Director of Library Services

SPALDING UNIVERSITY•Louisville, KY

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Library Services leads the library at Spalding University, a small private university in Louisville with health sciences, education, and professional graduate programs delivered on campus and online. Reporting to the Provost and Chief Academic Officer, the Director supervises two library staff members and serves as both the library administrator and a working librarian who consults and builds resources directly. The role ensures library support for teaching, research, student success, and regional and programmatic accreditation. The University seeks a hands-on leader who can manage a lean budget, partner closely with faculty, and help the University address emerging issues such as generative AI and course-material affordability. The Director sets the library’s strategic direction and policies, manages its budget and daily operations, supervises staff and student workers, and oversees the physical library space and service hours. The role develops and assesses collections, negotiates vendor contracts and licenses, administers library systems in partnership with University IT, and maintains accessible digital services. The Director also leads information-literacy instruction, provides research support, collaborates with faculty, advances open educational resources and other affordability measures, and advises on copyright, fair use, and open access. The position assesses services, collections, and instruction; prepares documentation and reports for institutional and programmatic accreditation; and represents the library in University planning, committees, consortia, and professional organizations. Other duties may be assigned. The position is on campus in Louisville, Kentucky.

Requirements

Master’s degree in library and information science (MLS/MLIS) from an ALA-accredited program.
Five or more years of professional academic library experience.
At least two years of experience supervising staff.
Experience managing a budget and negotiating electronic resource licenses.
Experience designing and teaching information-literacy instruction.
Working knowledge of library systems, discovery and authentication platforms, and electronic resource management.
Strong communication skills and a record of effective collaboration with faculty.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting health sciences programs or programmatic accreditation reviews.
Experience preparing library documentation for regional accreditation.
Experience with open educational resources (OER) or course-material affordability initiatives.
Experience developing guidance or instruction on generative AI in research and learning.
Experience at a small or mid-sized private university, or in a lean staffing model.

Responsibilities

Set the library’s strategic direction, goals, and policies in alignment with the University’s mission and strategic plan.
Manage the library budget, monitor expenditures, and identify savings through consortia and cooperative purchasing.
Oversee daily library operations, the physical space, and service hours to provide a welcoming and accessible environment for on-campus and online students.
Supervise, train, and evaluate two library staff members, and manage student workers in collaboration with Human Resources.
Build and assess print and electronic collections supporting University academic programs, particularly health sciences and graduate programs.
Negotiate and manage vendor contracts and licenses, using usage and cost data to guide renewals and cancellations.
Administer library discovery, authentication, and electronic resource systems in partnership with University IT.
Maintain the library website and research guides in accordance with current WCAG digital accessibility standards.
Evaluate emerging tools, including AI-enabled discovery and research platforms, for value, cost, privacy, and suitability.
Lead an information-literacy program grounded in the ACRL Framework, including instruction on evaluating and responsibly using generative AI in research.
Provide research consultations to students and faculty in person and online, ensuring equitable access for distance learners.
Partner with faculty to integrate library resources and instruction into courses and programs.
Advance course-material affordability through open educational resources and library-licensed alternatives to costly textbooks.
Advise faculty and students on copyright, fair use, and open access publishing.
Assess library services, collections, and instruction and use results for continuous improvement.
Prepare library documentation for institutional effectiveness, regional accreditation, and programmatic accreditors, including CCNE, ACOTE, CAPTE, ARC-PA, and CACREP.
Submit required statistics and reports to state and national reporting organizations.
Represent the library on University committees and in academic planning.
Maintain relationships with library consortia, peer institutions, and professional organizations.
Perform other duties as assigned.