Job Listings

Lake Forest College seeks a forward-thinking and collaborative leader to guide the library as a central partner in teaching and learning,
research, and student success. The appointment will begin June 2, 2026. Reporting to the Krebs Provost and Vice President for Academic
Affairs, the Library Dean provides strategic leadership, management, and advocacy for library services, collections, spaces, and staff
within a rapidly evolving information environment. The Library Dean will be a strong communicator who has a proven track record of working
with different campus constituencies to promote the use of the library’s resources and spaces to advance Lake Forest College’s overall
mission https://www.lakeforest.edu/about-us/mission-and-values

Following a comprehensive self-study and external review in 2023, the
Donnelley and Lee Library developed a five-year strategic plan that is actively being implemented. The incoming Library Dean will have the
opportunity to guide the next phases of this work, translating strategic priorities in impactful ways.

A selective liberal arts
college located on Chicago’s North Shore, Lake Forest College enrolls approximately 1,800 students from more than 40 states and from more
than 70 countries. Lake Forest is one of the most diverse small colleges in the Midwest with nearly 40% of our student body comprised of
domestic minority and international students. Lake Forest College embraces diversity and encourages applications from women, members of
historically underrepresented groups, veterans, and individuals with disabilities.

Responsibilities

• Provide vision and strategic direction for library services, collections, spaces, and programs
  aligning priorities with the College’s mission and values.
• Foster an inclusive and welcoming environment that advances the success
  of a diverse student body with library services, collections, and spaces.
• Manage and forecast the library’s annual operating and
  materials budgets, ensuring responsible stewardship of financial and human resources and continued delivery of high-quality,
  curriculum-aligned services and resources.
• Update/revise staff responsibilities as appropriate, creating opportunities to best
  meet the evolving needs of library users.
• Oversee all areas of library operations across Access Services, Reference and
  Instruction, Technical Services, Systems and Electronic Resources, and Archives staffed by professional and support staff.
• Assess
  and reimagine library spaces using data and user feedback aligning study areas, collections, and instructional spaces with evolving student
  and faculty needs.
• Oversee collection development and management, including course reserves, digital resources, open access
  initiatives, and deselection.
• Recruit, mentor, and develop library faculty and staff; support a robust and inclusive student
  employment program.
• Provide leadership, in collaboration with the reference and instruction librarians, to ensure library
  instruction, reference, and research services meet the evolving campus needs.
• Build strong partnerships across campus to advance
  teaching, learning, and research goals.
• Engage with local, state, and national library consortia and encourage staff participation
  in professional development opportunities.
• Collect and submit data annually on staffing, expenditures, collections, and library
  services for national, statewide, and consortia benchmarking surveys used in academic library assessment.
• Perform other duties as
  assigned in service of the College’s mission https://www.lakeforest.edu/about-us/mission-and-values.

Qualifications

• Education
  • MLS or MLIS degree
    from an American Library Association-accredited program.
• Experience
  • A minimum of 5 years of experience that demonstrates progressive responsibility and success in an academic
    library, including leadership, budget management, and oversight of evolving services and programs.
• Leadership and Team Development
  • Ability to recruit, mentor, motivate, and
    develop library faculty and staff; build effective and inclusive teams, and establish priorities and expectations.
• Strategic Thinking
  • Long-term strategic focus and understanding of
    trends affecting higher education and their impact on library services.
• Collection and Digital Resource Expertise
  • Strong knowledge of collection management, electronic resources, and
    emerging trends in academic libraries.
• Financial and Operational
  Management
  • Expertise in managing significant budgets, allocating financial and human resources effectively, and adjusting
    operations to meet institutional needs.
• Communication and
  Collaboration
  • Excellent communication skills and demonstrated success in collaboration across academic and administrative
    environments.
• Performance Management
  • Experience
    establishing short and long-term strategic goals, assigning responsibilities, setting clear expectations, and fostering employee growth
    through ongoing feedback, coaching, and mentorship.
• Planning,
  Organizing and Accountability
  • Ability to manage competing priorities, set clear objectives, assess outcomes, and ensure
    accountability.
• Problem Solving and Decision Making
  • Demonstrated initiative and sound judgment and the ability to address complex challenges and opportunities effectively.

Salary and Benefits

Lake Forest College offers
comprehensive and competitive pay and benefits to attract and retain talented individuals to further our mission. The salary range for this
position is $112,000-117,000 and our benefits can be found at Employee Benefits
| Lake Forest College.

Application Process

Applicants should
send a cover letter and resume to librarysearch@lakeforest.edu. Review of applications will commence immediately.

If you are
interested in learning more about employment at Lake Forest College, please visit Working at Lake Forest |
Lake Forest College.