Director of University Libraries, Benjamin Gottesman Librarian

Position Summary:

The Director will provide leadership, management, and supervision of the university libraries. This includes management/oversight for collection development functions including acquisitions, processing, and cataloging for print and digital resources.
Working closely with the Office of Academic Affairs, the Director will create opportunities for vibrant, robust partnerships with faculty, students, and other patrons to actualize the library as a center of teaching and learning while meeting the challenges of providing information access and stewardship in the 21st century.
The Director will be responsible for the Hedi Steinberg Library, the Pollack Library, and the Mendel Gottesman Library of Hebraica/Judaica as well as the Special Collections. This includes a team of 10 management staff, 8 unionized professional librarians, and support staff across the university campuses. The Director will manage a budget of approximately $3.8M.

Responsibilities:

• Lead strategic planning efforts, policy development, and institutional effectiveness initiatives within the Library
• Oversee the daily operations of the libraries, coordinating technical and public services functions, including cataloging, acquisitions, circulation, and student technology support
• Maintain awareness of and engagement with new and innovative technologies, resources, and services in order to anticipate needs and identify possible solutions
• Lead library facilities planning activities working with other university units to evaluate and meet current needs as well as anticipate and plan for the future
• Work collaboratively with faculty to manage the development of electronic and print collections
• Evaluate and monitor work processes; make changes and improvements in services, policies, and procedures; ensure development and dissemination of related instructions and information
• Ensure maintenance and enhancement of the integrated library system, including circulation, acquisitions and cataloging systems, web-based public access catalog and reporting functions; library database resources, including commercial and locally-developed databases; and library Web and portal pages
• Provide reference service, bibliographic instruction and direct public service to promote the use of library resources
• Prepare library budgets including analysis of individual program needs and allocation of capital, equipment, instructional, and other resources. Plan for long-range expenses and operational needs of the department
• Foster support and act as an advocate for information literacy and library programs among the campus community, collaborating with faculty and other departments to coordinate efficient service delivery

Experience and Educational Background:

• Master’s degree in Library Science, Ph.D. or other appropriate advanced degree(s), and 7-10 years of experience in a large research library system
• Familiarity with Judaica and rare book collections is preferred

Skills and Competencies:

• Assures that effective controls are developed and maintained to ensure the integrity of the organization
• Ethics, integrity, and sound professional judgment
• Ability to effectively communicate, motivate, and collaborate with faculty, staff, administrators, students, external suppliers, and constituents
• Strong, effective written and oral communication skills
• Knowledge of current and emerging trends, standards, technologies, and best practices in library services
• Experience with server management (LMS) programming and applications for library data

Salary Range:

About Us:

Founded in 1886, Yeshiva University (YU) has a strong tradition of combining Jewish scholarship with academic excellence and achievement in the liberal arts, sciences, medicine, law, business, social work, Jewish studies, education, psychology, and more. 

We are a leading global educational institution that employs 2,000 people across our various campus locations — Wilf Campus, Beren Campus, Brookdale Center, Resnick Campus in the Bronx, the Gruss Institute in Jerusalem, the Boys High School in Manhattan, and the Girls High School in Queens. From the distinguished faculty who teach here, to the dedicated staff, we work to fulfill our mission through all that we teach, by all that we do, and for all those we serve.  We seek to attract and retain engaged and committed individuals who contribute to an exciting working environment, where there is a sense of community and belonging, balanced with a significant cross-section of people from diverse backgrounds working and studying together.

The University offers an excellent compensation package, and a broad range of employee benefit plans, including immediate participation in the University’s retirement plan. Staff members are typically eligible for four weeks of paid vacation each year and have access to a shuttle to nearby subway locations.

Equal Employment Opportunity: