Job Description
The Town of North Kingstown is looking for a dynamic, forward-thinking leader for its municipal library. Our new director will work with an enthusiastic and experienced staff of 18 employees, a supportive Board of Trustees, and a vibrant Friends organization to lead our library to serve the diverse and evolving needs of our 26,320 town residents.
Who we are. The North Kingstown Free Library, located in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, was established in 1899. We occupy a 26,000 square-foot facility in the heart of Wickford in a beautiful setting that overlooks Academy Cove. Our library has a long history of providing high-quality traditional and innovative library services. Our South County Room, an important local history resource for the town, includes books, art, and artifacts in its collection.
Our ideal candidate. The new director must have an abiding love of learning, a deep commitment to serving the community, and a track record of providing innovative and essential library services and programs to residents and stakeholders.
The library director is responsible for managing, developing and evaluating staff, and for delegating important tasks and responsibilities. Most staff at the library belong to the municipal employees’ union, so experience working in a union environment is an asset.
The director needs to be comfortable with a wide array of modern library technologies and software platforms, and driven to develop new services that will better serve our patrons. They will have excellent written and oral communication skills, serving as the face of the library in the community and representing the North Kingstown Free Library as part of the statewide Ocean State Library network.
A successful director will need superior budgeting skills and experience in order to create and defend a budget of nearly 1.8 million dollars while prudently allocating library resources. While the director reports to the governing Board of Trustees, they are also a part of the town’s management team, working closely with the town manager and other town department heads. Experience in grant writing is highly desirable, as is experience in managing a facility, working with contractors, and overseeing a building renovation.
Additional Info & Requirements
Minimum requirements. We require an ALA-accredited MLS and a minimum of six years professional public library experience, with at least three in administration. Salary: $90,000. Competitive benefits include health and dental insurance, life insurance, participation in the Municipal Employees’ Retirement System.
The position will remain open until filled and will be available on July 1, 2024. Screening of applications begins immediately. Please send a resume and letter of interest to saylward@nklibrary.org by February 12, 2024.
Resumes may also be sent to:
Will Valverde, Search Committee Chair
North Kingstown Free Library Board of Trustees
100 Boone Street
North Kingstown, Rhode Island 02852
Benefits & Additional Compensation Info
Health and dental insurance, life insurance, participation in the Municipal Employees’ Retirement System.
The Community
See job description in this posting
HR Info
Susan Aylward, Interim Director. Email: saylward@nklibrary.org. Office phone: (401) 294-3306, x112