Director of Libraries

The Libraries and Archives Department at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University invites applications for the full-time, benefit-eligible position of Director of Libraries. 

The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University seek an innovative, strategic, and collaborative leader to serve as the next Director of the CSB and SJU Libraries. Reporting directly to the Provost, the Director provides leadership and strategic direction for the Libraries and Archives. They are responsible for all aspects of library and archives administration, including long term planning, policies and procedures, personnel management, facilities management, budgets, and ongoing assessment of library resources and services. The Libraries and Archives are a key partner in academic and co-curricular programming, and the Director collaborates with Academic Affairs to promote innovative teaching, learning, and research in the liberal arts. 

With the library buildings on both campuses serving as service hubs, the Director also maintains partnerships with other academic support offices and building partners to ensure an integrated experience for our faculty, staff, and students. We are seeking a Director who is a creative problem-solver and who possesses a managerial approach that motivates, inspires, and fosters collegial working relationships within an inclusive framework. The successful candidate will possess broad intellectual curiosity and a vision for successfully guiding a leading liberal arts college library into the future.

For more information about the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University, including detailed information about our library facilties and locations and our Institutional Inclusion Visioning Statement, please visit the linked website. 

Leadership

• Provides strategic data-driven vision, direction, budget oversight, and operational support for Library and Archive staff.

• Lead a multi-level department, providing direct supervision to management staff and administrative support. Promote excellence in staff training, mentoring, and professional development.

• Foster a collegial work environment. Promote an organizational culture of transparency, inquiry, innovation, collaboration, service, mindful stewardship, Benedictine hospitality, and respect for persons.

• Foster a learning and working environment that is accessible, inclusive, and welcoming and remains actively engaged in inclusion initiatives.

Planning and Assessment

• Ensure the Libraries and Archives’ services and spaces support the diverse needs of our community.

• Lead the Libraries and Archives in aligning plans with institutional missions and priorities.

• Strengthen opportunities for student learning through the application of innovative services, policies, and technologies.

• Advance forward-thinking collection development, facilities stewardship, resource sharing, and preservation plans.

• Maintains a strong culture of library assessment and evaluation that serves to inform decisions, improve operations, and demonstrate impact.

Communication and Advocacy

• Advocate for the Libraries and Archives and help communicate their value, impact, and needs with stakeholders on and off campus.

• Communicate plans and strategic vision for the Libraries and Archives with all library employees.

• Act as the Libraries and Archives’ liaison to senior college administrators and work closely with the Provost and CSB and SJU’s leadership team.

• Serve on or appoints Libraries and Archives’ representatives to institutional committees.

• Represents the Libraries and Archives to internal and external audiences, and highlights the Libraries and Archives as foundational for maintaining the Benedictine values of community and stability.

Collaboration and Service

• Develops and maintains partnerships with academic departments, programs, and other campus units, including Information Technology Services and offices in the Experience Hub and Network for Academic Success, to better support the learning, teaching, and research needs of the CSB and SJU community.

• Maintains and strengthens collaborative efforts with consortia and other regional cultural heritage partners, including Minitex, the Minnesota Library Association, the Minnesota Council of Academic Library Directors, and the Oberlin Group of Libraries.

• Serves the Libraries and Archives, College and University, the profession, and the community through active participation in committees, meetings, professional associations, research, and/or other activities.

Other duties as assigned.

Required

• Master’s degree from ALA-accredited program of library or information science, or equivalent international education credential.

• Demonstrated leadership effectiveness, including managing a team.

• Understanding of trends and best practices in academic librarianship, higher education, and archives.

• Excellent writing and public speaking skills.

• Experience building and maintaining strategic partnerships with internal and external stakeholders.

• Demonstrated commitment to inclusive excellence.

• Familiarity with a range of technologies and tools used by libraries and archives, including instructional technologies, digital multimedia, data reporting tools, and library management systems.

• Aptitude for learning and applying new information, technologies, and practices.

• Ability to manage a complex budget.

Preferred

• Understanding of the functions and purpose of undergraduate liberal arts education and the role libraries and archives play in that experience.

• Grant writing and implementation experience.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to move throughout library and archive facilities, including navigating multiple floors, stacks, workrooms, and public service areas.

• Ability to use a computer and other standard office equipment for extended periods.

• Ability to communicate effectively in person, via telephone, and through virtual platforms.

Travel Requirements

• Regular travel between the campuses of the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University.

• Ability to attend meetings, events, and professional activities off campus, which may involve occasional travel.

Applicants can visit the linked website for information on how to apply, hiring accommodations, pre-employment policies and more.

The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University are Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employers.