Children's Program Coordinator

The City of Danbury is announcing an Open Competitive Exam for the position of Children's Program Coordinator

Statement of Duties: The Children’s Program Coordinator is responsible for creating, budgeting, scheduling, promoting, and evaluating Junior Library programs. They work closely with members of other departments to develop and execute children’s programming and outreach that promotes library services and supports the library’s mission. The Children’s Program Coordinator plans the annual summer reading program for pre-school through fifth grade. They participate in off-site programming and outreach to Danbury elementary schools, nursery schools, and community organizations serving children and families. Maintains open communication with schools to keep them informed of library services and develop partnerships for collaboration.

Supervision Required: Under general supervision of library administration. The employee is familiar with the work routine and uses initiative to carry out recurring assignments independently, with specific instruction. The supervisor provides additional, specific instruction for new, difficult, or unusual assignments, including suggested work methods. The employee is expected to recognize instances which are out of the ordinary and which do not fall within existing instructions; in such cases, the employee is expected to seek advice and further instructions. Reviews and checks of the employee’s work are applied to an extent sufficient to keep the supervisor aware of progress, and to ensure that completed work and methods used are technically accurate and that instructions are being followed.

Supervisory Responsibility: The employee, as a regular and continuing part of the job, is not required to supervise other employees.

Confidentiality: The employee has access to some confidential information, not department-wide, that is obtained during performance of essential functions, where the effect of any disclosure would probably be negligible or where the full significance of the overall confidential matter would not be apparent in the work performed.

Accountability: The nature of work assures that errors are usually detected in succeeding operations. Consequences of errors, missed deadlines, or poor judgment may include time loss caused by back checking by others and slowdowns in the processing of the work. Errors are generally confined to a single department, such as billing or accounting errors.

Judgment: Numerous standardized practices, procedures, or general instructions govern the work and, in some cases, may require additional interpretation. Judgment is needed to locate, select, and apply the most pertinent practice, procedure, regulation, or guideline.

Complexity: The work consists of the practical application of a variety of concepts, practices, and specialized techniques relating to a professional or technical field.

Work Environment: The work environment involves everyday discomforts typical of a public library setting. Noise or physical surroundings may be distracting, but conditions are generally not unpleasant.

Nature and Purpose of Relationships: Relationships with co-workers and the public involving frequent explanation, discussion or interpretation of practices, procedures, regulations or guidelines to render service, plan or coordinate work efforts, or resolve operating problems. Extraordinary courtesy, tact, and diplomacy may be required to resolve complaints or deal with uncooperative or uninformed persons. Employee may furnish news media or the public with routine information such as department operating procedures and practices regarding use of print or electronic resources.

Occupational Risk: Duties of the job present little potential for injury to the employee.

Essential Functions

The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

• Responsible for presenting and coordinating children’s programming from birth to fifth grade. Plans, coordinates, and implements programs and events, both ongoing and special or one-time events. Researches, makes contact with, and negotiates with potential program presenters and performers, with a focus on programs that support the goals of the library.
• Regularly participates in community events and outreach opportunities. Works collaboratively with other library departments, particularly the Program and Outreach Coordinator and Community Relations Coordinator, to attend outreach events as appropriate. Consults with other departments to help develop family-focused, library-wide events that are relevant to the Danbury community.
• Develops programming for children, parents/caregivers, educators, and other members of the community who work with children throughout the year.
• Works with local educators in the Danbury school district, as well as daycares and other organizations, to develop and implement programs and activities for children both in the library and as outreach events.
• Conducts story times, class visits, library tours, and other programs for children.
• Works closely with the Teen Librarian and Children’s Librarian to plan the annual summer reading program, including planning, promoting, and advertising.
• Creates engaging and inviting displays for the Junior floor that promote library services.
• Actively participates in community events and outreach opportunities with the school district and other community agencies.
• Implements programs that support existing library services, furthers the library’s long-range goals, responds to stated needs from library patrons and the community, and enhances the library’s partnership activities with other community agencies. Helps develop programming concepts based on feedback from staff and administration.
• Participates in monthly Junior department meetings.
• Speaks to community groups and gives presentations about the library and its services as needed.
• Provides in-person library service at a public service desk. Utilizes library technology, including online databases and the internet as well as traditional library resources, in answering patron queries. Instructs and guides patrons in the use of library resources.
• Engages in professional development appropriate to youth services, including reviewing current professional journals, attending professional workshops and meetings, and communicating with peers in library settings. Represent the Danbury Public Library appropriately at workshops and educational meetings relating to Youth Services.
• Maintain budget records, keep statistics, and compile evaluations for programs, events, and exhibits. Works with performers/presenters to ensure their requirements are provided for, including furniture arrangement, AV equipment, refreshments, etc.
• Actively engages in self-directed professional development, incl. technology, library trends and issues.
• Assists with room set up or accommodations for groups using the meeting rooms as needed.
• Maintains budget records, keeps statistics, and compiles evaluations for programs, events, and exhibits. Works with performers/presenters to ensure their requirements are provided for, including furniture arrangement, AV equipment, refreshments, etc.
• Actively engages in self-directed professional development, incl. technology, library trends and issues.
• Assists with room set up or accommodations for groups using the meeting rooms as needed.
• Ability to travel independently to community outreach events.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience: Bachelor’s degree with an emphasis on childhood education or children’s literature or related field. A minimum of two years’ experience working with small children. Experience researching, planning, and conducting children’s programming.

Special Requirements: None required.

Knowledge, Abilities And Skills Required

Knowledge: Requires general knowledge of children’s literature and authors; knowledge of child development

Abilities: Requires ability to develop contacts with local performers and presenters; Engage community partners, customers and staff in the promotion of library programs. Work a flexible schedule that includes day, night and weekend hours. Ability to work independently with a high degree of accuracy; Ability to deal with professionals, public, volunteers, and children; Ability to work independently, planning, organizing, and coordinating tasks.

Skill: Proficient interpersonal and customer service skills; proficient oral and written communication skills; excellent organizational skills. Establish and maintain a positive working relationship with a diverse community of customers and library staff.

Physical And Mental Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the position’s essential functions.

Physical Demands: Little or no physical demands are required to perform the work. Work effort principally involves sitting, twisting, or kneeling in order to perform assigned work tasks, with extended periods of time spent walking and standing. The employee is required to occasionally lift, reach, and/or pull objects such as books, office or library equipment.

Motor Skills: Duties are largely mental rather than physical, but the job may occasionally require minimal motor skills for activities such as moving objects, operating a personal computer and/or most other office equipment, keyboarding and/or word processing, filing, sorting of papers or operating a motor vehicle.

Visual Demands: Visual demands require the employee to routinely read documents for general understanding and routinely for analytical purposes. The employee is rarely required to determine color differences.

Application Information

Application Submission

Applications must be submitted online at www.danbury-ct.gov/employment . Qualified applicants must submit an application no later than 11:59 pm, Thursday, July 2nd, 2026. EEO/M/F/D/V

Important Note: Paper applications will not be accepted.

The application must be completed in its entirety. Omissions, false, misleading, or inaccurate information will result in rejection of the application.

It is recommended that applicants not wait until the last day to submit the application. Applications should be completed as soon as possible after publication of the announcement for examination.

Please contact the Human Resources/Civil Service Department at (203) 797-4598 or ***email_hidden*** if you need assistance or if you have any general questions.

• Application Review The Civil Service Commission is responsible for reviewing the applications to determine if they are complete and meet the minimum requirements for the position. The Commission will review all the applications for the position during its bi-weekly meetings following the closing date of the position.

If an application is accepted by the Civil Service Commission, then the applicant will be notified in writing and will be informed of the next step in the process. If the Commission does not accept an application, the applicant will also be notified in writing.

• Testing

Once An Application Is Accepted By The Civil Service Commission, The Applicant Will Be Notified In Writing Of The Next Steps In The Testing Process. Each Test Phase Must Be Passed In Order To Continue To The Next Level Of The Selection Process. The Examination For This Position Will Consist Of The Following Parts

PARTS WEIGHT

ORAL EXAM 100%

It is the applicant’s responsibility to adhere to the City’s testing schedule. Unless otherwise stated, there will be no make-up examinations or alternative examination dates.

If an applicant fails the test, the applicant will be immediately eliminated from consideration for this hiring process.

Oral Test Date: *week of July 27th, 2026

Test Time: To be Determined

Test Location: To be Determined

• Exam date may be subject to change

Unless otherwise notified, applicants are not permitted to bring and/or use calculators, electronic devices, books, or other reference materials during the examinations.

Reasonable Accommodations In The Testing Process

All requests for reasonable accommodations in the testing process along with medical documentation establishing the need for the accommodation must be submitted to the City of Danbury Human Resources Department no later than the closing date of applications.

• The Eligibility List

A passing average score of “70” on the above test will place an applicant on the Eligibility List in rank order. The rank on this list is established according to the scores on the exam(s) indicated above plus any additional applicable seniority points awarded. The resulting list is then certified by the Civil Service Commission and will be used to fill vacancies as they occur, as per Civil Service Rules.

If the list is not exhausted, it remains in effect for one year. However, the Commission can decide to extend an eligibility list for one additional year.

Participation in the testing and recruitment process and/or placement on an eligibility list does not guarantee a continuance in the remainder of the hiring process nor does it imply or constitute an offer of employment.

• Additional Testing Requirements

Once the eligibility list is certified, depending on the number of vacancies, candidates with the highest ranking on the list will be interviewed by a panel of City Officials. As future positions become available, applicants are interviewed from this list based on their ranking for as long as the list is active.

DMEA 35

Do you possess a Bachelor’s degree with an emphasis on childhood education, children’s literature, or a related field?

• Yes
• No

If applicable, please list degree.

Do you possess a minimum of two (2) years’ experience working with small children?

• Yes
• No

If yes, please explain. If no, please indicate n/a

Do you possess experience researching, planning, and conducting children’s programming?

• Yes
• No

If yes, please explain. If no, please indicate n/a

• Required Question