Residence Requirements:

RESIDENCE REQUIREMENTS:  CANDIDATES MUST HAVE BEEN LEGAL RESIDENTS OF ERIE COUNTY FOR AT LEAST ONE MONTH IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE DATE OF THE WRITTEN TEST AND MUST BE LEGAL RESIDENTS OF ERIE COUNTY AT THE TIME OF APPOINTMENT. There is one present vacancy at the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library.

Examples of Duties:

An Administrative Clerk-Library performs advanced and responsible paraprofessional level administrative duties under the general supervision of the Chief Financial Officer or Assistant Deputy Director, Human Resources, for the Library; 

If Assigned to the Office of the Chief Financial Officer:

Prepares confidential correspondence for administrator, including legal, financial and other technical terminology;

Collects and verifies data, prepares confidential reports for review by Chief Financial Officer;

Under the guide of the Chief Financial Officer, prepares and sends annual town contracts, prepares town budget transfers for packet and prepares annual budget books for administration and staff;

Enters and distributes system wide circulation statistics;

Calculates mileage claims;

Secures requested information on financial matters from library staff, other County departments, other agencies, etc. for administrator by telephone, personal contact, search of library resources, etc.

Utilizes computer systems and equipment in the completion of assigned tasks;

Prepares and develops spreadsheets;

Opens and distributes departmental mail.

If Assigned to the Human Resources Department:

Prepares confidential correspondence for administrator, including legal, personnel and other technical terminology;

Records and subsequently transcribes minutes of meetings i.e. grievances, personnel issues and/or council meetings;

Collects and verifies data;

Prepares confidential reports for review by supervisor on general personnel collective bargaining unit and/or legal matters;

Provides information to managers and staff on collective bargaining matters;

Coordinates support activities for various human resources initiatives, including orientation and training;

Monitors statistical reporting for legal compliance;

Secures requested information on personnel matters from library staff, other County departments, other agencies, etc. for administrator by telephone, personal contact, search of library resources, etc.

Maintains confidential legal and personnel files;

Composes routine letters;

Assigns and supervises the work of clerical employees performing the personnel processing function;

Advises on the development of personnel office procedures and controls.

Qualifications:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:  Candidates must meet one of the following requirements on or before the date of the written test: 

A) Graduation from a regionally accredited or New York State registered four (4) year college or university with a Bachelor's degree and one (1) year of clerical experience; or

B) Graduation from an accredited two (2) year college with an Associate’s Degree and two (2) years of clerical experience; or

C) Graduation from high school or possession of a high school equivalency diploma and four (4) years of satisfactory business or office experience, at least two (2) years of which was in a clerical position; or

D) An equivalent combination of training and experience as defined by the limits of (A), (B), and (C) above.

Notes:

NOTES:  1. Verifiable part-time and/or volunteer experience will be pro-rated toward meeting the experience requirements. 2. Your degree and/or college credit must have been awarded by a regionally accredited college or university or one recognized by the New York State Education Department as following acceptable educational practices. A grade of "D" or better is necessary for a course to be credited as successfully completed. If your degree and/or college credit was awarded by an educational institution outside of the United States and its territories, you must provide independent verification of equivalency. You can write to this Department for a list of acceptable companies providing this service; you must pay the required evaluation fee.

Notice to Candidates: Transcripts will now be accepted by the Department of Personnel ONLY at time of application.
All subsequent transcripts must be submitted at time of interview.

The New York State Department of Civil Service has not prepared a test guide for this examination. However,candidates may find information in the publication "How to take a written test" helpful in preparing for this test. This publication is available on line at: www.cs.ny.gov/testing/localtestguides.cfm

Subjects of Examination:

Subjects of examination: A written test designed to evaluate knowledge, skills and /or abilities in the following areas:

1. Coding/decoding information

These questions test for the ability to follow a set of coding rules. Some questions will require you to code information by converting certain information into letters or numbers. Other questions will require you to decode information by determining if the information that has already been converted into letters or numbers is correct. Complete directions will be provided; no previous knowledge of or training in any coding system is required.

2. Name and number checking

These questions test for the ability to distinguish between sets of words, letters, and/or numbers that are almost exactly alike. Material is usually presented in two or three columns, and you will have to determine how the entry in the first column compares with the entry in the second column and possibly the third. You will be instructed to mark your answers according to a designated code provided in the directions.

3. Office record keeping

These questions test your ability to perform common office record keeping tasks. The test consists of two or more "sets" of questions, each set concerning a different problem. Typical record keeping problems might involve the organization or collation of data from several sources; scheduling; maintaining a record system using running balances; or completion of a table summarizing data using totals, subtotals, averages and percents. You should bring with you a hand-held battery- or solar-powered calculator for use on this test. You will not be permitted to use the calculator function of your cell phone.

4. Supervision

These questions test for knowledge of the principles and practices employed in planning, organizing, and controlling the activities of a work unit toward predetermined objectives. The concepts covered, usually in a situational question format, include such topics as assigning and reviewing work; evaluating performance; maintaining work standards; motivating and developing subordinates; implementing procedural change; increasing efficiency; and dealing with problems of absenteeism, morale, and discipline.

5. Understanding and interpreting written material

These questions test for the ability to understand and interpret written material. You will be presented with brief reading passages and will be asked questions about the passages. You should base your answers to the questions only on what is presented in the passages and not on what you may happen to know about the topic.

NOTICE TO CANDIDATES:  Unless otherwise noted, candidates are permitted to use quiet, hand held, solar or battery powered calculators.  Devices with typewriter keyboards, "Spell Checkers", “Personal Digital Assistants", "Address Books", "Language Translators", "Dictionaries", or any similar devices are prohibited.  You may not bring books or other reference materials.

**IMPORTANT APPLICATION FEE - READ CAREFULLY**

A $20.00 filing fee is required for this exam. The required fee must accompany your application. Send or bring check or money order made payable to Erie County Personnel Department and write the examination number(s) on your check or money order. Do not send or bring cash, as the County cannot be responsible for cash payment. As no refund will be made, you are urged to compare your qualifications carefully with the requirements for admission and file only for those examinations for which you are clearly qualified.