Library Cooperative Director

Lakeland Library Cooperative (MI)

Grand Rapids, MI

Application Deadline

Apply By Oct 29th, 2017

Wages

$90,000.00 to $100,000.00 per Year   Calculate

Location

Grand Rapids, MI

Hours

Not Specified

MLS

Not Specified

Minimum Education

Not Specified

Library Experience

Not Specified

Supervisory Experience

Not Specified

Type of Library

Other

This job is more than 3 weeks old or the application deadline has passed.

Job Description

Lead Lakeland Library Cooperative—an innovative and accomplished Michigan library cooperative—to continue outstanding levels of service and effective resource sharing. The Executive Board of the Cooperative (headquartered in suburban Grand Rapids), seeks an experienced library leader—responsive to member libraries, staff, and community needs, and skilled in focusing the efforts of a team of talented professionals—as its next Cooperative Director. Lakeland, one of eleven Michigan cooperatives, works in partnership with its 42-member public libraries providing essential services. With a $1.1 million annual budget (funded primarily from local property taxes) and 11FTE system staff, LLC serves an eight-county region in western Michigan with a service population of 1.2 million people. Member libraries range from small, rural libraries to very large urban libraries. LLC is a member-focused organization—40 libraries participate in resource sharing through a shared ILS with daily courier service. All Lakeland libraries participate in reciprocal borrowing and belong to MeLCat, the statewide interlibrary loan system. The successful candidate will implement the 2016 Strategic Plan with its focus on four core areas: governance, member services, advocacy, and continuing education. Another key project is exploring migrating to a new ILS and implementing that migration.

Responsibilities. The Lakeland Library Cooperative Director, under the direction of the nine-member Executive Board and an Advisory Council, has overall responsibility for leadership and management of the eight-county public library cooperative that seeks to pursue leadership and innovation in library service. Duties will include management of planning, budgets, personnel, service functions, and legislative advocacy. The LLC Director works with the Board, staff, member libraries, other Michigan cooperatives, the Midwest Collaborative for Library Services and the Library of Michigan to establish the strategic vision for LLC, aligning its mission with member library needs and priorities. The Director will also ensure an active LLC presence in the statewide library community and professional activities. For the full position description, visit LLC Director Position.

Additional Info & Requirements

Qualifications. Minimum qualifications are an ALA-accredited Master's Degree in Library Science; eight years professional public library experience with four years at a managerial level (or an equivalent background and experience that will enable the candidate to perform the work required); and possession of (or the ability to obtain) a Librarian’s Permanent Professional Certificate issued by the State of Michigan. Essential attributes and skills include: vision, creativity, energy and enthusiasm; superior interpersonal skills; flexibility; political acumen; collaborative and consensus-building skills; and a desire to move the system forward to excellence and innovation. Success working with and reporting to a governing board, political advocacy experience, the ability to work with member libraries on legal, governance and policy issues, and prior experience in regional cooperatives, systems or consortia are all additional preferred qualifications.

The Community

West Michigan has it all! With its living sand dunes, it’s the spirit of the desert but with hundreds of square miles of fresh water at the end of the trail. With vast forests, it’s a wilderness offering unparalleled fishing and hunting and thousands of miles of hiking, biking, equestrian, snowshoeing, Nordic and snowmobile trails wide open for adventure. With Lake Michigan lapping the western shore, it’s a paradise of sugar-sand beaches that stretch for 400 ever-changing miles. The clean, safe communities are cultural meccas of the performing arts, historical museums and unique shopping. Golf courses, lighthouses, wineries and casinos—West Michigan is a destination and a place people call home with both small town life and cosmopolitan diverse large cities. With its low cost of living, West Michigan a great place to live, work, and play and is a desirable, affordable location for families.  The Grand Rapids/Kent County area is the unofficial capital of West Michigan and is ranked as #19 in Best Places to Live in the U.S. It shares big-city excitement without big-city hassle and Midwest friendliness with small-town warmth. The area also has a significant focus on the arts. In 2009, Grand Rapids hosted the first ArtPrize—the world’s largest art competition determined by public voting—and the city is also known as “Beer City USA” highlighting its prominent breweries. For more details about Lakeland Library Cooperative, the region, and the many attractions of both, see Lakeland Library Cooperative Links.

HR Info

Jobeth Bradbury, jobethbradbury@bradburymiller.com

Compensation. The hiring salary range is $90,000-100,000 (placement being dependent on experience and qualifications) with an attractive benefits package. For further information, contact Bradbury Miller Associates via email or phone. Apply via email with a meaningful cover letter and your resume as Word or pdf attachments to Karen Miller. The position closes October 29, 2017.

Posted Sep 11, 2017