Dean of LSU Libraries

Dean of the LSU Libraries Louisiana State University invites applications and nominations for the position of Dean of the LSU Libraries. The Dean leads a faculty and staff of 90 and oversees two library facilities with a combined area of 360,000 square feet. With administrative oversight for all aspects of library operations, the Dean provides vision for strategic planning and sets policy direction for library services, facilities, and collection development. The Dean also has primary responsibility for guiding and encouraging the development of consortia and collaborative agreements between libraries and with other units on campus, supporting grant writing, and spearheading development efforts. The Dean reports directly to the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost and serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the LSU Libraries. About the LSU Libraries: Serving the flagship institution of the state, the LSU Libraries (http://www.lib.lsu.edu) provide foundational support for the academic core of Louisiana State University. Library staff organize, preserve, and share resources to meet the information needs of the university community, providing access to resources essential to teaching, research, and service. The LSU Libraries’ facilities provide both the physical space and the intellectual environment for students, faculty, and staff to meet, engage, learn, and create new knowledge. The Libraries’ faculty and staff go beyond the role of information gate-keepers, teaching important information literacy and research skills and proactively preserving our region’s history and culture. Valuing innovation and collaboration, they are actively working to transform library services and collections in response to changes brought by economic forces and technological innovation. In addition to physical collections including more than 3 million titles, 15,000 linear feet of archives and manuscripts, 500,000+ maps, comprehensive collections of state and federal documents, and millions of microforms, the Libraries provide access to hundreds of thousands of online books, articles, and databases. The Libraries’ Special Collections division, housed in Hill Memorial Library, includes significant rare book holdings as well as the most comprehensive collection of primary source materials focused on Louisiana and the lower Mississippi Valley in existence, drawing researchers from around the world. The Libraries also house the T. Harry Williams Center for Oral History and publish the online Civil War Book Review. The LSU Libraries belong to the Association of Research Libraries, the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries (ASERL), Lyrasis, the Louisiana Academic Library Information Network Consortium (LALINC), and the LOUISiana Digital Library. About LSU: LSU is the State’s flagship research university and carries the designation of “very high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation. In 2013, for the sixth consecutive year, LSU was ranked in the first tier of “Best National Universities” by U.S. News & World Report. It is one of 21 universities nationwide holding land, sea, and space-grant status. LSU enjoys a lively and diverse community of nearly 35,000 faculty, staff, and students from every state and more than 120 countries. Occupying 2,000 acres on the Mississippi River in Louisiana’s capital city, Baton Rouge, LSU is approximately 80 miles northwest of New Orleans in the heart of the culturally diverse delta region. LSU’s campus, largely of Italian Renaissance architecture, is regarded as one of the top 20 most beautiful campuses in the United States with 57 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places and over 1,200 magnificent Live Oak trees. Requirements: Master’s degree from an accredited American Library Association program; progressive experience in a comprehensive research or university library; scholarly record of research and publication to qualify for a tenured appointment at the rank of full librarian. Preferred Qualifications: - Doctoral, master’s, or professional degree in addition to an MLS degree; - Evidence of leadership ability in a complex research library setting; - Evidence of commitment to the educational role of academic libraries, aligning library services, facilities, and collections to serve the teaching, learning, and research needs of the university; - Evidence of success in developing collaborative relationships within and beyond the university; - Evidence of success in securing external funding and providing stewardship for those resources; - Demonstrated skill in advancing digital initiatives and coordinating with information technology units; - Demonstrated dedication to diversity and promoting a respectful work environment; - Exceptional oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills. Letters of nomination may be e-mailed to the search committee chair, Gaines M. Foster, Dean of the College of Humanities & Social Sciences, at dnfost@lsu.edu. Applications will be accepted online on the LSU Careers website: https://lsusystemcareers.lsu.edu/applicants/Central?quickFind=56903, position number 003575. Candidates must include a letter of application, CV, a list of potential references, and a brief vision statement for the LSU Libraries with online application materials. Review of applications will begin November 30, 2013 and continue until the position is filled. Salary will be competitive and commensurate with qualifications. An offer of employment is contingent on a satisfactory pre-employment background check. LSU IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/EQUAL ACCESS EMPLOYER

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