The New Rochelle Public Library Board of Trustees seeks an expert consensus-building and community-oriented leader to be the organization’s next Library Director. This individual will guide the New Rochelle Public Library into the future by continuing to embrace a diverse and growing population and offering relevant and first-rate spaces, collections, programs, and services to its supportive community. The new director will focus their attention on being responsive to community, staff, and patron needs, support intellectual freedom and access to information, build upon a solid history of community engagement with stakeholders, envision and implement a strategic plan, and ensure that the library is a welcoming, safe, and supportive environment for all members of the community.
A seven-member library Board of Trustees advises this civil service position. The Library Director will lead 42.61 FTE, who work at two library locations (a main library building and a branch) represented by the AFL-CIO bargaining union. The library enjoys the support of the Friends of the NRPL, and the New Rochelle Public Library Foundation, whose contributions and matching grant funds have afforded the opportunity to renovate spaces ensuring the library remains a community hub. By offering cutting edge collaborative programs, interactive Teen and Children’s spaces, access to emerging technology in the Media Lab, useful resources such as the Handelman Business Opportunity Center, and E.L. Doctorow Local History Room, New Rochelle Public Library has something for everyone in the community that continues to grow each year.
Located in Westchester County and boasting a population of nearly 80,000, New Rochelle, NY is a mosaic of diverse neighborhoods with an award-winning public school system and two colleges (Iona University and Monroe College). The Huguenot Children’s Library, the only free-standing children’s library in Westchester County, is bordered by the city’s beautiful twin lakes at Huguenot Park and Jack’s Friendship Garden—a playground for children of all ages and abilities. New Rochelle’s waterfront offers visitors nine miles of coastline, with several beach clubs, while city and county parks host an abundance of recreational opportunities and entertainment. The city has easy rail access to New York, Boston, and DC and proximity to New York’s three major airports. New Rochelle offers something for everyone and world-class cultural experiences which are within reach.
Responsibilities: Acts as a liaison to city government, community organizations, Friends of the NRPL, New Rochelle Public Library Foundation and to the Board of Trustees; carrying out board policy, supervision of library personnel; financial administration and budget management; engages in community relations and cultural functions of the library; supervises library operations, services, needs, and facilities maintenance; manages construction projects/renovations; recommends and administers personnel policies; prepares preliminary budget estimates and directs expenditures of library funds; participates in union contract negotiation process and other labor relations concerns; planning and administration of staff development and training; evaluation and implementation of technology improvements, fund development from private sources; participation in professional meetings; and stays apprised of library trends and relevant continuing education.
Qualifications: Eight years of satisfactory public library experience, with a consistent pattern of increasing responsibility plus five years in an administrative capacity. An ALA-accredited master’s degree in library and information science; eligibility for a New York State Public Librarian’s professional certificate at time of application, and possession of the certificate at time of appointment are required. Experience working in labor union environment is preferred.
Compensation: The hiring salary range is $135,000 – $155,000 with an excellent benefits package
For further information, contact Bradbury Miller Associates. This position closes on Sunday, May 26, 2024.