initiatives - the Education and Digital Literacy Strategy and the SJ Access digital equity initiative, which has become the number one provider of free public access to Wi-Fi connectivity, tech device lending, and multi-lingual digital literacy programs and support. SJPL is led by Jill Bourne, City Librarian, who was nationally recognized in 2017 as Library Journal’s “Librarian of the Year."

SJPL enriches lives by fostering lifelong learning and ensuring that every member of the community has access to a vast array of ideas and information. The library department is a place where people do great work and make a difference in our community. To see examples of SJPL’s work and learn more about its impact, visit www.sjpl.org. Join us to make a difference!

Position Duties

The San Jose Public Library’s Staff Learning and Development teamis recruiting for a dedicatedand passionatepart-time Student Intern.If you enjoy helping people grow and are looking for a hands-on project-based experience in staff developmentand Human Resources, this internship isa great opportunityto make a difference and grow your skills.

What You’ll Do:

• Assist with department wide employee engagement projects like new employee events, newsletters, and service recognition programs.
• Support staff trainings -assist at training sessions, coordinate attendance, contribute to communications etc.
• Help maintain the department eLearning catalog by working with content point to keep trainings fresh, engaging, and accessible for Library staff.
• Work with the Personnel team on digital and physical data management.

Who We’re Looking For:

• An undergraduate student who’s passionate about learning, organizational development, public service, Human Resources, or Library operations.
• Someone who is detail-oriented, organized, ready to learn, and self-motivated.
• A strong written and verbal communicator who can work well both independently and with others.
• Comfort using Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) - or enthusiasm to learn!

What You’ll Gain:

• Real-world Human Resources experience in a public-sector setting.
• Insight into professional learning and development, employee engagement, training strategies, and organizational development.
• New professional skills, mentorship from experienced staff, and exposure to large-system Human Resources operations.
• The satisfaction of contributing to the growth and engagement of hundreds of Library staff.
• SJSU students may earn academic credit towards graduation via the Citywide University Organization Agreement .

This internship is part-time, project-focused, and designed for students building early career experience. Interns are appointed “at-will ” and assignments may vary depending on team needs.

Pay: Student Intern: $16.33- $23.33 per hour (unclassified, unbenefited)
This salary range includes an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable compensation. The actual salary will be determined based on the final candidate’s qualifications and experience.

Work Schedule: This intern will work16hours per week, with the schedule determined collaboratively between the hiring manager and the intern based on student availability and project needs Work will be in person at the MLK Library located in downtown San Jose on the SJSU campus.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience:
Any combination equivalent to completion of high school and current enrollment in an accredited college or university in undergraduate or graduate program.

Licenses and Certificates
Possession of a valid driver's license authorizing operation of a motor vehicle in the state of California may be?requiredin performing job duties.

Other Qualifications

The ideal candidate willpossessthe following competencies.

Communication Skills

Effectively conveys information and expresses thoughts and facts clearly, orally and in writing;demonstrateseffective use of listening skills; displays openness to other people's ideas and thoughts.

Computer Skills

Experienced with common business computer applications including but not limited to: MS Outlook, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, and MS Excel.

Problem Solving

Approaches a situation or problem by defining the problem or issue;determinesthe significance of problem; collects information; uses logic and intuition to arrive at decisions or solutions to problems that achieve the desired outcome.

Reliability

Completes quality work assignments ina timelyand efficient manner; fulfills responsibilities andmaintainsconfidentiality asappropriate.

Teamwork & Interpersonal Skills

Develops effective relationships with co-workers and supervisors by helping othersaccomplishtasks and using collaboration and conflict resolution skills.

Selection Process
The selection process will consist of an evaluation of the applicant's training and experience based on the application and responses to all the job specific questions. Only those candidates whose backgrounds best match the position will be invited to proceed in the selection process. Additional phases of the selection process will consist of one or more interviews.

If you have questions about the duties of these positions, the selection or hiring processes, please contact Hsin-Ping Lee at hsin-ping.lee@sanjoseca.gov

Additional Information:

Employment Eligibility: Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in this country. Please be informed that the City of San Jose will NOT sponsor, represent or sign any documents related to visa applications/transfers for H1-B or any other type of visa which requires an employer application.

You must answer all job-specific questions to be considered for this vacancy or your application will be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Applicants are expected to write their own essays/responses.

Please note that applications are currently not accepted through CalOpps or any other third party job board application system.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this, or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment.

Please allow adequate time to complete the application and submit before the deadline or the system may not save your application. If your online application was successfully submitted, you will receive an automatic confirmation email to the email address you provided. IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE THE CONFIRMATION, please email CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov and we will research the status of your application.

AI and the Hiring Process

We recognize that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming part of daily life and can be a valuable tool for learning, research, and professional growth. We encourage candidates to use AI responsibly as a support in preparing application materials, live assessments, and interviews. However, we value authenticity, accuracy and truthfulness. Application responses and interview answers must reflect your own knowledge, skills, and experiences. While AI can supplement preparation, it cannot replace the originality and judgment we look for in our employees. This ensures fairness, transparency, and equity for all applicants in the hiring process.

Part-time positions(less than 40 hours per week) are required to participate in the City’s PTC 457 Deferred Compensation Plan per Federal regulations. Employees are required to contribute 3.75% of gross earning and the City contributes a matching amount of 3.75%. The funds contributed by the City are 100% vested upon initial deferral and will be held in a stability of principal investment. This plan is in lieu of social security and does not include any healthcare benefits or contributions.

Part-time employees may elect to contribute additional retirement savings through the City’s Voluntary 457 Deferred Compensation Plan. Additional Information on both plans can be found on the City’s website.

Closing Date/Time: 10/21/2026 11:59 PM Pacific