Dean of Library Services

Dean of Library Services Iowa State University, one of the nation’s leading land-grant institutions, invites applications and nominations for Dean of Library Services. Iowa State is a student-centric, R-1 research university, and offers a rich student experience with unlimited academic and social opportunities in a comfortable, friendly, and supportive campus environment. Its 31,800 students come from all 50 states and 103 countries, and the Ames, Iowa, community is consistently ranked among the top small cities in America for its exceptional quality of life.  See www.iastate.edu. The University Library, a unit within the Division of Academic Affairs, serves the entire campus with a $23 million budget, 110 faculty and staff, and 150 student assistants. The Library includes the Parks Library, which houses the main collections and library services including special collections and university archives, the Veterinary Medical Library, and Design Reading Room.  The Library has approximately 3 million volumes, and subscribes to more than 110,000 electronic journals and nearly 450 databases to support the university's mission to create, share, and apply knowledge to make Iowa and the world a better place. The Library’s electronic resources are globally available to faculty, staff, and students. See: www.lib.iastate.edu. The Library welcomes over 2 million visitors each year.  Assistance to library users is provided at public service desks in Parks Library and in the branch facilities, and online via chat or email.  A digital repository contains over 94,000 items and has had over 29 million downloads.  It provides global access to scholarship generated by students, faculty, and alumni, and assists investigators in meeting agency requirements for scholarship and data to be made broadly available.  The Library aligns operational practices and focuses efforts and resources on advancing open initiatives including open access, open data, and open educational resources. Teaching activities include a one-credit online undergraduate Information Literacy course, taken by 7,000 students annually, that is nationally known for its efficiency in delivering a high-quality curriculum to first-year students. The Library's comprehensive collections support research and study at the master's and doctoral levels across the university. As a charter member of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), the Library’s resources are part of a national collection supporting comprehensive research in many disciplines, particularly in science and technology, and including collections in entomology, plant sciences and food safety, economics, agriculture, engineering, and veterinary medicine. ISU Library is a member of the ACRL Diversity Alliance and is committed to creating and sustaining a safe, healthy, and inclusive environment where all individuals can succeed and thrive.  Library staff have strong commitment to public service and the land-grant mission, and embrace an environment of inclusion that recognizes the richness in individual identities of people and diverse perspectives. Reporting to the Senior Vice President and Provost, the dean is responsible for advancing excellence, supporting the development of strategies and action plans, and generating internal and external support. The dean also is expected to be a leader in attracting and advancing excellent and diverse academic librarians and library staff, and to build collaborative and sustained relationships both inside and outside the university. Candidates must have a Master’s Degree in Library Science from an ALA-accredited institution or international equivalent, or an equivalent level of library leadership experience, and a distinguished record of accomplishment in higher education, private sector, professional practice, or public service commensurate with the expectations for appointment as a tenured professor.  The preferred candidate will have a record of proven leadership experience; effective communication, team-building, and consensus-building skills; a demonstrated commitment to collaboration; experience in, or commitment to, fundraising; and expertise to guide organizational development and to creatively address issues at the forefront of library and information services. Iowa State University has retained the services of Perrett Laver to assist with this search.  Although the search will remain open until the position is filled, preliminary screening of potential candidates will begin immediately.  To ensure consideration applications must be received by January 8, 2021.  A complete application will include a cover letter, vita, and the names and contact information of five references. All correspondence, including nominations and inquiries, should be emailed to Cora Hui at Cora.Hui@perrettlaver.com. Completed applications should be uploaded to www.perrettlaver.com/candidates quoting reference number 4900. Candidates will be notified prior to contacting references.  All nominations and applications will be held confidential until finalists are publicly announced. Iowa State University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, marital status, disability, or protected veteran status, and will not be discriminated against. Inquiries can be directed to the Director of Equal Opportunity, 3350 Beardshear Hall, 515 294-7612, email eooffice@iastate.edu.

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