Job Opportunity: Western Kentucky University Dean of Libraries

Dean of the University Libraries

Western Kentucky University

Job Description:

Western Kentucky University (WKU) invites applications and nominations for the position of Dean of the University Libraries. The WKU University Libraries have a long tradition of excellence in supporting the quest for knowledge, understanding, creativity, and innovation for a broad and diversified range of scholarly resources. The university is poised for significant transformation in the next decade, and the University Libraries will play an important role in that process. WKU thus seeks a visionary and energetic leader who will guide this transformation.

The Dean serves as the chief academic and administrative officer for the University Libraries and reports directly to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. The Dean oversees the faculty, staff, and facilities of the Departments of Library Public Services, Library Special Collections (including faculty with duties in the Kentucky Museum) and Library Technical Services.

The principal physical facilities of the WKU University Libraries include the Raymond Cravens Library (97,000 SQF) and the Helm Library (85,000 SQF).  Additional facilities within the Department of Library Public Services include the Educational Resource Center, the Visual and Performing Arts Library, and libraries located at the three WKU Regional Campuses in Elizabethtown/Ft. Knox, Glasgow, and Owensboro, Kentucky.  University Library holdings include 869,000 cataloged volumes, 162,000 bound periodicals, 3,600 serials subscriptions, 937,000 government documents, and 2,236,000 microfilms.  The departments of the Libraries are supported by 33 tenured and tenure-track faculty members, 5 instructors and 68 staff.  The Libraries serve and engage the public through a variety of community outreach programs, including the Southern Kentucky Book Fest and a Federal Depository Library which serves the community at large.

The Dean is responsible for:

• Providing dynamic and creative leadership in a time of major transition for university libraries;
• Collaborating with university units to sustain a vibrant research, teaching and learning community;
• Overseeing faculty recruitment and professional development, including progress toward tenure and promotion;
• Supporting a culture of collegial governance which encourages a positive work/learning environment;
• Fostering an organizational and educational climate that promotes and celebrates diversity;
• Communicating effectively both internally and externally on behalf of the University Libraries;
• Cultivating fundraising opportunities in support of University Libraries programming in coordination with university development initiatives;
• Promoting and advocating a service-based organizational culture within University Libraries to address the needs of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the community;
• Coordinating the administration of library personnel, fiscal, and physical resources;
• Working in a collegial and collaborative manner with the other members of the Council of Academic Deans.

About Western Kentucky University:

Western Kentucky University aspires to be the University of choice for faculty and staff who are dedicated to helping advance academic excellence. True to its spirit, WKU offers an inviting, nurturing, and challenging work environment, which is responsive to the needs of a diverse and ambitious learning community. WKU's main campus is located on a hill overlooking the city of Bowling Green (population est. 60,000), and is acclaimed as one of the most beautiful in the nation. In addition, WKU serves the communities of Elizabethtown/Fort Knox, Glasgow and Owensboro through its regional campuses. We invite you to consider WKU as a place where your academic and professional dreams can be realized.

Requirements:

Position Qualifications:

• Master's degree in library and/or information science from ALA-accredited library program (or equivalent) and additional advanced degree;
• 5 or more years of progressive managerial/administrative experience in a research library or university library setting;
• A record of scholarly achievement appropriate for a position as a tenured full professor in one of the departments of the Libraries;
• Experience managing digital initiatives and collaborating with information technology units;
• A demonstrated record of fiscal management and fundraising;
• Strong communication, interpersonal and motivational skills; 
• A strong background in, and commitment to, delivering library services to patrons with diverse needs; and
• A commitment to integrating library services with university curricula, academic support, information literacy, and research.

Additional Information:

Kentucky state law requires all public institutions of postsecondary education to conduct pre-employment criminal background checks to determine suitability for employment.

Western Kentucky University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, religion, veteran status, or marital status in admission to career and technical education programs and/or activities, or employment practices in accordance with Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Revised 1992, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Persons with disabilities, who need reasonable accommodations to participate in the application and/or selection process, should notify The Office of Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action/University ADA Services at (270) 745 - 5121, a minimum of five working days in advance.

Application Instructions:

The following items must be submitted through the WKU electronic talent management system by February 15, 2017, although expressions of interest may be considered until the position is filled.

• Cover Letter
• Resume

Names and contact information of three reference providers will be collected during the application process. Reference letters will be requested by the Search Committee through an online process at a later date.

You will receive email confirmation that your submission has been received. The candidate review process will generally begin as materials are received. The expected hire date is on or about July 1, 2017.