Director of the Bentley Historical Library

Director of the Bentley Historical Library

The University of Michigan seeks nominations and applications for a creative, transformative, and dynamic leader for its next Director of the Bentley Historical Library.

The Bentley Historical Library was established as the Michigan Historical Collections in 1935 by the University of Michigan Regents to carry out two functions: to serve as the official archives of the University and to document the history of the state of Michigan and the activities of its people, organizations, and voluntary associations. As such, the BHL’s holdings touch all corners of the campus and all parts of the State. The role of Director is an excellent opportunity for a thoughtful and pragmatic leader with an imaginative vision for the field of archival science. The University of Michigan seeks an individual who can provide organizational leadership while also collaboratively designing new and innovative services that affirm the value of the Bentley’s assets to the intellectual work of a global community of scholars, teachers, students, researchers, and the broader public.

The University of Michigan has a long and distinguished history beginning with its founding in 1817 as one of the first public universities in the nation. It is one of only two public institutions consistently ranked among the nation’s top ten universities. The University is distinguished by its broad excellence across many disciplines, with many of its departments and professional schools ranked among the top ten in the country.

The next Director will be a collaborative and communicative community builder, responsible for the leadership and overall management of the Library’s services and collections. The next Director will be responsible for planning, budget, and staffing of the Library in support of its mission to serve as the official archives for the University and to document the history of the state of Michigan.

Reporting to the Dean of Rackham Graduate School and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs-Graduate Studies, the Director supervises 29 staff and other professionals. The Library’s total annual operating budget for 2022-2023 stands at approximately $4.4 million, including salaries. The endowment has grown in recent years to $19.3 million; the return on the endowment supports a wide range of critical functions, including conservation, preservation of the historic Detroit Observatory, researcher travel, and graduate student fellowships.   

The Bentley Historical Library seeks a creative, inspired leader whose professional experiences and personal values align with the Library’s community-oriented ethos. The ideal candidate will be an intellectual leader with a strong background in a discipline relevant to the Bentley collections, such as American history or archives. The next Director will possess: a deep understanding of how scholars, faculty, and students use libraries of specialized research materials; a record of progressively responsible institutional and financial management; a demonstrated capacity for developing and sustaining relationships within the University and among a wide variety of external constituencies; a talent and enthusiasm for outreach and fundraising; the interest and ability to provide leadership in digital archiving, access, and publication; and the capacity to lead and support a professional staff of diverse backgrounds.

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

For best consideration, please send all nominations and applications to:

Matthew Bunting, Managing Associate, Storbeck Search

Naree W.S. Viner, Managing Director, Koya Partners

UniversityofMichiganDirector@storbecksearch.com

The University of Michigan, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University of Michigan is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, height, weight, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. Inquiries or complaints may be addressed to the Equity, Civil Rights and Title IX Office (ECRT) at 734-763-0235 and ecrtoffice@umich.edu, and as follows:

Sex/Gender Identity/Gender Expression/Sexual Orientation, including sexual misconduct: ECRT Sexual and Gender-Based Misconduct Director and Title IX Coordinator

Disability: ECRT Disability Director and ADA Coordinator

Race/Color/National Origin/Age/Marital Status/Religion/Height/Weight/Veteran Status: ECRT Civil Rights Director