About the Department

Why work for the Library?

We’re not just about books-we’re a community hub where imagination, learning, and connection thrive. If you are enthusiastic about making a positive impact in the community and providing public service, we invite you to join us in our mission to connect a diverse community to resources that educate, enrich, and entertain. Ready to turn the page on a new adventure? Come be part of our team!

We offer a comprehensive benefit package. The cost for a family plan for medical, dental, vision and prescription is only $98.61 per month for 2026 and starts on first day of employment.

Starting Pay: $38.97/hr After 6 Months: $39.95/hr

We also offer:

Iowa Public Employee’s Retirement Pension plan
457 Deferred Compensation – The City will contribute 5% of the employee’s income to his/her 457 account if the employee contributes at least 1%.
14 paid holidays
Paid time off
Life Insurance
Long Term Disability Insurance
Tuition Reimbursement
Flexible spending accounts

Under the direction of the Library Director, responsible for managing a variety of administrative duties requiring advanced or specialized knowledge and skills; in the absence of the Library Director or department supervisors, may be in charge of multiple library operations; trains, supervises, evaluates, mentors, and coaches employees; interprets, implements, and enforces policy; coordinates and carries out cross-departmental or library-wide projects and training; responsible for gathering and interpreting library statistical evaluations and measuring success; manages collection development; maintains knowledge of current library science practice; and serves as a strategic partner on The Library’s administrative and leadership teams.

This position may require scheduling at any library facility as well as off-site locations during various hours and shifts, including days, nights, and weekends, and have the availability to respond to emergency situations as needed.

Position Duties

Creates a welcoming environment by providing excellent customer service and maintaining the appearance of public areas.
Demonstrates commitment to The Library’s mission and vision by actively promoting services and resources.
Communicates effectively with colleagues, patrons, stakeholders, and the community by responding to queries in a timely manner.
Communicates organizational priorities, decisions, and policies to employees in a timely manner and ensures compliance.
Actively participates as a member of the leadership team by sharing ideas that help to make needed organizational change.
Demonstrates effective leadership by supporting and promoting the mission and vision of The Library by recognizing issues and taking the initiative to make changes.
Establishes and maintains positive working relationships with colleagues through open communication and offering expertise to improve processes, systems, and The Library as a whole.
Strategically plans for the organization through setting priorities, goals, and benchmarks to aid in growth of The Library.
Contributes to developing the organizational culture by promoting transparency and collaboration between all departments.
Directs problem solving at all levels by analyzing organizational impacts and collaborating with the leadership team to determine solutions.
Provides oversight to the operation of The Library through the implementation of policies and procedures and assisting with managing the budget.
Manages employee performance through effective use of goal setting, performance feedback, evaluations, and coaching.
Assists in the interviewing and hiring process as appropriate.
Prepares documentation and reports, make presentations, and reports to library stakeholders and others as necessary.
Oversees library collection development; assigns budgets, monitors performance, and implements changes as necessary.
Evaluates operations, measures success, and assesses needs to determine library service responses.
Oversees all library programming initiatives.
Serves as project manager for cross-department and library-wide projects.
Assumes additional organizational roles that support organizational goals and objectives, including but not limited to serving as department supervisor in the event of a supervisor vacancy.
Manages and uses software to schedule employees to meet organizational needs and assists with coverage as needed.
Works with department supervisors to create and develop procedures and training manuals as appropriate.
Responsible for the supervision and operation of The Library in the absence of the Library Director.

Minimum Qualifications

Master’s Degree in Library Science from an ALA-accredited college or university. Minimum five (5) years of increasingly responsible experience in a public library at a professional level. Minimum three (3) years progressive supervisory experience. Certification with the State Library of Iowa required upon employment and retained throughout employment.

Other Qualifications

Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively with colleagues and diverse groups.
Demonstrated ability to lead by example and provide positive, inspiring, and motivating leadership.
Ability to train, coach, and evaluate employees.
Ability to gather and analyze information and provide solutions.
Ability to prioritize and perform multiple tasks simultaneously with a high degree of accuracy.
Demonstrated managerial, operational, and budgeting skills.
Knowledge of professional library principles, methods, and procedures as they relate to library operations.

Benefits

Benefits for Full-Time Employees:

Health insurance, including medical, dental, vision and prescription drug
Pension
457 retirement plan contributions
Retirement health savings plan contributions
Flexible spending accounts
Paid time off
Employee assistance program
Life insurance
Long-term disability

Supplemental Questions

Does anyone from your immediate family work for the Davenport Public Library or serve on the Library Board of Trustees or Foundation Board?

Have you obtained a Master's Degree in Library Science from an ALA-accredited college or university? (Required)

Do you have a minimum of five years of increasingly responsible experience in a public library at a professional level?

Do you have a minimum of three years progressive supervisory experience?

Required Question

Agency Information

Employer: City of Davenport
Address: 226 West Fourth Street

Davenport, Iowa, 52801
Phone: 563-326-7711
Website: https://davenportiowa.com/hr

Library Assistant Director