Head of Library Experience and Services

Penn State University•University Park, IL

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Penn State University Libraries seeks a collaborative and engaged Head of Library Experience and Services at Associate or Full Rank to advance a culture of service quality, collaboration, and student success at Penn State University Libraries. This position will lead a newly aligned portfolio and provide strategic leadership and operational responsibility for most of the public service points across University Park Libraries spaces, including service points at Pattee & Paterno Libraries and multiple branch library locations. This newly established portfolio consolidates previously distributed service functions under unified leadership to ensure consistent, high-quality, values-driven service experiences for students, faculty, staff, and community guests across all Libraries facilities. The Head of Library Experience and Services serves as an academic administrator responsible for setting departmental vision and standards and manages and mentors service point supervisors and employees. Additionally, the Head of Library Experience and Services closely collaborates with University Libraries colleagues, stakeholders, and partners to cooperatively develop and advance the Libraries' strategic priorities and values, including equitable access, inclusion, user-centered design, and continuous improvement, through the daily experience students and other patrons have at our service points. The Head of Library Experience and Services will collaborate closely with library partners and units that manage complementary programs and services within Libraries spaces on the University Park campus, managing these relationships and connecting our partners’ programmatic goals with the Libraries’ programmatic goals. This position reports to the Associate Dean for Learning and Engagement and is a member of the Learning and Engagement Leadership Team and the University Libraries’ Leadership Council. This position is located at the University Park campus in State College, PA and the University expects regular onsite presence to fully participate in their university workspace or on-campus intellectual and educational community.

Requirements

A Master of Library Science degree from an ALA-accredited institution (or equivalent)
Substantial relevant experience with academic library public services including reference services, service integration, space partnerships, accessibility, operational planning, and organizational change
Demonstrated supervisory and empathetic leadership and communication skills
Commitment to and experience with shared governance and faculty partnership
Demonstrated leadership style that promotes accountability, communication and employee engagement and demonstrated supervisory experience, including hiring, performance management, coaching, employee development and facilitating teams to foster a collaborative and supportive work environment
Commitment to and demonstrated leadership experience fostering collaboration across diverse communities and supporting the success of individuals with varied backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences through practices that promote accessibility, fairness, engagement, and equal opportunity
Strong reputation for distinguished scholarship and professional accomplishments and strong record of service in appropriate professional or disciplinary associations as evidence of ability to meet the requirements of a tenured position at the rank of Associate Librarian or Librarian at the University Libraries
PA State Police Criminal Background Check, PA Child Abuse History Clearance Form, and Federal (FBI) Fingerprint Criminal Background Check
Credit history check
Valid driver’s license and successful completion of a motor vehicle records check

Nice To Haves

Evidence of substantive leadership initiatives that promote equal access to library resources and services, enhance accessibility, deliver exceptional customer service, and foster a welcoming environment where all users and employees are treated fairly and can fully participate, contribute, and succeed based on their needs, qualifications, and engagement
Experience with fiscal/budget management
Experience with leading and assessing library programs
Experience with strategic planning and demonstrated ability to implement a strategic vision and lead collaborative efforts across library units and with external partners

Responsibilities

Set strategic direction for the Library Experience and Services portfolio, establishing its vision, structure, and operational expectations, and leading change management efforts to unify distinct service cultures into a cohesive, values-aligned department
Supervise and develop employees, directly managing service point managers, supervisors, and coordinators while fostering accountability, collaboration, and professional growth
Oversee service operations, including scheduling, staffing models, cross-training, and coverage planning, to ensure consistent, flexible, and resilient service delivery, including foundational reference services, across all University Park library service points and spaces
Drive evidence-based improvement by developing and applying assessment tools, user feedback, and service data to evaluate quality, identify opportunities, and demonstrate impact, championing a user-centered, inclusive approach throughout
Coordinate with campus and library stakeholders, serving as the primary contact for campus units operating within library spaces and collaborating on building operations, renovations, and service integration
Manage budget and resources, directing departmental budget, staffing, and resource planning
Ensure compliance and safety, collaborating on adherence to University policies for safety, security, accessibility, and emergency response in library spaces
Represent the Libraries in governance, serving on internal committees, task forces, and working groups, as well as representing the Libraries on external committees and consortia