[Michlib-l] Library Director Position Now Open! Grand Rapids Public Library (MI)

[Jobeth Bradbury]

Library Director Position Open-Grand Rapids Public Library (MI)

Lead the Grand Rapids Public Library in its efforts to connect people to the transforming power of knowledge.  The Grand Rapids Public Library<http://www.grpl.org/> seeks a successful responsible Library Director to provide innovation and inspiration for the Library and the City of Grand Rapids. Working with a seven-member Board of Library Commissioners, the successful candidate will have a strong background in developing collaborative external partnerships and continue to move the Library forward as a vital civic institution.  The Library is uniquely positioned through its inherent neutrality and belief in equitable access and envisions a Grand Rapids community that is resilient and thriving. Impact priorities include young learners preparing to be successful, growing cultural communities actively accessing and using information, maximizing partnerships, and identifying and developing collections of information and thinking for different groups using the foundation of its successful Local History model. The Grand Rapids Public Library serves 193,000 residents with eight locations and a $9.4 million annual budget. In 2016, the Library staff (98FTE) hosted 723,751 visits and circulated 1,598,076 items. The Grand Rapids Public Library Foundation provided significant support for additional library programming including Music in the Stacks, One Book One Read for Kids (presented through the award winning DigiBridge partnership with the Grand Rapids Public Schools), Día de los Muertos, and Taste of Soul Sunday, an African American Heritage program.
Grand Rapids<http://grcity.us/Pages/default.aspx>, the second largest city in Michigan and ranked as #19 in Best Places to Live in the U.S.<http://realestate.usnews.com/places/rankings/best-places-to-live>, shares big-city excitement without big-city hassle and Midwest friendliness with small-town warmth. The City, with its low cost of living, is a great place to live, work, and play with its emphasis on the arts, sustainability, and neighborhood living. It is a city of active, vibrant neighborhoods-the Heritage Hill neighborhood is one of the largest urban historic districts in the country representing more than sixty architectural styles including Frank Lloyd Wright's Meyer May House. Grand Rapids is a desirable, affordable location for families- offering a variety of housing options from a downtown lifestyle to suburban living. In 2012, the Grand Rapids Public School System embarked on transforming education and is seeing significant success resulting in increased graduation rates and enrollment. Also, long known as a historic furniture-manufacturing center, Grand Rapids is now home to health care, technology, and automotive industries.  In addition to economic development initiatives, the City also has a significant focus on the arts-home of the first piece of public art in the United States funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. In 2009, Grand Rapids hosted the first ArtPrize<http://www.artprize.org/>-the world's largest art competition determined by public voting.  Grand Rapids is also known as "Beer City USA" highlighting its prominent breweries. For more details about Grand Rapids, the Library, and the many attractions of both, see Grand Rapids Links<http://www.bradburymiller.com/GRLinks.htm>.
Responsibilities.  The Library Director is responsible for the efficient overall administration and operation of the library system which includes, but is not limited to, strategic planning; human resources and labor relations issues; public and support services; budget and finance; maintaining effective relationships with local government and legislative bodies, the Board of Library Commissioners, staff, state and national library associations, and the community at large; and compliance with all pertinent federal, state, and local laws, regulations and ordinances as well as library policies and procedures.
Qualifications. The ideal candidate will have a Master's Degree in Library Science from an ALA-accredited program and ten years of executive experience in institutional library leadership, four of which must include experience in a library or similar setting; or any equivalent combination of training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the work required, including: millage and/or election experience; knowledge of current trends and best practices in executive leadership, public administration,  finance, fundraising, and development; ability to develop and sustain significant collaborative partnerships with community stakeholders and local elected officials; and proven success in project management. The successful applicant must possess or be eligible to acquire a Librarian's Permanent Professional Certificate issued by the Library of Michigan. Prior experience in a public library, experience reporting to a governing board and prior work in a union environment are preferred qualifications. To review the full position description, visit Director Position Description<http://www.bradburymiller.com/GRdirectorjobdesc.pdf>.

Compensation. The position offers a hiring salary range of $106,927 - $129,084 (with placement dependent upon experience and qualifications) and an attractive benefits package.



For more information, contact Bradbury Miller Associates<http://www.bradburymiller.com/contactus.html>. To start the application process, send a meaningful cover letter and résumé as Word or pdf attachments to Dan Bradbury<mailto:danbradbury at bradburymiller.com> before the closing date of August 13, 2017.


Jobeth Bradbury
Bradbury Miller Associates<http://www.gossagesager.com/>
4545 Wornall Rd, Ste. 805
Kansas City, MO 64111
816-803-7087 (cell); 816-531-2468 (office)
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