Library Director

The Board of Trustees of the Public Library of Youngstown & Mahoning County seeks a dynamic, articulate administrator—skilled in communicating, listening and responding—to lead the Library in providing quality programs and services for this culturally rich and diverse community of 229,000. Entrepreneur magazine (2009) identified Youngstown/Mahoning County as one of the top 10 communities in the U.S. for starting a business.  Forbes magazine (2011) called the metro area as “One of the Best Cities for Jobs” in the U.S.--adding to its earlier recognition as one of the “Best Bang for Your Buck” metro areas in the country.  Contributing to these accolades are young dynamic political leaders and thriving tech ventures like Turning Technologies (Inc. 5000). In addition Youngstown State University, a growing arts and cultural environment, a beautiful parks system and being one of the most affordable places in the nation to live and work make the County an attractive location.

Both the community and the Library are poised for success.  As a not-for-profit corporation with two renewable tax levies exclusively dedicated to public library services (approved in ’09 and ’10), State of Ohio Funding and a strong and growing Foundation, the Library operates 16 locations serving diverse communities from urban core to rural. With a solid financial base, a committed Library Board of Trustees, judicious right-sizing, a dedicated staff (157FTEs), a successful Friends organization, cutting edge early literacy programs, financial literacy programs and funding secured for additional new facilities—all of the pieces are in place to achieve even greater levels of excellence in the coming decade. Additional information on the Library, the City and the County can be found at PLYMC Links.

Responsibilities. The Library Director reports to a 15-member, self-perpetuating Board of Trustees and is the Chief Executive Officer of the Library, managing the affairs of the Library and is responsible for achieving the Library’s mission and goals within the context of community needs and priorities. Overall responsibilities include: fostering effective internal and external communications; providing sound fiscal management, strengthening current and seeking additional revenue  sources ; developing and implementing  strategic plans which foster  a shared vision of  service; and enhancing collaborative relationships with a variety of local, regional and statewide organizations and agencies.  See PLYMC Director for additional details.

Qualifications. An MLS from an ALA accredited program and a minimum of seven years of progressively responsible public library experience with at least three years of executive level experience as director of a smaller library or deputy, assistant, or associate director of a similar sized system.  Essential attributes include: excellent interpersonal and communication/listening skills; ability to create a shared vision of excellent library service; skill in leading a diverse team of library professionals in setting and achieving  goals; a thorough knowledge of financial management and budgeting; collaboration and consensus-building skills; and a solid understanding of philosophy and trends  in the library and information technology fields with the ability to effectively apply them locally.  Prior experience reporting to and working effectively with a governing board and experience working in a union environment is highly desirable. 

Compensation. The starting salary range is $95,000-$110,000 with excellent benefits.

For further information, contact Dan or Jobeth Bradbury at Bradbury Associates/Gossage Sager Associates. Apply via email above with a meaningful cover letter and resume as Word or pdf attachments. The position closes December 7, 2011.

BRADBURY ASSOCIATES/GOSSAGE SAGER ASSOCIATES, 4545 WORNALL RD., STE. 805, KANSAS CITY, MO 64111