Library Director, Forbes Library, Northampton, MA
Posted July 25, 2016
The Board of Trustees is seeking a creative, energetic leader committed to public service, with a respect for the past combined with a vision and understanding of the role of the public library in the 21st century. This opportunity is open due to the planned retirement of the current Director, and is anticipated to begin January 3, 2017.
Northampton is one of the top small arts cities in the United States and lies in the heart of the beautiful Connecticut River Valley. The city of just under 30,000 offers a vibrant downtown unique for its number of independent businesses and a lifestyle rich in cultural, artistic, and academic resources.
The library has a collection of 360,000, a dedicated staff of 24 FTE, including full and part-time employees. The budget for FY 2017 is $1.49 million. The Richardsonian Romanesque building opened in 1894 and is on the Register of Historic Buildings. It includes an inviting children’s area, exemplary arts and music collections, a strong reference department, an art gallery, extensive local history and genealogy materials for Hampshire County, and the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library and Museum. There is an active and supportive Friends group.
RESPONSIBILITIES: The Library Director is responsible for the management, direction and administration of the library on a daily basis; directs library personnel; oversees business operations, library finances and creates budgets for each fiscal year. The Director offers vision for the future; oversees preservation and maintenance of the library’s collections, building and physical assets; and represents and advocates for the library.
QUALIFICATIONS: MLS from an ALA accredited institution; 3 to 5 years of increasingly responsible management/supervisory experience in a public library; leadership ability and a high degree of motivation, initiative, and resourcefulness; ability to create budgets and manage finances; and ability to speak and write effectively and clearly.
Salary $80,000-$90,000.
To apply, please submit cover letter, resume and names of three references to Marjorie Hess, Chair, Library Director Search Committee via email at directorsearch@forbeslibrary.
For full job description, see http://forbeslibrary.org/jobs