Public Library Administration Consultant

The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) is the state agency that advances public education and libraries in Wisconsin. Our mission is to advance equitable, transformative, and sustainable educational experiences that develop learners, schools, libraries, and communities in Wisconsin. Working at DPI offers you the opportunity to build on our long-standing commitment to public education so that students are learning the skills and knowledge necessary to become contributing members of our communities.

At DPI, we are committed to creating an environment where everyone feels safe, supported, and valued. Equity and inclusion are at the core of our organizational values, which include belonging, integrity, love, humility, and honor. These values guide how we build our teams, develop our leaders, and create a culture that empowers everyone to be their authentic selves. When employees are respected and valued for who they are and staff are held accountable for demonstrating that respect to others, we believe it drives greater engagement and collaboration, ignites creativity and innovation, and fosters connection between teams and those we serve.

Our employees enjoy an exceptional employee assistance program that offers a variety of programs and tools to help promote wellness. We have a team-oriented atmosphere, focus on work-life balance, and offer flexible work schedules for most positions. Click this video to learn more about the benefits of working at DPI.

The Library Services Team within the Division for Libraries and Technology is seeking applicants for a Public Library Administration Consultant position. Are you a library leader interested in making your mark in the Wisconsin library world? If so, please apply for our state library agency position! The person in this position closely follows statutes and legislation, focuses on library development, and regularly collaborates with library leaders statewide. This position includes both a virtual work environment as well as lot of opportunities to visit libraries in person across the state.

This position provides statewide leadership and consultation to librarians, library system staff, trustees, and government officials on Public Library and library system administration, organization, and governance. This position will provide consultation on Public Library funding issues including municipal, county, and state support for public libraries and county payments for non-resident borrowing; and the development and maintenance of county plans for Public Library services. The incumbent will coordinate the public librarian certification program. Additionally, this position will carry out other activities and projects to further the Library Services mission.

For more information, please view the complete position description.

This position is in classification Library Consultant. Depending on qualifications, the salary will be between $30.00-$44.00 per hour (approximately $62,400 - $91,520 per year). For current and eligible former State employees, compensation will be set in accordance with the State Compensation Plan effective at time of hire. This position is in pay schedule 13, range 02. A one-year probationary period will be required.

This position offers excellent benefits. The State of Wisconsin is a qualifying employer for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

This position includes approximately monthly travel, which is mostly in-state (less than 5 overnights per year) and up to one out-of-state travel annually. Travel includes attendance at state and national conferences, meetings of COLAND, and other stakeholder meetings.

This position has the option to work 100% remote with a requirement that the employee is expected to have access to secure high speed internet. Remote work flexibility will be discussed in more detail during the interview process.

The position is headquartered at 125 S. Webster Street in Madison, WI, and employees are required to report there on their first day of employment. In addition, the employee may need to report to their headquarter location as operational needs require. Reimbursement for traveling to or from the employee’s headquarters is not provided (e.g., mileage, meals, parking, lodging, etc.).

A criminal background check will be conducted prior to an offer of hire.

Applicants must be legally entitled to work in the United States (i.e., a citizen or national of the U.S., without DPI sponsorship). The Department of Public Instruction does not sponsor visas, either at time of hire or at any later time.

Please address the following in your resume and/or letter of qualifications.

A minimally qualified applicant must have experience with all the below:

• Providing training or consultation services around multiple of the following Public Library topics: Library Administration, library system organization, library establishment, and library funding.
• Holding an administrative role (e.g., director/assistant director, business director, department head, etc.) or a statutory compliance role in a Public Library or a regional Public Library system.

Well-qualified applicants will also have:

• Experience providing leadership related to records management practices (e.g., developing of guidance related to retention periods, actively managing records for an organization, etc.).
• Experience verifying continuing education requirements related to certifying Public Library directors or other library staff.
• Experience supporting or participating in public boards, committees, or workgroups.
• Professional library experience in Wisconsin.

Applying is easy! Click “Apply for Job” to start your application process. Sign into your account or click “Register Now” to create an account before applying for the job. Follow the steps outlined in the application process and submit your application.

Helpful Tips:

• Current state employees must apply through the STAR “Careers” tile. Do not create an external applicant account.
• There will be no opportunity to change your application materials once you have clicked “Submit”.
• The system will automatically log you off after 30 minutes of inactivity, so click “Save as a Draft” often.
• Please visit the Frequently Asked Questions section for general Wisc.Jobs user information and technical assistance.
• Candidates may need to check their spam or junk email folders for correspondence about this position.

Each time you apply for a state job; you should update and tailor your resume and letter of qualifications. You should clearly describe your education, training, and experience related to the items listed in the “Qualifications” section of the job announcement. These qualifications should be addressed in your resume and expanded upon in your letter of qualifications. This will allow a fuller assessment regarding your qualifications and those required for the job applying for. Please review these resume and letter of qualifications tips for more information on your application materials.

Your resume should include the following:

• Your educational background including any course work that relates to the position in which you are applying.
• Your employment history, including experiences and/or duties and a summary of accomplishments and skills learned or used.
• Any training or experience, including volunteer work or internships, you have related specifically to the “Qualifications” section of the assessment.
• Spell out any acronyms and/or abbreviations the first time used.

Your letter of qualifications should include:

• Additional information regarding your past work experience, including volunteer work and internships, or coursework you have taken.
• Highlights of your most relevant skills and experiences as they related to the specific job you are applying for.
• Specific examples that clearly demonstrates your level of expertise.

What not to include in your resume or letter of qualifications:

Your application materials should not include any information that is not job-related, such as race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, creed, disability, or genetic information. Further, do not include any self-identifying information such as photos, social security numbers, political affiliation, citizen status or conviction records. This document is not a letter of recommendation that someone else wrote about you.

Application materials will be evaluated, and the most qualified applicants will be invited to participate in the next step of the process. References will be requested from top candidates once interviews have taken place.

If you are a veteran with a 30% or greater service-related disability and are not currently employed in a permanent position with Wisconsin State Government, please send a letter of qualifications, resume, DD-214 and documentation of your service-connected disability rating (dated within 12 months) to the contact listed below.

We provide reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities.

Questions? Please contact the recruiter at:
Maria Butters
DPI Human Resources Specialist-Senior
Phone: (608) 266-2690
Email: Maria.Butters@dpi.wi.gov

The deadline for this announcement is 11:59 p.m. on Friday, March 22, 2024.