City Librarian, Denver Public Library, Denver, CO
Posted November 24, 2014
Connecting people with information, ideas and experiences to provide enjoyment, enrich lives, and strengthen the community. Join the Denver Public Library (http://www.denverlibrary.org/) Commission and staff as they work to make this mission a reality for their city. The eight-member Library Commission seeks an energetic and enthusiastic leader to serve as City Librarian for the City and County of Denver and build on its outstanding program of services and collaboration–and achieve even greater levels of excellence and community participation. Library staff (530.75 FTEs) and 1,748 volunteers (50 FTEs) serve the 664,293 citizens of Denver with a budget of $40.3 million and 25 locations, including the iconic Central Library, with its rich special collections and resources, the Blair-Caldwell African-American Research Library, 23 other city branches, and an active bookmobile and outreach program. In 2013 DPL welcomed more than 4.3 million visitors, circulated over 9.8 million items, saw a 37% increase in eBook downloads, conducted technology classes for over 7,900 attendees, and worked with more than 41,000 children in the DPL Summer of Reading program. The Library enjoys strong financial support from the City of Denver, as well as from foundations, business organizations, individuals, and the Denver Public Library Friends Foundation.
Healthy, Active, Innovative, Culturally Diverse… and with a winning football team–that’s how people typically describe the Denver area. With 300 days of sunshine, a thriving cultural scene, diverse neighborhoods, and natural beauty, Denver is a spectacular city. Located at the base of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, Denver’s stunning architecture, award-winning dining, and unparalleled views are all here, year-round. Denver is the 23rd most populous city in the U.S. with 2.7 million people in the metro area. For more about the Library, the City, and Denver’s many cultural, educational, and recreational amenities, see http://www.gossagesager.com/dpllinks.htm.
Responsibilities: The City Librarian works with the Library Commission and staff to develop long-term plans and directions for the Library program and services for an increasingly multicultural and multilingual population; plans and directs the overall operations and management of the Library; provides effective team development and leadership to the staff; works collaboratively with City elected and appointed leaders; and works in partnership with civic organizations, agencies, and elected officials at the state and national level. The City Librarian functions with a strong latitude for independent action within the scope of organizational policy set by the Commission. See City Librarian (http://www.gossagesager.com/denverjobdesc.pdf) for the complete job description.
Qualifications: An MLS from an ALA-accredited program and at least three years of progressively responsible experience in upper-level administrative/managerial roles in a library serving an urban population; or any combination of education and experience that demonstrates the ability to successfully perform the requirements of the position. Essential attributes include excellent interpersonal and communication/listening skills; ability to create and implement a shared vision of excellent library service; skill in leading a diverse team of library professionals in setting and achieving goals; a thorough knowledge of financial management and budgeting; collaboration and consensus-building skills; and a solid understanding of philosophy and trends in the library and information technology fields, with the ability to effectively apply them locally. Experience at the senior executive level in an urban public library, an advanced degree in business, public administration or a similar field, and success reporting to a policy-making board or commission are highly desirable.
Compensation: The starting salary range is $130,000-160,000 with a competitive benefits package.
For further information inquire by email or phone to Bradbury Associates/ Gossage Sager Associates (http://www.gossagesager.com). To start the application process, send a cover letter and current resume as Word or PDF documents to Dan Bradbury, [email protected]. This position closes January 4, 2014.