Colby College – Director of Libraries

Position Overview

Colby College, a top liberal arts institution, seeks an experienced and visionary leader to serve as Director of Libraries. The Libraries play a central role in scholarship, providing expertise, resources, and services to support research, teaching, and knowledge creation. Reporting to the Provost, the Director will oversee a $6 million budget, over 30 staff members, and a broad range of library services and initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Leadership & Management: Oversee administration, budget, facilities, and strategic planning; supervise four department heads; engage with advisory groups.
• Diversity & Inclusion: Advance campus diversity through collection management, events, hiring, and library services.
• Academic Information Services: Guide the evolution of information access, scholarly communication, and emerging technologies; support Open Access initiatives.
• Campus & External Partnerships: Collaborate with faculty, students, and institutions like the Davis Institute for AI; maintain partnerships with the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin (CBB) Consortium.
• Communication & Outreach: Strengthen internal and external communications through digital platforms and community engagement.

Colby College Libraries

The Libraries include:

• Miller Library (71,500 sq. ft.): Main library, housing humanities, social sciences, and sciences collections, Special Collections, and College Archives.
• Bixler Arts and Music Library (7,100 sq. ft.): Dedicated to arts and music with digital media resources.
• Storage Annex (10,600 sq. ft.): Off-campus archival storage.

Resources include:

• 1.8M items, including 530,000 e-books and 150,000 print/electronic periodicals.
• Membership in CBB Consortium and Oberlin Group.
• Special Collections featuring Thomas Hardy, Sarah Orne Jewett, and rare archives.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate will possess:

• Proven leadership success in a complex organizational setting, including the effective management of fiscal, human, and physical resources;
• An understanding of the major challenges facing academic libraries such as collection development, space planning and utilization, technology integration, changing scholarly communication, and organizational development to support evolving user needs and expectations;
• Understanding of and commitment to the curation of both print and digital resources;
• Experience assessing the outcomes and effectiveness of library programs and services;
• A strong understanding of and commitment to the liberal arts;
• Proven ability to build relationships and work in partnership with multiple constituencies, including College faculty, administration, staff, and students internally, and the local community, Maine state partners, other academic institutions and professional associations externally;
• Excellent listening skills and an approachable leadership style;
• Effective interpersonal and communication skills, including experience with decision making in a collaborative environment;
• A successful history of staff recruitment, professional development, and team building, including a demonstrated commitment to recruiting and supporting a diverse staff;
• Demonstrated expertise working with diverse communities including first-generation, multiethnic, and multilingual members;
• Academic credentials and scholarship appropriate for the leadership of a library in a research-intensive liberal arts environment.

Required Qualifications

• MLS, MLIS, or equivalent degree
• At least five years of leadership experience in an academic library or other comparable setting
• A demonstrated record of successful staff development and team-building, excellent communication skills, and the capacity to design and execute a strategic vision

About Colby College

Founded in 1813, Colby is a highly selective liberal arts college with a commitment to diversity, financial aid, and interdisciplinary research. The campus features world-class facilities, including the Colby College Museum of Art and the Davis Institute for AI. Located in Waterville, Maine, the college is actively involved in downtown revitalization efforts.

Application Process

For more detailed information about this opportunity, please see the full Position Description. Nominations and inquiries may be directed to ColbyLibrariesDirectorSearch@colby.edu. Applications, including a cover letter, CV, and five professional references, should be submitted through Interfolio at https://apply.interfolio.com/163144. Review of applications will begin March 15, 2025 and continue until the position is filled.