Director of Public Service, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts (New York City, NY)

Posted November 4, 2026

Description:
The Director of Public Services is a service-oriented and collaborative leader who will be responsible for designing and implementing a unified, best-in-class vision of public service at LPA. Overseeing all public services and operations, this position will ensure a high-level of service for every patron, from casual visitors utilizing the first-floor lounge to specialized researchers accessing special collections on the 3rd floor. Leading a team of 70 staff members, they will ensure that our patrons can access a broad range of collection formats, from children’s books and browsable vinyl to archival materials and legacy audio and moving image items. The successful candidate will be an experienced and patron-centric operational leader who ensures that public research, reference, and access services operations meet the needs of our artists, scholars, students, and performing arts lovers of all types.

Position Responsibilities:

Public Service Leadership and Strategy

Develop, articulate and execute a strategic vision for public services, ensuring consistent best practices in public service across all circulating, general, and special collections, while collaborating with public service leadership across the research libraries.
Create an environment that promotes a seamless user experience and excellent customer service for all levels of research and library use.
Ensure a positive, welcoming, and inclusive environment for all Library users, ensuring every patron receives efficient and hospitable service.
Identify, implement, and establish training for staff on new technologies and tools that improve user experiences and keep pace with developments in the broader library field and digital tools, working closely with the Collections and Research Services and Digital teams.

Operations and Team Leadership

Lead all Librarian and Library Technical Services staff associated with onsite and remote research and public services across multiple reading rooms and service points, including electronic document delivery.
Lead a team of experienced professionals, identifying training needs to support staff empowerment and cross-functional leadership.
Collaborate with LPA’s Deputy Director to compile and analyze public service metrics to understand collection use and evolve services appropriately.
Oversee budgets for multiple cost centers.
Encourage a holistic service approach to LPA’s branch, general and special collections to create the broadest, most convenient access for patrons.

Collaboration and Engagement

Collaborate with Curators and senior leadership on evolving education, exhibition, and public outreach initiatives, including blog posts, research guides, social media campaigns and more.
Engage with diverse stakeholders, including funders, scholars, and local community members, to promote LPA’s visibility and relevance.
Provide expertise on complex reference questions regarding permissions, copyright, and intellectual property for special collections.
Collaborate with Schomburg and HSSRL Public Service counterparts to improve service across the system
Collaborate with BookOps on branch collection development
Assist with identifying and pursuing grant and funding opportunities to build public research service capacity.
Partners with Executive, Deputy, and other Library Directors to create LPA’s strategic plan, in support of NYPL’s overall 5-year strategy
Serve in leadership positions on NYPL-wide working groups and committees.

Qualifications:

ALA-accredited Master of Library Science and Information Science or equivalent
Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible leadership and management experience in a research library or public library
Extensive, proven track record of successfully managing and mentoring complex teams
Budget and administrative management experience
Demonstrated commitment to providing high-quality, patron-centered service in a diverse, urban environment
Personal connection to the performing arts is preferred
Operational Leadership: Demonstrated success leading patron-services operations in libraries, archives, museums, or comparable settings; exposure to serving both general audiences and specialized research communities over the course of a career is preferred.
Team Leadership: Collaborative, visible leader who builds trust and inspires a team, develops and mentors talent at all levels, and brings staff along through change with clarity, transparency, and care.
Collections Access: Experience providing access to varied collections, which may include books, archival materials, audiovisual materials, or digital resources
Collaboration: Ability to collaborate across functions, including curatorial, preservation, and technology staff, to advance access to the collections, build consensus, and solve complex problems; proven ability to build and maintain relationships across departments and divisions to accomplish institutional goals
Patron-First Orientation: Demonstrated track record of providing and fostering excellent, patron-forward customer service
Excellent interpersonal, communication, problem-solving, advocacy, de-escalation, and decision-making skills

Hours and Compensation:

Schedule: Monday-Friday (some evenings and Saturdays required), 35 hours/week
Salary: $170,000 – $185,000/year

How to Apply:

New York Public Library for the Performing Arts (LPA) has retained Diane Carlyle Executive Search
(www.dcxsearch.com) to support the search for the Director of Public Services. We welcome comments,
nominations, or expressions of interest. All applicants are asked to include a letter of interest with their
resume. Please send an email with supporting materials to: [email protected].