Dean of Library

The Jane Bancroft Cook Library in Sarasota, serving New College of Florida (NCF) and the Sarasota-Manatee campus of the University of South Florida (USF S-M) seeks a Dean of the Library. NCF, the Honors College of the Florida state university system is a small (800 students), residential, highly selective, highly ranked liberal arts college, known for its focus on independent undergraduate research in the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities. USF S-M offers upper division undergraduate and graduate programs in the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, Nursing, and in the School of Hotel and Restaurant Management. The campuses of the two schools are about a mile apart along Sarasota bay. Jane Bancroft Cook Library is on the bayfront campus of NCF, in a 75,000 sq. ft. building. It has holdings of 280,000 volumes and has access to the electronic collections and subscriptions of the Florida Center for Library Automation (FCLA) and the University of South Florida main campus. The library has a full-time and part-time staff of 22 and an annual operating budget of approximately $1.5 million. The library also operates a small information commons on the campus of USF S-M.

The Dean of the Library will report to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs of NCF and will coordinate with the Dean of Libraries of USF in Tampa, particularly on matters relating to service to faculty and students at USF S-M. The successful candidate will be responsible for all facets of the operation of the Library, both ongoing operations (including Library staff, budgets, patron services, space, collections, digital resources, information technology, relationships with cooperating libraries within the State University System), and future operations (strategic planning, space and renovation planning, enhancement of technological library services , implementation of a Smart Library grant to catalog and deliver image, sound and similar digital files, and otherwise position the library to respond to needs and opportunities of the next decades). S/he will also participate with the New College Library Association, a philanthropic support organization, in fund-raising efforts on behalf of the Library. Compensation will be competitive.

The Dean of the Library must have the ability to develop and to articulate a forward-looking vision for academic libraries in the 21st century. S/he must have a Master’s Degree in Library or Information Science from an ALA accredited program (with an additional advanced degree preferred) and a record of scholarly achievement and professional engagement commensurate with the level of the position. Candidates should have had successful administrative and financial management experience in an academic library, preferably for at least five years, a thorough understanding of the use of technology in a library setting, a service orientation, a collegial leadership style, and an understanding of and respect for diversity in the library and the institutions it serves. Excellent communication skills are required for this important position. The successful candidate will be expected to cultivate an organizational climate based upon respect, service, open communication, and cooperation, and will develop and execute a strategic plan to support the missions and visions of NCF and USF S-M and that of the Library. Demonstrated success in fundraising and skills in building and developing donor relations are desirable.

A more detailed job description may be found at http://library.ncf.edu/dean-position. Additional information about NCF is at www.ncf.edu and about USF S-M is at http://www.sarasota.usf.edu/. The Jane Bancroft Cook Library home page is http://library.ncf.edu/. Application materials should consist of: a letter of application addressing the characteristics and experience (required and preferred) listed in the preceding paragraph, a current Curriculum Vitae; and names and contact information for four references with an indication of the capacity in which each of these individuals knows the applicant. Application materials should be sent to Ms. Kristi Fecteau by e-mail at kfecteau@ncf.edu or by post at Division of Social Sciences, New College of Florida, 5800 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota, FL 34243. Consideration of applications will begin on February 1, 2009 and continue until the position is filled. Applications received prior to February 1, 2009 are assured of receiving full consideration.

For disability accommodations, please contact Ms. Kristi Fecteau a minimum of five (5) days in advance of need at 941.487.4380. New College of Florida is an EEO/AA/ADA employer. New College regulations require all employees successfully pass a background investigation, which includes fingerprinting.