Head Law Librarian - Essex Law Library (Salem)

Head Law Librarian - Essex Law Library (Salem)

• 501301
• Salem, Massachusetts, United States
• Law Libraries
• Administrative
• Full-time
• Closing at: Jul 15 2026 - 23:55 EDT

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Official Title: Head Law Librarian - Essex Law Library (Salem)

Pay Grade: Grade 22S

Salary Range: 22S Entry Level Pay $91,176.02 to Pay Range Maximum $134,378.92

Starting Pay: $91,176.02

Salary Notes: This position is designated as a Union position. All new hires must start at the entry level rate for this role per the collective bargaining agreement/MOA with OPEIU, Local 6. Pay may advance within the salary band according to the CBA/MOU.

Departmental Mission Statement:

The Office of Access, Diversity and Fairness (OADF) is led by the Chief Access, Diversity and Fairness Officer (CADFO) and is tasked with the overall responsibility for the Massachusetts Trial Court's policies and practices related to access, fairness, diversity, equity, and inclusion. The following five departments report to and are supervised by the CADFO: the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Office of Access to Justice and the User Experience; Office of Court Services and Law Libraries; Office of Language Access and Court Records; and Office of Alternative/Online Dispute Resolution Programs.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential components of dignified and respectful treatment in the Massachusetts Court system. The creation of OADF reflects the Trial Court's commitment to ensuring that court-involved individuals, whether they are parties to a case, victims, attorneys, jurors, witnesses, self-represented litigants, visitors, or court employees, are treated with dignity and respect, and are given the information necessary to understand and navigate court systems, policies, and practices. The Office of Language Access and Court Records is responsible for providing language access to interpreters and translators, court records, and trial transcripts that support meaningful access to the administration of justice in the Trial Court. These court access services include directing the operations of the Office of Language Access (OLA), Records Management Centers (RMC), and the Office of Transcription Services (OTS).

The Trial Court Law Libraries provide timely, efficient access to current and historical law-related information in an impartial and respectful manner to anyone in need of legal information.

ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE:

Position Summary: Administers all activities and supervises staff of a Trial Court Law Library. Plans, manages, and maintains a law library collection. Performs professional duties including acquisition, cataloging and reference. Ensures legal information needs of library users are met. Directs staff activities and participates in system-wide activities such as long-range planning, electronic library services, special projects and other library and court services related work as required.

Supervision Received: Works under the direction of Manager of Law Libraries.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Conducts reference interviews to determine library needs.
• Locates, retrieves, and disseminates relevant legal or information resources in response to reference questions.
• Assists court staff and patrons in the use of library resources, both hardcopy and electronic databases.
• Evaluates, develops, acquires, and maintains library's collection.
• Classifies and catalogues library resources.
• Selects and deselects material to maintain an up-to-date library with consideration of local needs.
• Collaborates with assigned courts for Court Consolidation Law Book program. Ensures all necessary filing is complete and treatises are up to date.
• Arranges available space for new and archive material.
• Contributes to the upkeep of the library system's website; monitors webpages to display current information.
• Ensures library has daily coverage and assists with coverage for other libraries.
• Purchases supplies and new legal materials; stays current with new publications.
• Maintains calendar of electronic service commitments.
• Trains and develops staff; intervenes with problematic patrons.
• Accepts and proves incoming standard orders of legal materials.
• Checks for interlibrary loan requests.
• Provides outreach to courts and public entities in the form of public speaking, workshops, seminars, webinars, online presentations and PowerPoint presentations.
• Tracks purchases using budget control log and creates spreadsheets to track increases to titles to prepare budget for next fiscal year.
• Keep track of changes to law for the "Law About" Pages for which they are assigned.
• Serves on committees within the law library department.
• Interviews applicants for law library positions.
• Performs other duties as required.

Job Competencies:

Ethics and Values: Communicates and demonstrates the ethics and values of the Trial Court.

Mission Driven: Employees are fully committed to fulfilling the Trial Court and associated Departmental missions.

Professional Development: Employees are committed to participating in ongoing Trial Court training and educational offerings to advance their professional development. Managers are equally committed to affording those opportunities to those they supervise as scheduling permits.

Customer Service: Conducts oneself in a courteous and professional manner towards both Trial Court employees and the public.

Applied Knowledge: Demonstrates the core competencies and specialized competencies in the areas of library management; reference, research, and client services; information technology; collection development, cataloging and teaching as outlined in the AALL Competencies of Law Librarianship.

Commitment to Diversity: Promotes an environment of diversity through understanding, respect, and positive communication with persons of varied racial, ethnic, economic, and cultural backgrounds.

Collaboration: Works with others cooperatively, demonstrating a willingness to be a team player, and contributing to a work environment that focuses on shared departmental goals.

Minimum Requirements: Education and Experience

• Graduate Degree in Library Science or Law Degree, from an accredited college or university
• Five (5) years of professional law library related work experience
• Equivalent combinations of education and experience will be considered for meeting minimum qualifications.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Knowledge of:

• Legal databases and resources
• In-house and remote print materials
• Cataloguing
• Library of Congress classification system
• Material selection
• New legal development
• Interlibrary loan procedures
• Webinar and PowerPoint tools
• Online presentations
• Collection maintenance

Skill in:

• Long range planning
• Training staff
• Organization and prioritization
• Verbal communication and organization

Ability to:

• Stay current with new publications
• Monitor existing webpages
• Ensure daily library coverage
• Run overdue reports
• Conduct workshops and seminars based on subject matter expertise

Supervisory Responsibility: This position serves as a supervisor to the Circuit Law Librarian and Law Library Assistant.

Working Conditions: Work is frequently performed in office or similar indoor environments.

Physical Demands: This position requires sedentary work:

Lifting and/or exerting up to 30 pounds of force occasionally, a negligible amount of force frequently, and/or or constantly having to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met .