Director, Master of Library and Information Studies Program
About The Position
The University of Arkansas Libraries invites applications for the Director of the Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) Program, a twelve-month, tenure-track faculty appointment reporting to the Dean of Libraries. This is an exceptional opportunity for an accomplished academic leader to launch and shape the university's first graduate program in library and information science, working closely with the Dean of Libraries, program faculty, and campus partners to build a new practitioner-oriented program from the ground up. The successful candidate will bring strong collaborative, management, and communication skills, along with the ability to navigate a complex and dynamic academic environment. The University Libraries preferentially seeks a candidate whose record of teaching, scholarship, and service qualifies them for appointment with tenure at the rank of Associate Professor upon hire. The MLIS program is new to the University of Arkansas and is the only master's-level library and information science program in the state. Housed within the University Libraries and based at Mullins Library on the Fayetteville campus, the program offers an in-person, practitioner-oriented curriculum developed in consultation with ALA-accredited peer institutions and is pursuing accreditation from the American Library Association. The program will welcome its first cohort in Fall 2027 and is projected to grow to a steady-state enrollment of approximately 36 students. Because the program is housed within a large, comprehensive academic library, students learn alongside working practitioners and gain access to hands-on, experiential learning opportunities not typically available in stand-alone or fully online programs. The University of Arkansas Libraries is the recognized flagship of the University of Arkansas System and includes Mullins Library, the University's main library, which recently completed a two-phase renovation creating modern instructional, collaborative, and research spaces. The Libraries employ 34 full-time faculty librarians whose scholarship spans user behavior, public services, archival practice, digital technology, artificial intelligence, and data analysis, and who will play a central role in teaching and mentoring within the new program. This is an in-person position. Most university classes are offered face-to-face, and extensive in-person engagement in such activities as office hours, student advising, and departmental, college, and university committee meetings is essential to advancing student success and departmental effectiveness. Regular, reliable, and non-disruptive attendance is an essential job duty, as is the ability to create and maintain collegial, harmonious working relationships with others.
Requirements
- Earned doctoral degree (Ph.D., Ed.D., or equivalent) in Library and Information Science, Higher Education, or a closely related field, conferred no later than June 1, 2027
- A Master of Library Science (MLS) or Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) from an ALA-accredited program
- Demonstrated experience teaching in higher education
- Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders
Nice To Haves
- A record of teaching, scholarship, and service sufficient to qualify for appointment with tenure at the rank of Associate Professor upon hire
- A minimum of four years of experience in academic administration, such as budgeting, curriculum development, course scheduling, strategic planning, project management, or program evaluation
- Demonstrated supervisory or team leadership experience
- Experience in academic libraries or other library and information science practitioner settings
- Experience with new academic program development or accreditation processes, such as those of the American Library Association
- Successful experience securing grants or external research funding
- Experience recruiting, advising, and mentoring graduate students
Responsibilities
- Provide overall vision, leadership, and day-to-day administration for the MLIS program, working with the Dean of Libraries to establish policies, procedures, and long-term strategic direction.
- Serve as the principal liaison between the program, University Libraries leadership, campus partners, and external stakeholders.
- Coordinate student recruiting, admissions, orientation, and communications for the program.
- Lead curriculum development and coordinate course scheduling, staffing, and program assessment in collaboration with program faculty, adjunct instructors, and University Libraries faculty.
- Provide leadership, mentorship, and workload coordination for MLIS program faculty in partnership with the Dean of Libraries.
- Partner with the Assistant Dean for Finance to develop the program's budget and approve unit expenditures.
- Lead the program's efforts toward American Library Association accreditation, including preparation of self-study and candidacy materials.
- Teach two courses each fall and spring semester (2-2 load) within the MLIS curriculum.
- Advise and mentor MLIS graduate students.
- Maintain an active program of research and professional scholarship consistent with promotion and tenure expectations.
- Represent the program on department, college, and university committees and participate in shared governance.
- Workload is generally distributed as approximately 50 percent teaching and program leadership, 30 percent research, and 20 percent service, consistent with the responsibilities of a 12-month administrative faculty appointment.
Benefits
- university contributions to health, dental, life and disability insurance
- tuition waivers for employees and their families
- 12 official holidays
- immediate leave accrual
- a choice of retirement programs with university contributions ranging from 5 to 10% of employee salary
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Education Level
Ph.D. or professional degree
