Head of Circulation, Robbins Library - Arlington, MA (Arlington)
Are you an experienced and enthusiastic team leader committed to creating great user experiences in libraries? Consider joining Robbins Library as the Head of Circulation!
Robbins Library serves the community of 46,000 in Arlington, MA through two locations, Robbins Library in Arlington Center and Fox Branch Library in East Arlington, and our 24/7 branch robbinslibrary.org. Our community of library-lovers makes Robbins one of the busiest libraries in Massachusetts. In FY26 we circulated over one million books and other items.
The Head of Circulation supervises the Assistant Head of Circulation, 5-6 dedicated full-time library assistants, 7-10 part-time library assistants, 4-10 library pages, and a pool of on-call circulation library assistants.
The Head of Circulation oversees all aspects of our high-volume Circulation Department, including but not limited to the following: the management, leadership, and coordination in planning and operations; scheduling, assigning, training, supervising, and evaluating staff; collaborating with other library departments; participating in Minuteman Library Network groups and other professional development workshops.
The ideal candidate for this position will be self-motivated, eager to learn, committed to accuracy, an empathetic team-leader, a problem-solver ready for change, and able to face fast-paced situations with grace and good humor. Supervisory, change-management, and customer service experience is a must.
35 hours per week including a minimum of one evening per week, and every other Saturday, with Friday off.
Qualifications
Education and Experience
Bachelor's Degree; three years of professional library experience; experience in automated circulation management; supervisory and management experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Knowledge, Ability and Skill
Knowledge of library policies and procedures, including integrated library systems, periodical management, and information technology. Thorough knowledge of circulation department operations, or demonstrated ability to learn new skills.
Demonstrated supervisory and organizational skills. Project management skills. Excellent customer service skills. De-escalation skills. Demonstrated patience and creative problem solving skills. Oral and written communication skills.
Team management and leadership, ability to create meeting agendas and other team communication opportunities. Collaborate effectively within the Circulation Department, across library departments and network, and other library partners as necessary.
Ability to organize time and accomplish tasks with accuracy and attention to detail. Ability to work effectively under time constraints.
Excellent computer skills. Knowledge of or demonstrated ability to learn Sierra ILS, Google Workspace, Microsoft Office, and other tools as necessary.
Ability to interact respectfully, tactfully, and appropriately with a diverse population of library patrons. Ability to work independently. Ability to learn computer operations and related library databases.
Ability to adapt to changing methods and standards in service delivery.
Physical Requirements
The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, sit, speak, hear, use hands to repeatedly lift up to 40 lbs of bins, books and materials, use hands to operate equipment, climb, stoop, reach with hands and arms and move and push equipment and materials. Vision requirements include the ability to read routine documents and use a computer.
Full/Part Time
Full Time
Education
BA/BS
Salary Range
$67,646.00 - $88,385.00 / year
Closing Date
07/24/2026
How to Apply
For more information, including the full job description and application instructions, see the Town of Arlington Human Resources page.
Posted
2026-07-01