Director of Library Services - The Town of West Hartford, CT. Application Deadline: September 20, 2021 or Until Filled. Interested candidates are encouraged to submit their application and background information early in the recruitment process.
Salary Range: $100,000 - $165,000
The Board of Trustees of the West Hartford’s library system is seeking its next Director to provide the vision, innovation, and community partnerships to deliver the outstanding services of the much-loved libraries.
Responsibilities: The Director of Library Services is the chief administrative officer for the town of West Hartford’s library system, head of a town department and chief spokesperson for the library. The Director performs a variety of managerial, administrative, and professional library duties including providing leadership for planning, directing, and coordinating all activities related to the operation of the library system as well as participating in collaborative initiatives across other town departments and community organizations.
Job Operation: The Director of Library Services is appointed by and is responsible to the Library Board for the library system including implementation of policies established by the Board. As head of a town department, the Director works with the Town Manager and across other town departments for the system’s operational aspects, including implementation of town policies, and budgeting, and joint initiatives for the library and other town departments. As the Library’s chief public spokesperson, the Director is responsible for relations with the community, government and partnering organizations. town financing
Work is primarily performed in a business office setting and is accomplished independently, subject to the policies established by the Library Board and the Town of West Hartford. The position requires travel to the three locations of the town’s library system, other town departments, community organizations and to out-of-town meeting locations, as needed.
West Hartford: The Town of West Hartford, CT, with a population of approximately 64,000 is a vibrant and diverse community, which prides itself on quality municipal services, educational opportunities, citizen involvement and cultural events; merging city style with village charm. West Hartford has been repeatedly recognized for these qualities by its citizens, visitors and numerous educational and lifestyle studies including Time/Money Magazine’s 2018 100 Best Places to Live in America Niche.com’s 2020 Best Places to Live, and CTForMe’s Top 7 Highly Walkable, Bikeable & Livable Towns in Connecticut.
Library: With a history dating back over a century, the West Hartford Library has evolved from an initial collection of 78 books donated by Noah Webster to a system of three facilities with over 240,000 volumes, a collection of downloadable materials, numerous online research databases, an ever expanding collection of technical equipment (including computers, printers, 3-D printer, copiers, video and audio recording / editing devices, drafting, video conferencing devices, among others), a local history collection, professional information and research services, and a varied and wide-ranging selection of programs for all ages.
Working closely with the community, the library develops and maintains services to reflect the diverse needs and interests of the town including reading, listening and viewing for pleasure, life-long learning, digital literacy, cultural appreciation citizenship preparation, and community collaboration. Emphasis is placed on accessibility to the library’s offerings by providing 24/7 access to downloadable and digital materials via a user-friendly website, WI-FI access, homebound loan delivery, and equipment to facilitate access by individuals with vision, mobility and hearing challenges during onsite visits.
With three welcoming and vibrant facilities recognized as key assets that are constantly evolving to meet community needs, major expansions and renovations have been completed for two in recent years and a new initiative evaluating the third is underway to fulfill a vision for the future. Widely seen as a once-in-a-generation opportunity, the initiative will include the broad range of key stakeholders, library and architecture professionals, and community leaders.
Application Process: To apply online, visit the Town of West Hartford website at www.westhartford.org and click on "Jobs" and select this posting for application instructions.
