Director, Pew Learning Center & Ellison Library

Warren Wilson • Asheville, NC

303d

About The Position

Warren Wilson College invites applicants for the position of Pew Learning Center (PLC) & Ellison Library Director. The PLC, housing the Library, Sound Lab, and College Archives serves as the intellectual crossroads of campus where a small and dedicated staff, a variety of learning spaces, and diverse physical and digital information resources facilitate learning, spark curiosity, and inspire discovery. We seek candidates who are excited about fostering an organizational climate based on respect, service, teamwork, communication, professional growth, and responsibility, in which diversity, creativity, and innovation thrive. The ideal candidate will be a ready collaborator with colleagues both within and beyond the library to foster innovative, future-focused programs and services while enhancing connections across campus and beyond. The successful candidate will be a strong and vocal advocate for librarianship and the essential role of libraries in an academic environment. The Director will articulate and implement a compelling vision for the library, rooted in the College’s strategic plan and in concert with rapidly evolving trends in academic libraries. Anticipating future opportunities and challenges, the Director will partner with faculty and academic administrators to continually align and integrate the library into the academic life of the College. At the same time, they will actively engage in the library’s daily operations, balancing strategic vision with hands-on leadership. The director’s vision, developed in collaboration with library staff and the wider college community, will continue to transform the library into a dynamic academic hub that serves the needs of all members of the institution. This is a full-time, continuing faculty position in an extended contract system.

Requirements

• MLIS or equivalent degree in Library and Information Science from an ALA accredited program.
• Work experience, including at least 2 years of supervisory experience, in an academic library or comparable academic setting.
• Demonstrated ability to foster a collaborative and equitable approach to library leadership.
• Demonstrated knowledge of current issues, developments, innovations, and challenges in academic libraries and higher education.
• Demonstrated ability to act as an advocate for the library to both internal and external partners.
• Evidence of creativity and innovation in library service delivery.

Nice To Haves

• Record of successful design and implementation of innovative and inclusive collections, programs, and services in a higher education environment.
• Sound grasp of / experience with digital technologies, open access initiatives, and emerging trends in library and information science technologies.
• Experience in team development, including excellent collaboration and communications skills.
• 3 or more years of library management experience, with increasing supervisory responsibility.
• Experience with user experience and library services evaluation and assessment.
• Demonstrated experience in other areas of librarianship, such as Information Literacy Instruction, Technical Services, or User Services.
• Experience with strategic planning and project management.
• Demonstrated experience in shared governance and cultivating collaborative relationships.
• Experience evaluating and designing physical library spaces to support evolving student needs.

Responsibilities

• Guide the strategic vision, management, and operations of the library, including strategic planning, fiscal management, project management, personnel management, and experience with relevant library technologies.
• Articulate a compelling vision for the library in supporting research, teaching, learning, student collaboration, and community engagement in alignment with the College mission and strategic plan.
• Serve as an active member of the college community, assuming leadership roles in college governance.
• Nurture collaborative working relationships across Warren Wilson College to ensure the Library is responding to and meeting constituency needs.
• Develop and exercise oversight of the library budget, including careful stewardship of library resources.
• Provide collegial, collaborative, and transparent leadership through supervision of direct reports spanning library staff, faculty, and students.
• Employ inclusive leadership principles to foster collaborative decision making.
• Cultivate an inclusive and supportive organizational culture.
• Seek opportunities for all library staff to develop professionally and thrive.
• Serve as Building Manager and maintain close working relationships with the college’s Facilities and Information Technology Services departments.
• Advocate for the resources necessary to enact the library’s vision, focusing on library staffing, materials budgets, and creative uses of library spaces.
• Advocate for continued support and development of core library services such as the Sound Lab and the College Archives.
• Represent the library internally on campus and externally through participation in consortial, regional, and national organizations.
• Design, lead, and report on the assessment of all aspects of the library’s programs and collections.
• Initiate and support analysis of metrics related to public services and space utilization.
• Participate equally in the library’s Instruction program through activities such as in-person and online research support, information literacy instruction, and student outreach.
• Serve as a collaborative leader, in partnership with college faculty and academic administration on matters of curriculum design, student learning outcomes, and information literacy programming.
• Provide vision for collection development and stewardship.
• Coordinate all aspects of library technical services with direct responsibility for ordering and copy cataloging new materials.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: Master's degree