The consistently Star-Ranked East Baton Rouge Parish Library System (LA) is seeking an experienced and energetic Director with demonstrated leadership skills, professionalism, relevant library experience, excellent communication skills, and the vision and talent to take the system to the next level of excellence to better serve the community.

Nationally recognized as a top library system, EBRPL provides public library services for the City of Baton Rouge and the Parish of East Baton Rouge. Serving a population of more than 450,000 in the metropolitan area, the system consists of a Main Library and 13 branches, including one under major renovation, plus one new branch in the construction phase. The library has 587 staff who work to better serve the community by offering daily service, deploying three bookmobiles and a fleet of other outreach vehicles, maintaining a collection of 2 million items with an annual circulation of 2.5 million. The library is funded by a ten-year 11.1 mill property tax, currently rolled back to 10.52, that generates an estimated $51.7 million annually for the operation and maintenance of the existing system as well as a robust, award-wining pay-as-you-go capital improvements program. The tax, which has been continually approved by the voters since its inception in 1986, is up for renewal in 2025.

As Louisiana’s Capital City, Greater Baton Rouge is the largest city in the state. With both a vibrant urban environment downtown and small, friendly neighborhoods surrounding its core, Baton Rouge is a great place for both families and singles to live, work, and play. It is the home of Louisiana State University, Southern University, Baton Rouge Community College, Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University, a thriving medical community, an internationally known biomedical research complex, and an exciting film and television industry. Businesses such as IBM, Amazon, Electronic Arts, and Exxon call Baton Rouge home, and the city routinely appears in the top rankings as a Digital City. Located on the Mississippi River, the city has a temperate climate and is in the heart of a historically rich and diverse area with access to a wide variety of cultural and sporting opportunities.  

Responsibilities: The Director plans, organizes, coordinates, and directs the operation of a diversified library system; establishes departmental policies and procedures in conjunction with the administrative team; formulates book selection and acquisition policies and standards; recommends a level of services to be offered; interprets library services, programs, and resources to the Chief Administrative Officer for the City-Parish, Library Board, city officials, and citizens; attends meetings of the Library Board, provides advice, and makes recommendations; initiates and gives direction to special studies, followed by recommendations concerning selected aspects of the library organization and services; prepares departmental budget, and maintains budgetary controls. The Director is expected to provide a leadership role within the library, the community, the library profession, and serves as the official representative of the library. The Director will be skilled at sustaining community partnerships as well as establishing new ones and provide the vision and talent to take the system to the next level of excellence to better serve the community.  

Qualifications: An ALA‐accredited MLS or MLIS degree and three to five years of progressively supervisory management and financial experience as a Director and/or Assistant/Deputy Director; or someone serving in an advanced senior management role.  The ideal candidate should have demonstrated high standards of professional and personal ethical conduct, excellent communication skills, possess the ability to work effectively with the Library Board, city administrators, and staff, be an active listener, and provide visionary leadership that is grounded in the realities of proven public library service and prudent budget practices.  Certification by the Louisiana Board of Library Examiners (certification must be attained within the first year of employment) is required. 

Compensation: The hiring salary range is $101,156 – $120,785 (with placement negotiable dependent on experience and qualifications) and an excellent fringe benefits package which includes a relocation package, a monthly vehicle stipend, as well as membership dues and travel allowance for professional development, and a one-time monetary incentive awarded upon earning state certification. 

For further information, contact Bradbury Miller Associates. Apply via email with a meaningful cover letter and your resume as Word or PDF attachments to Brian C Hare (brianhare@bradburymiller.com). This position closes on Sunday, August 20, 2023.  

View the most up to date version of this announcement in its entirety along with accompanying links at https://bradburymiller.com/job/east-baton-rouge/.

Submit specified application materials to brianhare@bradburymiller.com.