University Librarian

University Librarian

  With buildings on both campuses – the Vanier Library at Loyola and the award-winning Webster Library as well as the Grey Nuns Reading Room downtown – the Concordia Library is at the centre of teaching, learning and research activities at the University. With its physical spaces open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week throughout the academic term, the Library embodies Concordia’s position as an anchor institution in Tiohtià:ke/Montréal, collaborating closely with university libraries in the city and across Québec, and building programs that seek to connect the University to external communities. The Library holds over 2.2 million titles and welcomes over 2 million visitors annually from Concordia and the public. A leading proponent of Open Educational Resources, the Library features a technology sandbox and visualization studio with an immersive audio system that have well-defined service models to support a broad range of research, teaching, and learning activities. In addition to its collection of print and digital materials, the Library hosts a large range of special collections, including the Karl Polanyi Archive, the Negro Community Centre/Charles H. Este Cultural Centre archives, the Jazz Association of Montreal Fonds, and La Centrale Fonds. The Library is also home to Concordia University Press.   Reporting to the Provost & Vice-President, Academic, the University Librarian plays a key role in the academic life of the University. A member of the senior academic leadership team, they support teaching, learning, and research, oversee the Library’s delivery of services and programs, and provide a welcoming space for individual and group study, research, and community engagement. The University Librarian works with internal and external partners to adapt the Library’s offerings to current and future users. Committed to the principles of Equity, Accessibility and Decolonization, the University Librarian stewards a vision of the Library as a locus for collaboration, innovation and creativity that is responsive to the realities of 21st century education.   The successful candidate will have a clear vision of academic librarianship in a rapidly changing digital culture, along with a profound appreciation for research, teaching, learning, and the academic advancement of students. In addition to their collaborative and mentor-driven leadership style, interpersonal skills, and managerial experience in an academic or research library, they will have emerging or established competencies and experience in the realms of advocacy, scholarly activities, and participation in professional organizations at a national and provincial level. What’s more, with a broad understanding of preservation, collection management, and curation, they will bring demonstrated experience in planning, managing, and delivering on complex projects with a best practice approach. It is expected that candidates will have a broad understanding of human resource issues and be able to work well and effectively within a unionized environment and a collegial system of governance. Excellent communication in English is essential. Because the Concordia Library is an active member of the Partenariat des bibliothèques universitaires du Québec, the ability to communicate effectively in French is required.   To fill this position, Concordia University has partnered with leadership advisory firm Odgers Berndtson. If you are interested in this opportunity, please submit your application online at https://www.odgersberndtson.com/en/careers/18533. Applications should consist of a full CV detailing academic and professional qualifications and relevant achievements, and should be accompanied by a covering letter briefly describing how you meet the selection criteria in the position description, why the appointment is of interest, and what you believe you can bring to the role.   For more information on this important opportunity, please contact Dominik Legault at concordia@odgersberndtson.com.   We thank all applicants for their interest. We regret that we are only able to personally contact those individuals whose profiles best match the requirements for the role. All applications will be treated confidentially.   Concordia University and Odgers Berndtson respect people’s different needs and therefore will take all reasonable steps to ensure accommodation for applicants during the process. If you require accommodation to participate in the recruitment process, please inform Odgers Berndtson.   Odgers Berndtson is deeply committed to diversity, equity and inclusion in all the work that we do. As part of our efforts to better understand our ability to reach as broad a pool of candidates as possible for our searches, our DEI team would like to encourage you to take a moment and access our Self-Declaration Form.  

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