Library-it-director-search

Final Draft of the Short Job Description

Earlham College seeks applicants for the position of Library Director and Coordinator of Information Services. We seek an experienced person with administrative skill, deep and broad intellectual interests, enthusiasm for involvement with professional activities, and the potential for creating and implementing uses of technology to support Earlham's liberal arts college mission.

This is an integrative position. As Library Director, the successful candidate will oversee all aspects of library management and maintain a strong user-focused program of information literacy instruction. As Coordinator of Information Services the candidate is expected to further a collaborative approach to using technology in support of the academic and administrative missions of the College.

A masters degree in a relevant field is required, an ALA-accredited degree is preferred. Candidates should have a strong record of progressively responsible leadership, with managerial, supervisory, and budgetary experience. The successful candidate will be amenable to broadly consultative practices and a consensus governance system.

Interested parties should contact someone at the consultant's office.

Sara's Section

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Earlham College seeks applicants for the position of Coordinator of Information Services and Library Director. As IS Coordinator, the successful candidate will be responsible for providing leadership for Computing Services, Web Management, Instructional Technology & Media, and the Earlham Libraries, including the College Archives. The IS Coordinator is expected to further a collaborative approach to using technology in support of the academic and administrative missions of the College. As Library Director, the successful candidate will oversee all aspects of library management and maintain a strong user-focused program of information literacy instruction.

Requirements:

Advanced degree in librarianship, information science, or related field required. ALA-accredited degree preferred.

Thorough knowledge of the academic enterprise and a commitment to a liberal arts education.

Experience in academic libraries or archives required. Interest in furthering Earlham's record of excellence in information literacy instruction.

Strong record of progressively-responsible leadership, with managerial, supervisory, and budgetary experience.

Supportive of staff professional development and of their engagement in the overall academic enterprise.

Amenable to broadly consultative practices and a consensus governance system.

Public service orientation and ability to work effectively with a diverse group of teaching and administrative faculty, students, staff, and others.

Record of service to the profession

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Here is the job description that Tom developed for some external survey:

Revised February 7, 2006. Revised December 2007

Library Director and Coordinator of Information Services Position Description

The library director is responsible for all aspects of library services: personnel, budget, services, policy, planning and setting tone and direction of the organization. The incumbent meets those responsibilities by putting in place decision making processes, gathering information and convening the appropriate groups of people to address issues surrounding these aspects of library operations and to make decisions.

The director regularly has contact with faculty, students, college administrators, external groups (e.g., PALNI, INCOLSA, OCLC[1]), library professionals in the state of Indiana, Oberlin Group[2], professionals across the country, representatives of vendors, as well as Alumni and Friends of the College and Library. In these contacts the director serves important functions that include:

• Promoting library services
• Interpreting library policies and programs to constituent groups
• Explaining library programs and needs to College administrators and the decision makers within the institution’s governance structure.
• Support and communicate libraries’ needs to the groups with which the library is affiliated: PALNI, INCOLSA, OCLC, Oberlin Group.

The director also has “staff-like” responsibilities for reference service, collection development and instruction. In this role the incumbent serves as a team member with other librarians who, in a team mode, share responsibilities in these three areas of service.

The Coordinator of Information Services is responsible for seeing that planning and the actions implementing the plans within the four units (Computing Services, Library, Instructional Technology and Media (ITAM) and web Management and Services (WMS)) are mutually supportive and meet the service needs of faculty, students and staff. The position was established in January 2001. As CIS (nominally CIO) the coordinator is liaison to the National Information Technology in Liberal Education organization (NITLE), serves on the NITLE Midwest Advisory Committee and is Earlham’s campus representative to NITLE. The CIS is also a member of the Council of Library and Information Resources’ Chief Information Officers (CLIRCIO) group.

The Coordinator serves on the College Conference which is a coordinating and deliberating body of senior administrators and faculty.

[1] Private Academic Library Network of Indiana, Indiana Cooperative Library Services Authority, Online Cooperative Library Computer. [2] Oberlin Group is an informal association of the directors of the seventy-five leading liberal arts colleges.

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Mary's Section

Thanks to those who have already posted their versions, and apologies for my tardiness. I am getting used to this way of doing things.

Rather than write my own version I think I'll comment on the features I admire in the ones already posted.

I like the more informal "we seek" language of Neal's version. We need to be clear about how the pieces of the job fit together, which means a combination of Sara's and Neal's. I can see the virtue of listing first the skills we seek (Neal's) and then the areas of responsibility (some form of Sara's.)

I think the precision of Denise's list is helpful and clear, but I wonder - would it be better to include that level of detail with the follow-up information for those who respond to the ad? My concern is that we avoid a "walk-on-water" description that will work against attracting a good pool of candidates. As I write this I remember our conversations about being fully truthful in as we describe the job, and the tensions we all feel about the balance among the parts of the job. I am unresolved about this, and I suspect that I am not alone here.

What is our time-table with this ad? I will have more time to think about it on Wednesday. mg

Neal's Section

Assuming the current paradigm, as per Doug's thoughts relayed to us by Greg.

Library Director and Coordinator of Information Services. Earlham College.

Earlham seeks applicants for the position of Library Director and Coordinator of Information Services. We seek an experienced person with administrative skill, deep and broad intellectual interests, enthusiasm for involvement with professional activities, and the potential for creating and implementing uses of technology to support Earlham's liberal arts college mission. As Library Director, responsible for all library operations including the college’s Lilly Library and Wildman Science Library. As Coordinator of Information Services, responsible for fostering collaboration between IT services units on issues including security, infrastructure, intellectual property, and strategic planning. Master's degree required. Send letter, statement of your philosophy of library and IT leadership in a liberal arts setting, vita, and names, addresses and phone of three references to [insert contact info].

My thinking on this:

Keep the door open for faculty and "non-library" leaders who exhibit both administrative experience and a vision for library/IT collaboration in a liberal arts setting. I also don't want to preclude promising candidates from R1 or other large institutions. The onus is on the applicant to triangulate conceptual terrain involving the liberal arts, IT, and librarianship.

Denise's Section

• Masters degree in relevant field required.
• Significant experience in an academic environment (highly preferred).
• A clear vision of the role of information technology in all spheres of higher education, including academic programs, student services, and administrative departments.
• A strong understanding of new and developing technologies in higher education.
• Integrate both IT and Library viewpoints into common values and purpose.
• Demonstrate credibility with existing Library and/or IT cultures.
• Desire to develop others professionally.
• Lead and facilitate meaningful change.
• Management experience including budgeting and personnel administration.
• Manage IT and Library resources to meet the strategic needs of the institution.
• Administrative and supervisory experience in higher education.