University Librarian

The University of Richmond (UR) seeks a University Librarian to enhance the library’s already central role in the teaching, learning, and research of faculty and students at a time of vigorous forward momentum for the University. Reporting to the Vice President for Information Services, s/he will assume the leadership of a well-supported university library with capable and experienced staff, widely appreciated by faculty and students and well-positioned for further development. S/he will partner with the University leadership team, and provide visionary direction for the library to capitalize on enormous change in the information management landscape, from the mechanisms of information storage and retrieval, to the orientation and expectations of students when searching for information and the uses of library buildings as spaces for learning, socializing, and community building. The University Librarian manages a $6 million budget, including approximately $2.8 million for collections, 40 professional and support staff, and approximately 80 part-time student employees. Library professional staff have non-tenured faculty status, and the University Librarian is a member of the University Senate.

The University of Richmond is a highly selective liberal arts institution, located six miles from downtown Richmond and 90 miles from Washington, D.C. on an attractive 350-acre suburban campus. The University comprises five schools -- the School of Arts and Sciences, the Robins School of Business, the Jepson School of Leadership Studies, the School of Law, and the School of Continuing Studies -- and is recognized as one of the best liberal arts colleges in the United States. In 2011, U.S. News and World Report ranked the University of Richmond 27th nationally among liberal arts colleges and among the top 10 for “best value.” Newsweek has named it one of the "25 Hottest Schools in America." The University’s 4,405 students include 3,048 undergraduates from almost every state and 67 countries, as well as graduate students in the Schools of Law and Business and other students in the School of Continuing Studies. With 379 full-time faculty, the University of Richmond offers a 9:1 undergraduate student-faculty ratio and an average undergraduate class size of 17 students, with no classes taught by teaching assistants. Sixty percent of last year’s 818 entering first-year undergraduate students came from public high schools, 15% were first-generation college students; 21% were U.S. students of color, and 81% ranked in the top 20% of their high school class. The University has a policy of need-blind admission and meets 100% of demonstrated need. The University of Richmond’s $1.9 billion endowment is one of the 40 largest in the nation, ranking the university among the top 25 in endowment-per-student.

The University of Richmond Libraries include the Boatwright Memorial Library, the Media Resource Center, the Parsons Music Library, and the Business Information Center. The Frederic William Boatwright Memorial Library, opened in 1955, holds more than half a million print volumes, over 100,000 bound periodicals, 36,000 print and electronic serials, and thousands of multimedia items. Boatwright Library serves as a cultural, social, and scholarly center for the campus and for its many community users. The library’s special collections include early materials on Richmond and the South. Its Galvin Rare Book Room houses some 25,000 books, broadsides, manuscripts, maps, newspapers, music scores, facsimiles, and photographs, more than 50% of which can be accessed through the UR Libraries online catalog. The Media Resource Center supports the instructional program at the University of Richmond by providing a variety of media materials, services, and facilities to students and faculty. The Parsons Music Library holds over 16,000 scores, 9,100 CDs, and 9,000 books about all types of music.

Boatwright Library continues the development of innovative digital collections through collaborations with local organizations and with University partners. In FY0910, Boatwright Library embarked on an ambitious joint project with the Muse Law Library to digitize the David Nelson Sutton Collection of International Military Tribunal for the Far East papers. The collection consists of approximately 85,000 pages of official trial transcripts, exhibits, depositions, and opinions. Individuals from both libraries, the Law School, and the History Department are collaborating to design and develop the description, layout, and user interface for the collection.

Candidates should bring a track record of excellence in senior academic library administration along with a demonstrated commitment to the creation of vibrant student-centered library services and a vision for the academic library in the 21st century. Candidates should possess the managerial skills to build and support a strong staff team; the interpersonal skills necessary to develop effective working partnerships with faculty, administration, students, and the Richmond community; and an intellectual style that will inspire the respect of faculty, students, staff members, and consortium partners. Demonstrated competence in fiscal and program planning and financial management is required, as is successful experience providing innovative leadership that balances attention to print and electronic formats. Experience developing the physical space of libraries to support the changing needs of students is expected. An MLS from an ALA accredited institution or an equivalent degree is required.

Please direct all inquiries, nominations, and applications electronically and in confidence to Alan Wichlei, Vice President & Director, and Beverly Brady, Senior Associate, Isaacson, Miller. Email: RichmondUniversityLibrarian@imsearch.com. Screening of applications will begin in October 2011 and will continue until the position is filled.

The University of Richmond values diversity in its faculty, staff, and student body. In keeping with this commitment, the University welcomes applications from diverse candidates and candidates who support diversity.