Job Description
Becoming the next director of the Lone Cone Library may feel a little like winning the lottery: You'll be leading an award-winning library in a beautiful Colorado community. The new Lone Cone Library facility opened in May of 2019 to provide 21st Century library services to the residents of Norwood and surrounding areas. It was named "Colorado Library of the Year" by the Colorado Association of Libraries later that year. In addition to this incredible modern facility, the library staff of 6.3 FTE are deeply committed to serving the community. Lone Cone Library District's 2022 operating revenues were over $600,000, and the library leads the state for comparable population service areas in library visits per capita and program attendance. You'll work for a high-functioning Board and inherit up-to-date policies. As the new director of this community hub, you will be well-positioned to fulfill its mission: To cultivate an inquisitive, inclusive, and thoughtful community by connecting people with resources both emerging and traditional; connecting people with people; and connecting people with opportunity.
Job Description
The library director brings the library vision, mission, and values to life. To this end, the director oversees staff, facilities, and operations. (2024 CO Public Library Standards- Governance and Administration)
Schedule and Salary:
Approximately 40 hours per week. Must be able to work a flexible schedule that includes days, evenings, and weekends, as needed. This position’s hiring range is between $65,000 and $80,000, depending on experience.
Required Skills:
- Management Experience
- Experience working in a Library preferred
- Ability to work for a Board of Trustees
- Experience creating and working with a budget
- General knowledge of Colorado Library and Special District Law
- Public Speaking Skills
- Fundraising/Grant Writing Experience
- Networking
- Ability to make decisions quickly when needed
- Experience in Human Resources and staff evaluations
- High level of communication skills
- Proficient with technology and social media
- Organized
- Self-Starter
- Ability to self-monitor and set personal goals
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team
- Strong work ethic
- Bilingual in Spanish a plus
Duties may include but are not limited to the following: (Taken from 2024 Colorado Library Standards)
- Serves as the liaison between the governing authority and library staff, including communicating priorities to staff and sharing significant staff concerns that may inform governing decisions.
- Prepares and presents regular reports, budget updates, and recommendations to the library’s board of trustees/governing authority.
- Hires and supervises library staff members who are representative of local community demographics.
- Manages the library on a daily basis by planning, organizing, and directing building and grounds maintenance, technology, collections, services, and programs for all people in the community.
- Upholds (with the help of staff) written policies and procedures for the library, including supervision, operations, fiscal matters, and services (See checklist of library policies and policy bank of samples.)
- Writes and oversees procedures that are aligned with policies and library professional ethics. Regularly reviews and revises policies and procedures, adding new policies when necessary. Ensures staff are trained on all policies and procedures.
- Maintains written emergency procedures, risk management plans, and other guidance for continuity of library operations.
- Attends professional development to gain resources, skills, and strategies to improve the library. Participates annually in at least one regional, state, and/or other workshops and brings back ideas to implement that benefit library services to the community.
- Is a member of local organizations, especially those undertaking community priorities that align with the library’s mission.
- Is a member of one or more library associations to support professional development, such as the Colorado Association of Libraries (CAL), the Association of Small and Rural Libraries (ARSL), the Public Library Association (PLA) of the American Library Association.
Education Requirements: Master’s Degree (Master’s Degree in Library Science preferred)
Environment:
Work is performed primarily in an indoor public library environment, working with staff and the general public. It is climate-controlled and will include working at a desk in an area where you would interact with other staff and the general public. A significant part of the job includes interaction with people of all ages and backgrounds. The library’s purpose is to provide an environment that encourages connection between our community and the services we offer.
Physical Activities:
To successfully perform this job and to deal with the general public and children, the employee must be able to perceive sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction, close visual acuity with or without correction, and have the ability to give and receive detailed information through oral communication. The employee is often required to sit and use a keyboard and mouse. The employee is also required to stand, walk, reach with arms and hands, climb or balance, and to stoop or kneel in order to locate and obtain information, materials, or equipment of a wide variety of sizes and shapes throughout the library, typically not more than 10 pounds. Must be able to grasp and turn objects. Work includes some physically challenging work such as moving furniture or boxes to storage facilities, not to exceed 50 pounds. Moving books, walking and standing for extended periods, and carrying a reasonable selection of materials between usage and storage sites is mandatory. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Compliance/Other:
This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications associated with the position. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position. This job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the Lone Cone Library and the employee and is subject to change as the needs and the requirements of the position change.
As an Equal Opportunity Employer, the Lone Cone Library District does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, sex, color, religion, national origin, gender expression, gender identity, disability, marital status or any other status protected by federal, state and/or local law or regulation. It is our intention that all qualified applicants are given equal opportunity and that selection decisions be based on job-related factors. For more information, please contact the Library Director.
Benefits & Additional Compensation Info
Benefits include:
- Emphasis on Work-Life Balance with Full-time benefits starting at 30 hours/week
- EAP provided for support of financial planning, legal services, mental health services and more
- Employee Health Insurance (starting at 50% library sponsored)
- Life Insurance
- Optional: Vision, Dental, and 529 Education Account
- IRA Retirement after 1 year of employment
- 13 Paid Holidays
- Generous Sick and Vacation time
- Professional development opportunities
- Supportive team of coworkers with an emphasis on personal growth
The Community
The Lone Cone Library is located in beautiful, sunny Norwood, Colorado, around 35 miles from the San Juan Mountains & the famous Telluride, and another short drive in the opposite direction to the deserts of SW Colorado and Southern Utah. In our backyard is the Lone Cone mountain, Miramonte Reservoir, and seemingly endless trails for biking and hiking. It is located in a small rural town that has an arts collective, active nonprofit groups, opportunities for youth, local agriculture, and a fresh food scene. If you like a small community with a lot of recreation and cultural opportunities blended with agriculture, you will likely love Norwood.
Links
External Job Ad
https://www.loneconelibrary.org/jobs
HR Info
Please send a resume and cover letter to aszczepanski@clicweb.org before midnight on Sunday, April 14th. You may address application materials to the "Lone Cone Library Director Search Committee." Include in your cover letter your answer to this question: "How do rural libraries serve their communities in ways that are different from urban libraries?" Employment may require additional application materials and applicable background checks.