Director of Dunn Library and College Librarian
Director of Dunn Library and College Librarian
Simpson College: Academic Affairs: Division of Education and Sport and Health Sciences: Dunn Library
Location: Indianola, IA
Open Date: Feb 06, 2025
Description
Simpson College seeks a highly qualified and experienced leader for the position of Director of Dunn Library and College Librarian. The director is responsible for overseeing and developing traditional and innovative library services.
The ideal candidate for this position will be an innovative, collaborative leader with a passion for service; have a clear vision for a library's role in promoting teaching, learning, and scholarship; and understand the need to balance existing library services and resources with emerging technologies, ensuring the library remains a vital resource for patrons.
Responsibilities:
- Oversee the library's operation, including collection development, instruction, public service, archives, and facilities.
- Ensure that the library stays current with changes in technology, communication, instruction, outreach, and information storage and delivery.
- Oversee financial operations and develop budget requests and expenditures for the library budget.
- Provide leadership that invites collaboration, encourages teamwork, promotes diverse perspectives, and values transparency
- Collaborate with stakeholders, disciplines, and programs to provide a learning environment and appropriate resources to encourage student engagement in all aspects of inquiry, problem-solving, and critical thinking.
- Represent and promote the library; serve on committees as required.
- Meet the diverse needs of library stakeholders.
- Some weekend and evening hours may be required.
Simpson College is a small liberal arts college with a dedicated group of faculty, staff, and students. Simpson's campus is in Indianola, Iowa, a part of the greater Des Moines metropolitan area. The Des Moines area has a population of over 600,000, and economic growth has outpaced the U.S. as a whole in recent years. In addition, the cost of living is well below the national average. To learn more about Simpson College, please visit www.simpson.edu.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications:
- MAL, MIS, or other relevant graduate degree plus academic library experience.
- An understanding of the library's role in achieving Simpson's mission.
- 3 – 5 years of library experience, including at least 2 years of successful administrative experience in an academic library environment, including supervising others.
- Record of planning skills, including budget management, goal-setting, and strategic plan implementation.
- Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills.
- Excellent collaboration and negotiation skills, including the ability to work cooperatively with students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the general public.
- Strong analytic and strategic skills in prioritization, resource allocation, and decision-making.
- Knowledgeable implementation and utilization of library technology.
- Knowledgeable about current and emerging trends in higher education and library services such as copyright, plagiarism, intellectual freedom, technology, and assessment.
Preferred Qualifications:
- ALA-accredited graduate degree
- 3 or more years of budget management.
Application Instructions
Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. All applications received by February 28, 2025, will receive full consideration.
A complete application will include 1) a cover letter addressing your interest in the position, 2) a C.V., 3) a statement of philosophy describing your vision of the library's role in a liberal arts college, 4) an unofficial transcript, 5) a statement addressing how your experiences and/or interests contribute to promoting the mission of Simpson College and 6) contact information of three professional references
