Assistant Library Director, Desert Foothills Library, (Cave Creek, AZ)

Posted November 27, 2023

Desert Foothills Library
Nestled in the foothills of the town Cave Creek, Desert Foothills Library is a dynamic and
cherished community asset. The Library offers free membership to all Maricopa County
residents and thrives because of individual community members’ generous financial support.
With 20,000 square feet of books, audiovisual materials, meeting and study rooms, a large used
bookstore, demonstration kitchen, a beautiful patio with mountain views and much more, the
Library is a wonderful place to learn, relax, visit with friends and work. Innovative and creative
staff host more than 2,500 programs a year and nearly 100 community members give their time
as volunteers to ensure patrons get personalized, friendly service.
Summary
We are looking for an experienced library professional who is passionate about ensuring a
positive user experience for library members, volunteers and staff. As Arizona’s only non-profit,
independent library, you will have the unique ability to innovate quickly and create meaningful
and personalized experiences for residents.
Reporting to the Executive Director, you will manage the day-to-day operations of the Library.
You will oversee a team of public services personnel, manage the facility and ensure the adult
and teen volunteer programs provide purposeful experiences and skill development. You will be
an integral part of the library’s leadership team in which you will assist with the budget,
develop short and long-term plans and provide insight into industry and local trends. You will
also serve at times as a library representative at local community meetings and events.
This position requires a knowledge of management principles and a collaborative, continuous
improvement mindset. The ideal candidate will know the basic tenets of all public service
divisions such as technical services and circulation as well as youth and adult services.
The successful candidate will be internal and external customer-centric with excellent
communication skills. Some weekends and evenings are required.
Essential Functions

Assists the Executive Director in planning, organizing, and administering the programs,
services, and operations of the Library.
Oversees the Library’s Technical Services, Youth and Teen Services, Adult Services and
Circulation and Acquistions.
Hires, trains, supervises, coaches, and evaluates those responsible for the public
services departments.
Works closely with the Executive Director and the staff to provide leadership and
direction in the development of short and long-range library strategy and goals.
Constructively responds to and addresses patron feedback regarding programs and
services and resolves issues.
Collaborates with the staff in resolving public service challenges and ensures library
services are accessible and convenient.
Regularly reviews and analyzes library policies/procedures affecting library services and
recommends changes in library policies and procedures.
Supervises the gathering, analyzing, and reporting of data related to the Library’s
collections, services, and programs.
Participates in the annual budget process.
Oversees staff and volunteer committees and ensures a high level of collaboration,
innovation, and response to service trends and community needs.
Stays abreast of community needs, trends in libraries, and patron service expectations.
Participates in local, state, and national library meetings and associations and attends
relevant continuing education activities and community organization meetings and
functions.
Attends Library Board of Directors and Committee meetings, as appropriate.
Acts as Person-in-Charge in the absence of the Executive Director

Preferred Qualifications
The ideal candidate will share the Desert Foothills Library’s commitment to its mission and will
bring a broad range of skills and experience including but not limited to:

Knowledge and experience in Design Thinking/ User Experience philosophy and projects.
Strong leadership skills with the ability to lead, motivate, and empower staff at all levels.
Ability to establish and maintain positive and productive working relationships with staff
and the public to achieve overall library goals.
Ability to successfully manage projects, organizational initiatives and efficiently meet
deadlines.
Demonstrates learning agility and the ability to take risks and change course.
Be comfortable setting goals, delegating, and communicating expectations in a
productive way.
Demonstrates knowledge of trends in library service design, community engagement
and collaboration, library programming, and experiential learning.
Demonstrates excellent written and oral communication skills.
Demonstrates proficient computer skills with the ability to learn and incorporate
emerging technologies into daily work.
Flexibility to work evenings and weekends, and to be “on-call” for emergencies.
Have a valid AZ driver’s license.

Education/Experience

Masters of Library and Information Science from an ALA-accredited school or a
comparable degree.
Five years of professional library experience, including at least three years of progressive
supervisory work.

Salary & Benefits
$68,000-$75,000
Competitive benefits package including medical insurance, matching 401k and vacation.

How to Apply

Please submit a cover letter and resume to Dr. Debra J Lay, Executive Director at [email protected]