Director of Access and Public Services at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut

Job Description:

Yale Library seeks a Director of Access and Public Services to provide strategic leadership for planning, policy development, operational effectiveness, and user-focused services within the Sterling Memorial, Bass, and Marx Libraries and across the Yale Library Access Services community. Reporting to the Associate University Librarian for Scholarly Resources, this position is responsible for leading policy development and shaping the strategic direction for public services, circulation, reserves, and resource sharing across Yale Library.

The position has space ownership and programmatic leadership responsibilities at Bass and Marx Libraries, and extending to high-use public spaces in Sterling Memorial Library. The position oversees Frontline Services and Resource Sharing and Reserves units, comprising 24 full time employees and a large team of student employees.
The successful candidate will be a skillful, collaborative administrator with strong management and financial skills and experience supporting senior leadership in strategic planning and change. The successful candidate will bring an inspired focus on customer service to this role and emphasize building user-focused programs and practices. The successful candidate will also be committed to organizational development and operational effectiveness, and will lead with openness, transparency, and a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Yale Library serves a diverse staff, campus, local, and global community and is deeply committed to advancing its goals for equity, inclusion, and accessibility. This commitment is reflected in our mission, strategic directions, staff values, initiatives, and scholarly activity. To support our goals for staff recruitment, retention, and development, Yale Library invites applications from candidates who have a proven commitment or demonstrated success with supporting diversity and inclusion through their work, service, research, and/or teaching.
Principal Responsibilities
Lead and drive development, adoption, and ongoing revision of library-wide practices, guidelines, and policies related to access services, focusing on exceptional service and user experience. Specific service areas include circulation, reserves, privileges, public services, information desks, use of library spaces, use of materials, and resource sharing.
Exercise programmatic leadership as a space owner and representative for the user experience for the Bass and Marx Libraries, and for selected spaces in Sterling Memorial Library that include the Linonia and Brothers (L&B) Reading Room, Microform Reading Room, Periodical Reading Room, Starr Main Reference Room, Wright Reading Room, Sterling Memorial Library book stack tower, and public service points in the Sterling Memorial Library nave. Lead the development of a cohesive vision for these spaces, and coordinate on collection, preservation, program, research support, security, facilities, and information technology matters in these spaces with relevant library and university colleagues, where appropriate.
Lead Frontline Services and Resource Sharing and Reserves units at Sterling Memorial, Bass, and Marx Libraries comprising 24 FTE, and a large team of student employees, who are responsible for public services and operations, circulation and privileges, resource sharing, reserves, strategic projects, organizational operations, and organizational development. Ensure continuous improvement and operational excellence through planning, consultation, assessment, transparent decision making, systematic documentation, and communication.
Work effectively across Yale Library on shared initiatives and programs relating to administration, security, physical infrastructure, and technical infrastructure that may impact access and public services at Yale Library. Partners will include the Yale Library Director of Security, Director of Building Operations, Director of Finance and Administration, Director of Library Collection Services and Operations, Director of Scholarly Communication and Collection Strategy, Director and Associate Directors of Preservation and Conservation, Senior Director for Library Information Technology, and directors and library staff across the Research & Learning portfolio.
Effectively direct, mentor, and lead a diverse, highly-skilled staff and provide administrative oversight with the managerial tasks of recruitment, hiring, retention, and evaluation.
Ensure excellent customer service, including assessment of existing services and development of new service offerings based on evolving user needs, with an expectation of decision-making informed by qualitative and quantitative data.
Collaborate with the Research & Learning portfolio, and broadly across Yale Library and Yale University, to deliver outstanding outreach and student engagement programs.
Build partnerships and professional relationships across Yale Library and Yales other cultural and heritage institutions to deliver services that are proactive and responsive to community needs.
As appropriate, contribute at the national level, recognize library trends and opportunities, and use this knowledge to enrich local programs and strategic planning. May represent Yale Library at local, regional, national, and international levels.
Required Education and Experience
Masters degree in Library or Information Science from an ALA-accredited library school or a post-graduate degree in a related field; Bachelors degree.
Minimum of eight years of experience, three of which should be in a leadership role in an academic or public library, or similar institution.
Strong managerial ability that demonstrates strategic thinking, change management experience, and coaching and performance management skills.
Experience with customer-focused operations.
Experience working collegially, collaboratively, and independently with varied groups across a complex organization and rapidly changing environment.
Experience with managing relationships and influencing outcomes.
Exceptional communication, leadership, collaboration and organizational skills.
Demonstrated success in developing, coaching, and managing service - oriented staff.
Ability to lead and collaborate in a matrixed environment; ability to effectively communicate and influence all levels of staff and stakeholders.
Demonstrated ability in designing projects and bringing them to a conclusion in a timely manner.

Preferred Experience and Skills
Experience working in a cultural heritage institution, higher education, or other non-profit setting.
Experience with access services functions (circulation, resource sharing/document delivery/interlibrary loan, reserves) and the library systems and technologies that support them.
Budget management experience.
Management experience in a unionized environment.