University Librarian

Vanderbilt University

University Librarian

 

Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee enrolls more than 13,000 students and employs more than 9,000 faculty and staff members. The University offers undergraduate programs in the liberal arts and sciences, engineering, music, education, and human development, and a full range of graduate and professional degrees. The combination of cutting-edge research, strength in the liberal arts, and internationally recognized graduate and professional schools of education, law, engineering, business, divinity, nursing, and medicine creates an invigorating atmosphere in which students tailor their education to meet their goals and researchers collaborate to solve complex problems of importance to our health, culture, and society.

 

As a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities since 1950, Vanderbilt is among the most preeminent universities in the nation. U.S. News and World Report ranks Vanderbilt in the top 15 national universities and further recognizes the University for the exceptional quality of its undergraduate teaching and its overall value.

 

The Vanderbilt campus sits on 340 acres and encompasses 12 million square feet of building space. The University has total net assets of $6.7 billion and an endowment with market value of more than $10 billion.

 

The Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries are in a time of ambitious growth and renewal. With a new Chancellor and Provost as well as a growing residential college system, the campus is poised for significant transformation.

 

Vanderbilt is seeking an outstanding, entrepreneurial individual to lead an evolving library organization and to engage and inspire faculty, students, alumni, and donors in a vision for an innovative library that is deeply integrated with the experience of learning and inquiry at Vanderbilt University.

 

The University Librarian will report to the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and work with senior leadership to support the University’s mission. The University Librarian will serve as the leader for the Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries, comprising nine divisional libraries, the Television News Archive, and the Fine Arts Gallery. The UL will provide strategic vision, build collaborative relationships with stakeholders, and advance student learning and the research enterprise.

 

The University recently completed an external review of the libraries, which resulted in a series of recommendations that the UL will be expected to implement in collaboration with University leadership. In addition, the University Librarian will be expected to focus on the following:

  • Working with the senior leadership of the university to ensure that the libraries are meeting the needs of the students, faculty, staff, and researchers at Vanderbilt;
  • Leading the Libraries to take on an innovative role in equipping undergraduate and graduate students with the skills required to become critical consumers and producers of information and research in our increasingly complex landscape;
  • Leading and expanding an outstanding team of people who respond to the unique needs of world-class faculty and students;
  • Collaborating with fundraisers to grow the libraries’ resources and advocating for and promoting the vision of the libraries to a wide audience of current and potential funders;
  • Identifying opportunities to further embed the libraries into the new collaborative, trans-institutional initiatives on campus and utilizing special collections to inspire student research;
  • Partnering with existing and incoming faculty to deepen faculty and student engagement with the libraries’ resources, including promotion and expansion of the current strengths of the collections of the libraries, archives, and Fine Arts Gallery; and
  • Overseeing a consolidation and re-design of offsite storage facilities for the libraries, while creatively and innovatively designing a future-looking library where digital collections and digital research methods play a central role.

Nominations, inquiries, and expressions of interest should be directed to:

VanderbiltUL@russellreynolds.com.

 

At Vanderbilt University, we are intentional about and assume accountability for fostering advancement and respect for equity, diversity, and inclusion for all students, faculty, and staff. Our commitment to diversity makes us who we are. We have created a community that celebrates differences and lets individuality thrive. As part of this commitment, we actively value diversity in our workplace and learning environments as we seek to take advantage of the rich backgrounds and abilities of everyone. The diverse voices of Vanderbilt represent an invaluable resource for the University in its efforts to fulfill its mission and strive to be an example of excellence in higher education.

 

Vanderbilt University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. Women, minorities, people with disabilities and protected veterans are encouraged to apply.