Director of Libraries

Overview and Responsibilities

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota is looking for a Director of Libraries who is eager to contribute to its Lasallian Catholic mission of awakening, nurturing, and empowering learners to ethical lives of service and leadership. We invite individuals to help transform lives through education, inspired by the Catholic Intellectual Tradition’s quest to understand the human experience through faith and reason and its embrace of all who are dedicated to learning from one another through authentic conversations in search of the truth. We are especially interested in and give preference to candidates who demonstrate a vision to create and nurture initiatives that will advance our mission within the scope of their duties and who will foster a culture of dialogue that, with respect for all people, supports the search for meaning and purpose in pursuit of excellence.

The Director of Libraries serves as a visionary leader for an innovative 21st century library prepared to serve the ever-changing needs of higher education. Although this role oversees libraries on both the Winona and Minneapolis campuses, the preferred office location is on the residential campus in Winona.  Through collaborative management, the Director provides innovative leadership in managing all library operations to align with Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Strategic Plan. The Director of the Libraries will serve the whole University community by helping to ensure that Saint Mary's University of Minnesota meets its academic goals and supports students, faculty, and staff in their academic endeavors through this critical resource. 

• Works with library staff to establish a clear vision and philosophy for the library. 
• Develop and implement strategic priorities, plans and goals for library resource programs, services, and facilities to serve students, faculty, and staff.  
• Plays a significant role in developing, implementing, and interpreting departmental policies and procedures. 
• Forecast, justify, manage and analyze budgets and financial data for library operations.
• Collaborates with Facilities team to ensure all library spaces are inviting, functional, accessible, well-maintained and conducive to learning.
• Oversees library personnel, mindful of employee recruitment, retention, and development. 
• Develops policies, services, initiatives, and collections that serve the mission of Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. 
• Provides oversight over internal communication to promote the library and its services. 
• Collaborate with the Advancement Office and the Director of Sponsored Programs to generate and lead grant efforts, which raise the viability and visibility of library system.
• Provides leadership in managing library operations by having a regular presence on both campuses. 
• Carry out the One Library strategy while ensuring two distinctive library systems and cultures to create a coherent library system that serves the needs of multiple groups of students, faculty, and staff, while also responding with alacrity to the changes in higher education and academic libraries. 
• Serves as the liaison to regional and state library consortiums to share library materials. 
• Serves as ex officio member of appropriate Faculty governance committees.
• Provides oversight for archives (Presidential and University) to bring both up to and maintain archival standards, and seek outside financial support if needed. 
• Performs other duties, as assigned.

Essential Skills and Functions: 

• Demonstrated ability to provide vision and leadership toward the achievement of a comprehensive university library system, exemplifying the institution’s mission and goals. 
• Management experience in leading a staff, including direct reports on other campuses. 
• Project management skills, and knowledge in how to build consensus in leading change processes. 
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with internal and external constituencies. 
• Effective fiscal management. 
• Experience in working with diverse student populations, comprising a wide range of needs. 
• A strong commitment to the support of teaching and scholarship. 
• Experience with a multi-campus environment. Develops and maintains good working relationships and communications at all levels of the organization.
• Observes safety guidelines and follows safety procedures established by the university.
• Self-motivated with the ability to work effectively alone and within a team environment.
• Support, respect, and advance the mission of Saint Mary’s University as a Lasallian Catholic.

Qualifications

Required: 

• Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from an ALA-accredited program.
• 3-5 years’ experience in an academic library with at least 1-2 of those years with progressive professional responsibility in leadership.

    Preferred: 

• Additional Master’s or Doctoral degree. 
• Record of scholarship, teaching, and/or active membership in professional associations.
• Experience in securing external grants or philanthropic funding for library operations, collections, or databases. 
• Knowledge of professional theory and best practices in managing, collecting, and preserving archival and special collections.

May consider other acceptable equivalent combinations of training and experience.

Application Requirements

Apply online at https://www.smumn.edu/about/offices-services/human-resources/employment-opportunities/ and please include a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three professional references.

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota believes inclusion and human dignity contributes to a robust academic and work environment and is critical to achieving the University's mission in an increasingly diverse society. Individuals with expertise and diverse skills from underrepresented groups are especially encouraged to apply. Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. The successful candidate must support, respect, and advance the mission of Saint Mary's University as a Lasallian Catholic institution.

Saint Mary’s offers a comprehensive benefit package including health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, flexible spending, retirement pension plan, and both undergraduate and graduate tuition remission plans.

All offers of employment are contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check.