The Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library is looking for a dynamic and inspiring leader to guide the organization into its next exciting chapter. The ideal candidate will have proven experience in community collaborations, strategic planning, and millage campaigns. We are seeking a leader who can guide our team toward growth and empowerment as library professionals. The Library has an operational budget of just over $1.4M that provides services to 28,000 Alpena County residents. This newly renovated Class V library is located in downtown Alpena, mere blocks from Lake Huron in Northeast Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. The Library offers robust community programming in a wide variety of formats and is the home of the Thunder Bay Research Collection and treasured local history collections.
Description/Summary: The Director serves as the chief executive officer and spokesperson of the public library. The Director is responsible for the functioning of the Library as a whole with specific responsibilities including staffing, budgeting and budget control, programming, publicity, grant writing, recommending policy statements to the Board of Trustees, working cooperatively with the Friends of the Library as well as with other organizations in the community and the care and maintenance of the physical plant.
Essential Functions:
- Manages the Library Leadership Team, conducts regularly scheduled staff meetings, conducts formal reviews of the Leadership Team, and makes salary recommendations to the Board.
- Works with the Library Board to develop the Library budget. Reviews the budget to prepare monthly statements for the Board
- Responsible for the development of the library's physical and digital collections.
- Provides vision and guidance for library programming for both children and adults.
- Publicizes the Library, its collection, programs, and services to the local, regional and state communities.
- Advocates for the library by serving as the official representative of the library in the community and throughout the library field by speaking before the community, civic, and other groups about the library’s services.
- Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with other governmental agencies, civic and community groups, the general public, and the news media.
- Demonstrates leadership within the organization: Takes initiative, solves problems, affects change, and encourages the development of staff through a positive work environment.
- The Director should be aware of possible funding outside the Library community and, when possible, write grants for these funds to support existing, or new and additional programs with the approval of the Board.
- Works with the Board in developing policy and policy statements that are used to administer the Library.
- Works cooperatively with the Friends of the Library in assisting them in accomplishing their mission to help support the Library.
- Provides for the care and maintenance of the Library’s physical plant overseeing that the building is properly maintained, and cleaned and that needed improvements are brought to the attention of the Library Board.
- Other duties may be assigned by the Library Board.
Requirements:
- Must meet and maintain the requirements set by the Library of Michigan for a Class V library (Level 1 certification), MLIS from an ALA-accredited institution, 4-5 years of management experience in a public library setting, Michigan Librarian I certification, up-to-date with current issues and trends in libraries.
- Ability to work independently, good written and oral communication skills, proven management skills, good people skills, knowledge of and strong programming component.
- Computer literacy is required and technologically proficient.
- Ability to deal tactfully, courteously, and effectively with patrons of all ages and with other employees.
- Director will follow, adhere to, and model the established board-approved policies.
- Demonstrated dynamic motivational leadership skills.
Direct Supervisor:
Library Board of Trustees
Other:
This is an exempt salaried position that may require day, evening, and weekend hours.
Salary and benefits are set by the Library Board and reviewed annually. Salary ranges from $65,000 to $85,000 based on experience and education.
Reasonable travel reimbursement for interview and moving expenses to be negotiated upon offer of employment.
