Library Director – Highland Park Public Library, NJ

The Board of Trustees seeks an experienced and energetic leader to serve as its next Library Director. 

The Highland Park Public Library is at the center of our 15,000-person community and enjoys Borough-wide community support. The library offers a broad array of programs and services, an exceptional staff, and provides a vibrant welcoming public space where community groups meet, local artists display their work, and access is available to all. Nearby, in New Brunswick, Rutgers University offers higher educational and cultural opportunities and residents also enjoy easy access to New York City.

Responsibilities: The Director will work with 9 FTE, a $1.1 million budget, in a 12,777 square foot facility to ensure Highland Park’s diverse population have full access to the library’s resources, especially for the next generation. The Director is responsible for administration of the facility, staff, finances, planning, policies, fundraising, programming and all public relations for the library, as well as fostering relationships with community partners, Borough government and all stakeholders. Key initiatives include a significant $1 million refresh of the library facility through the recent NJ Library Construction Grant that requires a leader able to shepherd the architect, construction team and staff toward a timely and successful completion.

Qualifications: A minimum of three years of relevant, successful leadership experience, and an ALA-accredited master’s degree in Library and Information Science is required. A new Director, currently living outside of NJ will have 1 year to move to NJ. The ideal candidate will possess excellent interpersonal and communication skills, a proven track record of project management, a collaborative outlook, and the ability to effectively lead and develop library staff, knowledge of best practices and trends in library technologies, and experience with community engagement and partnership development. The Director must also embrace and promote diversity and inclusivity among staff and patrons.

Compensation: The hiring salary range is $95,000 – $125,000 (negotiable dependent on experience and qualifications) and an excellent benefit package.For consideration in confidence, please email your PDF cover letter, resume and three references to: librarydirectorsearch@gmail.com  Questions and inquiries may be addressed to Alan Burger at aburger@librarydevelopment.com or Leslie Burger at lburger@librarydevelopment.com.

Submit specified application materials to librarydirectorsearch@gmail.com.