Library Resource Specialist | Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS)

Posted on Jun 6, 2025

  • Are you interested in developing a stellar collection of advantageously priced resources to benefit RAILS member libraries?
  • Are you skilled at organizing, maintaining and analyzing data and developing efficient procedures?
  • Are you a pro at connecting with people to negotiate terms, gather input and promote opportunities?
  • Are you curious about and skilled at researching new products and services that might be of interest to libraries?
  • Would you like to work with a team of fun, hardworking, creative, and collaborative co-workers who are committed to providing the best possible service to approximately 1,200 academic, public, school, and specialized member libraries across a 27,000 square mile area?

If you answered yes to all these questions, you're the perfect candidate for our Library Resource Specialist position.

The Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS), is known throughout the state of Illinois and beyond for providing a wide variety of innovative and vital services for libraries of all types. Our Deals & Discounts program is very popular with our members because it saves them precious dollars that they can spend on other library programs and services. Our challenge is to continue to find the resources that will meet the needs and result in substantial savings for our approximately 1,200 member libraries. That's where this Library Resource Specialist position comes in. You will help us identify quality products and services, maintain and analyze data related to purchasing, and process finalized deals – from promotion to training to renewals.

We're looking for someone who likes to find solutions and who has experience working with collections/inventory and project management. You'll work closely with the Director of Library Resources and Programs and other RAILS staff to identify the products and services that will help our members meet the needs of their communities. In this position, you’ll solve everyday challenges, establish efficient procedures to help members take advantage of our discount/group purchase offers, and help to ensure that every one of our libraries knows about the offers available to them.

Selected Responsibilities:

  • Manage the renewal process and assist in setting up new subscriptions, using RAILS proprietary software platforms and systems
  • Create and maintain databases related to group purchasing
  • Manage day-to-day member support for the RAILS Deals & Discounts program
  • Manage day-to-day vendor relations, including product updates, scheduling webinar/demos and general communications
  • Manage projects from inception to implementation and adaptation
  • Research products for potential deals and make recommendations
  • Compile data and statistics, prepare reports relevant to the RAILS Deals & Discounts program and share with stakeholders
  • Develop training materials and documentation
  • Lead recruitment and retention of libraries participating in the Deals & Discounts program to maximize efficiencies and economies of scale
  • Work with RAILS Communications Team to promote library resources through the RAILS e-News, website and other promotional channels
  • Attend national/state library conferences, member networking group meetings and other events to maintain awareness of best practices and emerging trends, and to represent RAILS, promote services and gain feedback on member needs related to discounted resources

Selected Skills/Abilities:

  • Strong interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with a wide variety of people, including RAILS members from all types of libraries, colleagues at all levels of the RAILS organization, and others
  • Exercise initiative, practice good judgment, think creatively, and recommend innovations for library resources and programs
  • Ability to foresee potential problems and suggest effective solutions
  • Self-starter who can work well both independently and as part of a team
  • Excellent mathematical, technical, written, and verbal communication skills
  • Ability to grasp new concepts and technologies quickly and instruct others
  • Ability to effectively multi-task and plan, prioritize, coordinate and implement projects with others
  • Exceptional attention to detail
  • Ability to present in a wide range of settings, both in-person and virtually

What RAILS offers:

  • Competitive pay
  • Work takes place in a typical office working environment and/or remote work setting
  • A generous benefits package that includes health insurance, a retirement plan, flexible spending accounts, and paid time off
  • Opportunities for professional development and participation in professional organizations

RAILS is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our human capital is the most valuable asset we have. The collective sum of the individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, inventiveness, innovation, self-expression, unique capabilities, and talent is a significant part of not only our culture, but our reputation and organization's achievement as well.

We are an equal opportunity employer and make employment decisions without regard to differences in age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other characteristics that make individuals unique.

Requirements

Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree from four-year college or university in business or related field
  • Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science from an ALA accredited institution preferred

Selected Knowledge/Experience:

  • Minimum of three years’ demonstrated experience with managing physical and digital collections/inventories, including discovery, selection, usage analysis, de-selection, vendor negotiations
  • Experience managing budgets
  • Experience with project management throughout the life cycle of a project
  • Experience in compiling statistics for data driven decision making
  • Experience in preparing and presenting programs, in-person and remotely
  • Experience creating promotional content and strategies
  • Experience working in a highly cooperative and collaborative environment
  • Experience working with or in library, government or nonprofit environment preferred

Salary

$52,311 - $65,389

Location

Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS)
125 Tower Drive
Burr Ridge, IL 60527
United States

How to apply

How to join our team……

If you would like to support our member libraries please apply on the RAILS Job Board at: https://jobs.railslibraries.org/

Deadline to apply: 6/27/25

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