Library Director and University Librarian

LIBRARY DIRECTOR AND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIAN

The University of Chicago invites applications and nominations for the position of Library Director and University Librarian. Reporting to the Provost, the Library Director is a critical partner in, and facilitator of, the rigorous intellectual engagement that characterizes the University of Chicago. The new Library Director will have a tremendous opportunity to work across the entire university, building upon the Library’s exceptional service-oriented culture in order to further the rigorous academic goals of the University. Working with a team of approximately 200 talented and dedicated library staff, the new Library Director will lead the process of developing and implementing a comprehensive strategic vision for the future of the Library, in terms of both its role within the University ecosystem and its relationship to the fast-changing world of information management. The new Library Director will be an experienced and effective leader who will be a champion for the centrality of the library in an academic research university. The new Library Director should bring a creative, intellectual, and collaborative spirit to the challenge of making a library that is already well-respected and beloved for the depth of its collections and prominence both on- and off-campus even more central to the University of Chicago’s mission and even more recognized around the nation and world.

The University of Chicago is a research university in a dynamic urban setting that has driven new ways of thinking since 1890. The University’s commitment to free and open inquiry draws inspired scholars to its global campuses, where ideas are born that challenge and change the world. The University of Chicago empowers individuals to question conventional thinking in pursuit of original ideas. Students in the College develop critical, analytic, and writing skills in its rigorous, interdisciplinary core curriculum. Through graduate programs, students test their ideas with UChicago scholars, and become the next generation of leaders in academia, industry, nonprofits, and government.

Within the University’s programs of study and academic departments, more than 2,300 full-time faculty educate approximately 7,000 undergraduate students and 10,000-plus graduate, professional, and other students. The undergraduate College consists of 52 majors and 41 minors; four graduate divisions (Biological Sciences, Humanities, Physical Sciences, and Social Sciences) and seven schools (Booth School of Business, Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice, the Divinity School, Harris School of Public Policy, the Law School, Pritzker School of Medicine, Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering), support and provide homes for a full range of graduate and professional study.   

The new Library Director and University Librarian will be a strong, effective advocate for the Library, as well as a collaborative and communicative community builder, responsible for the leadership and overall management of Library services and collections. The Library Director will oversee planning, budget, and staffing of the Library in support of the academic, instructional, and information needs of faculty, students, and staff across the University. The Library’s total annual operating budget for 2020-2021 stands at approximately $33 million, including salaries.

The candidate for the Library Director role must hold an ALA-accredited degree or an international equivalent, or an advanced degree in a relevant field, as well as demonstrate effective leadership and management experience.

To view the full position profile, please visit Storbeck Search’s website.

Please send nominations, applications, and queries in confidence and electronically to:

Sue May, Managing Director

Matthew Bunting, Managing Associate

Storbeck Search

UChicagoLibrarian@storbecksearch.com

Please note that all job seekers wishing to be considered for the position must also submit their materials through the University of Chicago’s Interfolio site (https://apply.interfolio.com/88571).

The University of Chicago seeks a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages diverse perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange. The University’s Statements on Diversity are at https://provost.uchicago.edu/statements-diversity.

The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.