Philecia Harris Email & Phone Number

Boston, Ma, Us

Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States

Oversaw the daily operations of the Central Square Branch and the six branch libraries of the Cambridge Public Library System. Supervised, managed and led the 4 other Branch Managers and the Assistant Manager of Branch Services. Oversaw Central Square and citywide branch programming, hiring, recruiting, and training. Filled many of the 16 newly allotted branch positions in addition to regular openings. Responsible for creating the vision for branch services as well as interpreting systemwide goals. Engaged in daily problem solving, customer service, staff management, public service, budgeting, scheduling and policy making.

Write, edit and manage an online and print directory of 700+ black owned businesses and organizations throughout New England. Offer free consulting to local businesses consisting of marketing with menus, fliers, and a greater e-presence. Network with area businesses, community organizations and consultants. One part-time employee. www.theBlackDirectory.com • Fb/theBlackDirectory • Tw/@theBlackDir • Inst/theBlackDir

West Roxbury Branch (WR) / Roxbury Branch Libraries: Coordinate children’s programming for ages 0-12, including weekly singalongs, storytimes, book groups, afterschool programs and special events virtually and in person. Manage social media, fliers and community outreach for children's services. Update children’s collections through shelf weeding, reorganizing genres and reviewing and ordering new books for the collection. Coordinate programs and visits with schools and afterschool programs. Provide reference, technical instruction and general library services for all ages. Share branch managerial duties when the Branch Manager is away (WR). Tech Goes Home (TGH) certification for Early Learning and Elementary.

Worked and acquired specialized skillsas an 18 hour floater in numerous library departments at the Central Library and citywide branches including: Research Services, Reader’s Services, Children’s Room, Teen Room, Kirstein Business Library, Arts Library, Rare Books Dept. and Literacy Center.

Shared responsibility for info/reference services while providing children’s services for the branch: ran story hours, events, lunch program, shared an Amharic Storytime, created 2nd grade Summer Reading List 2016, STEM/STEAM programming. Temporarily ran YA programming, Summer Reading, high school visits, YA poetry judge. Ordered 300K in new books for children and helped prepare the library for move-in to a new state of the art branch. Experienced in multiple technologies and online resources for librarians and the public.

Washington, District Of Columbia, United States

District of Columbia restaurant. Dereveloped a 2000 Sq/Ft, split level, neighborhood café from concept to build-out through daily operations. Pre-opening: developed logo, business plan, website, FB Page and general marketing. Coordinated with architects and contractors, moved licenses, permits etc. through DCRA. Hired and trained new staff, created recipes, menus and staff manual. Handled payroll, accounting and statistical analysis. Connected with the local community and hosted meetings, game nights, book talks, spoken word events and art openings etc. Gradually increased offerings and consistently maintained a 4 star Yelp rating. Sold the business in 2015.

Conducted teacher workshops, led school wide literature studies, updated collections, coordinated RIFF program and Scholastic Book Fair, started DCPL book mobile visits and provided general media specialist services (see Young Achievers below).

Oversaw the creation and renovation of library media centers for the 147 DCPS schools. Coordinated $13.5 Million in district, federal and corporate grants for books, periodicals, AV, subscription databases, computers and other technology. Hired and trained staff for 70 LMS positions. Established monthly meetings, citywide library initiatives, created information packets and trainings for principals and drafted a policy and procedures manual. Co-wrote $.5M grant with Caltholic University to send mentees to library school. Created a force of Master Librarians to further library work and initiatives until the library department was dismantled.

Rebuilt a neglected K-8 Library Media Center. Procured grants for books and 10 new computers, solicited family and community volunteers to process over 2000 new books. Coordinated library topics with classroom curriculum while teaching classes for 300, K-8 students which included storytimes, library and technical skills development, reading groups and a “Cyber Café.” Worked to maintain a thematic interactive library environment.

Assisted the director with daily operations, managed the six branch libraries and directed all human resource functions of the library system. Duties included representing the library at board meetings, conferences and citywide initiatives. Assisted the director at union negotiations, budget hearings, staff meetings and the development of a five year strategic plan. Oversaw all aspects of hiring, recruiting, orientation, training and ongoing staff development. Wrote performance evaluations, job descriptions, references, the staff newsletter, inter-office memos, intra-city and community correspondences. Offered the newly created position of Deputy Director before departure.

Managed a medium-sized neighborhood branch library that contained the “Rogers Collection,” the second largest collection of Portuguese language materials in Massachusetts. Supervised a staff of five. Oversaw and implemented children’s, adult and Portuguese language events, programs and services. Daily activities included, reader’s advisory, hiring, training, goal setting, facilities, report writing, grant writing, fundraising and other administrative tasks. Expanded community out-reach and networking. Procured grant funding to update the ESL Collection and created new collections in Spanish, French, Haitian Creole and parent/teacher materials.

In addition to children’s services duties, supervised a staff of seven, scheduled staff hours and function room usage, served on hiring committees, headed the branch's first staff meetings and addressed service issues. Received citations from the Library Board and the City for revitalizing the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration.

Master Of Library & Information Science - Mlis

Bachelor Of Science - Bs, Molecular Biology