Full Job Description
General Description
POSTING TYPE: Open, Competitive
DEPARTMENT: Law Library
HOURS: Full-time
HIRING RANGE: $60,396- $94,369 /yr (Grade 107)
LOCATION: Apple Valley
UNION: None
CLOSE DATE: 4:30 p.m. on 2/1/2024
Incumbent is primarily responsible to staff a law library satellite location in the Galaxie Public Library. Services provided include assisting users in finding needed legal information, offering legal research instruction, and providing outreach to promote use of essential legal resources. Market and promote law library services. Ensure the collection of legal reference and resources is current. Related duties as assigned.
Who We Are
Dakota County is Minnesota’s third-largest county and home to more than 400,000 residents. Our motto is “Be More” and we strive every day to achieve excellence public service, with a focus on four values: Service, Integrity, People, and Innovation.
Dakota County aims to create an environment that is welcoming and inclusive of diverse people, backgrounds, and experiences. Our goal is to have a workforce that is reflective of the communities and individuals we serve. We promote an equitable and culturally aware work environment where everyone can be their authentic selves.
Minimum Qualifications
Master’s degree in Library and Informational Science,
AND
A minimum of two years experience in legal research and/or reference.
Experience working in a public library is preferred.
Duties & Responsibilities
These examples do not include all possible tasks in this work and do not limit the assignment of related tasks in any position of this classification. Regular attendance according to the position’s management approved work schedule is required for all positions.
1. Conduct customer interviews to determine users’ needs/requests for legal reference and legal research services.
- Analyze customer’s question to determine type and amount of information needed and appropriate available sources
- Identify and provide legal research titles and resources to meet needs of individual users or groups· Evaluate customer’s proficiency to conduct legal research using either print or online resources
- Determine availability of information sought, including availability of needed resources in the Hastings law library
2. Provide professional instruction to customers on effective use legal resources (including court forms), library facilities, and equipment.
- Evaluate customer’s proficiency to determine level of instruction necessary
- Determine particular legal subject matter or procedural information needed
- Determine public demand for instructional materials
- Inform Galaxie public librarians about basic legal resources; instruct in legal research as needed
- Participate in training sessions offered by public librarians to explain public library policies and procedures
- Teach legal research instruction classes to the public
3. Manage currency of collections and identifies trends among court users and the general public for legal information/Reviews professional literature in law librarianship to stay abreast of new resources and services.
- Determine appropriateness of legal resources for satellite law library and the community it serves
- Recommend the purchase of books, AV materials, periodicals and databases to enhance the overall law library collection
4. Provide outreach services to court users and legal researchers in the community.
- Determine need to communicate with district court staff to better serve pro se clientele
- Respond to requests from the County Law Enforcement Center
- Facilitate Family Court Self-Help Center sessions with pro se users and volunteer attorneys
5. Market and promote law library services to the public.
- Develop and support Law Library webpages
- Develop promotional and/or instructional materials for court users, judges, court staff, and attorneys
- Establish appropriate contacts to promote library materials to the community at large
6. Primarily staffs the Law Library satellite in the Galaxie Library. Rotates regularly at the reference desk in Hasting Judicial Center Law Library
- Provide assistance to coworkers as needed to cover for absences.
- Determine essential duties to be performed in absence of supervisor
- Follow established priorities of workload distribution
- Instruct public librarians to refer legal related queries to the satellite law librarian
7. Pursues professional development through networking and continuing legal education (CLE) opportunities.
- Attends appropriate educational workshops
- Contributes expertise to library, professional, and countywide committees
8. Assist Galaxie public librarians as needed
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: 1 through 8
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities and Work Environment
- Knowledge of professional law librarian, legal reference and research methods and materials.
- Ability to prioritize and complete tasks and projects.
- Strong service orientation and comfortable working with a diverse user population which includes the general public, judges, law clerks, government officials, and members of the bar.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills.
- Knowledge of community and legal referral agencies
- Ability to coordinate programs among diverse court users and professional groups.
- Ability to work independently or in a team environment
WORK ENVIRONMENT: Dakota County welcomes and is inclusive of diverse people, backgrounds, and perspectives. The County aims to reflect the community and clients it serves and fosters an equitable and respectful working environment where everyone is empowered to be their authentic selves. The work is sedentary and requires no special physical demands. The work involves minimal risks and observance of safety precautions typical of office settings. The work is typically performed in an adequately lighted and climate controlled office. May require occasional travel.
SELECTION PROCESS: The examination/selection process for this classification will consist of a rating of your training and experience from the application materials submitted. The top scoring candidates will be forwarded to the hiring department for further consideration.
Dakota County Employee Relations
www.co.dakota.mn.us
Main Number 651.438.4435
(contact 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday)
