SUPERVISING LIBRARIAN
Career Family: LIBRARIAN
To land Supervising Librarian in New Jersey you go through the competitive route: you sit an announced exam and the score puts you on the eligible list agencies hire from.
To be eligible you bring a master's degree, 4 years of relevant experience, and a professional license. The FY2027 range lands between $87,507 and $128,719.
How to apply
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Exam
This is an application to sit an exam and be placed on an eligible list for this title, not an application for a specific job. A $35 application fee applies to Non-Public-Safety announcements issued on or after 2026-02-01. There may be no current vacancy behind it, and the list it produces may not be certified for months or years.
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Exam
Open to permanent employees in the competitive division who hold a qualifying lower title in the same unit. A $35 application fee applies to Non-Public-Safety announcements issued on or after 2026-02-01. Like the open competitive exam, this places you on a list; it is not itself a job offer.
Official job specification
The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator.
Definition
Under the direction of a supervisory official in a state department, institution, or agency, supervises the work programs and staff of one or more functional areas that provide a variety of professional library services such as reference, lending, collection management, reader assistance to users, and assisting in researching and locating information; supervises staff and work activities; prepares and signs official performance evaluations for subordinate staff; does other related duties as required.
Examples of work
Plans, organizes, and supervises the work of a library section, or supervises a major work program, including reference, lending, reader, technical and/or special services. Acts as principal advisor, within a specific field, for libraries and agencies in New Jersey seeking or requiring assistance, or advises administrative officials within the assigned department or jurisdiction. Supervises the budget planning, and compiles and presents data relating to the budgetary needs of the assigned work program; formulates and recommends short and long-range plans for program development and operations. Coordinates the activities of the program with those of other sections within the library and those of other agencies. Provides instruction, training, assignment, and supervision to staff and establishes work priorities. Plans, organizes, and assigns the work of the organizational unit and evaluates employee performance and conduct. Supervises the work operations and/or functional programs and has responsibility for effectively recommending the hiring, firing, promoting, demoting, and/or disciplining of employees. Responds to research requests, utilizing library resources and other sources as needed, in response to state departments, agencies and government officials. Keeps current with new trends of thought, new developments, and current professional literature in the specialized and general library fields. Participates in meetings and serves as official representative of the department/agency in conferences, workshops, or consultative meetings with lay and professional groups. Coordinates and supervises training and instructing of employees and library users in the use of library resources and research methods. Conducts and supervises the development, publicizing, and presentation of outreach programs geared to stimulate library use and inform the community of library services. Supervises and/or performs cataloging and application of metadata by assigning classification numbers and descriptive headings according to prescribed library classification systems. Supervises the activities of a library extension section providing consultation services to other libraries. Supervises and/or performs the routine library assignments using various library software, discovery services and integrated library system modules. Supervises the use of library equipment. Prepares detailed correspondence. Prepares and/or supervises the preparation of clear, technically sound, accurate, and informative financial, statistical, and other related reports containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations. Supervises the maintenance of essential records, reports, and files. Will be required to learn how to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
Education
A Master's degree in Library or Information Sciences in a library program accredited by the American Library Association or from a New Jersey college Master's program in Library Science that has been deemed acceptable by Thomas Edison State University.
Experience
Four (4) years of experience providing professional library services, one (1) year of which shall have been in a supervisory capacity.
License
Possession of or eligibility for a valid New Jersey certification as a Professional Librarian. Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essential duties of the position.
Knowledge, skills and abilities
Knowledge of the general principles, procedures, methods, standards, tools, and techniques of modern library science and its application. Knowledge of modern library administration and library legislation. Knowledge of library services. Knowledge of the problems involved in organizing assigned library management work and in developing effective work methods. Knowledge of administrative principles and techniques, including budgeting and staff development. Knowledge of library budget systems. Knowledge of New Jersey library laws and the library development program. Ability to organize assigned technical and supervisory work, analyze library service programs, and develop effective work methods. Ability to provide assignments and instructions to staff and supervise the performance of their work. Ability to relate the assigned program to other library programs and assist in their coordination. Ability to train staff and participate in consultative or in-service training programs for librarians requesting assistance. Ability to evaluate and select library resources in a wide variety of subjects and formats. Ability to provide advice on desirable directions for growth and management of the Library's collections. Ability to acquire, process, and organize resources into useable collections, to recognize resources by bibliographic methods, to locate information in specific sources, and to assemble ideas from scattered sources. Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with coworkers and other interested parties. Ability to participate in meetings, conferences, workshops, or consultative meetings with professional and other groups interested in or concerned with library services. Ability to provide needed information to state departments and government officials, schools, and the public. Ability to supervise the library resource budget requests of the library. Ability to supervise assigned staff and plan, organize, and implement projects within the unit. Ability to supervise and perform routine library assignments through the use of various library software, discovery services, and integrated library system modules. Ability to supervise the use of library equipment. Ability to prepare detailed correspondence. Ability to prepare and/or supervise the preparation of clear, technically sound, accurate, and informative financial, statistical, and other related reports containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations. Ability to supervise the maintenance of essential records, reports, and files. Ability to learn how to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units. Ability to read, write, speak, understand, and communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication. Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible if they can perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.
Note
The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed.
Study guides for this exam
- Supervisory Test Battery (STB) National Learning Corporation · $56.99
- General Supervisor National Learning Corporation · $49.90 · general prep, not specific to this title
The Civil Service Commission does not publish official study guides or release past tests. These are independent equivalency guides.