Buncombe County Library System Director

Buncombe County is a caring community in harmony with its environment where citizens succeed, thrive, and realize their potential. Our mission is to promote a healthy, safe, well-educated, and thriving community with a sustainable quality of life; to provide effective and efficient government our citizens can trust; and to deliver needed service through a responsive work force committed to excellence, integrity, and teamwork.

Job Title:  Buncombe County Library System Director

The primary purpose of this position is to provide oversight and direction for the Buncombe County Library System to accommodate the need for Library services in the community.

Minimum education, training, and/or experience: Master’s degree in library science from an American Library Association (ALA) accredited program and seven (7) years of experience in the management and direction of a department relevant to the assignment.

Additional training and experience: Considerable experience of a progressively responsible nature in professional library work, including experience at the administrative level.

License or Certification Required by Statute or Regulation: Possession of a Professional Librarian Certificate issued by the North Carolina Public Librarian Certification Commission is required.

Essential functions of the position:

• Plan, organize, and direct a comprehensive services plan for the County’s public libraries.
• Determine the need for library services throughout the County and make recommendations to the Assistant County Manager for the establishment of staff, equipment, programs, and facilities to meet these needs.
• Oversee the determination of the financial and resource needs of the library through the development of the budget and supervise the expenditures of these funds.
• Personnel Management: Hire, develop, evaluate performance, provide feedback and disciplinary action as needed; develop and maintain a positive teamwork environment; provide effective, clear and timely communication.
• Liaison to Friends of the Library, community organizations, and other interested groups in supporting and promoting library programs and utilization.
• Working with the community to assure library programs and space supports the interests of Buncombe County residents specific to library management.
• Liaison with the Buncombe County Library Board and serve as the secretary to the Library Board.
• Serve as a Board member on the Library Trust Board, including participation in the development and review of Library grant proposals.

Duties, responsibilities, and other functions:

• Direct the implementation of long-range strategic plans, departmental goals, policies, procedures, and business practices consistent with the county’s strategic plan and provide the highest level of analysis and recommendation.
• Provide leadership and direction to management, professional, and support staff through direct and indirect supervision to ensure continued development with a focus on the delivery of superior service and adherence to established policies, procedures, and standards; champion continuous improvement, including devising new strategies, training and development opportunities to ensure staff is sufficiently knowledgeable and dynamic regarding protocols and performance expectations.
• Ensure departmental compliance with federal, state, and local laws, regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Direct the preparation and implementation of the department’s annual operating budget and capital budgets consistent with program goals and objectives; identify, obtain, and manage funding from grants and community partners as needed and participate in the interpretation, management, and enforcement of contracts and grants within the department.
• Establish and maintain working relationships with both internal and external stakeholders; convene and participate in recurring and specialized meetings and committees including workshops, interagency task forces, special projects and community groups representing the department and providing for knowledge transfer and exchange.
• Prepare and present reports to County leadership, boards, commissions, other governmental agencies, and community groups including the presentation of findings related to executive and elected officials’ requests for research and information.
• Receive, respond to, and resolve confidential and sensitive inquiries; investigate complaints and recommend corrective actions as necessary.
  Perform special projects and other related duties within area of responsibility as assigned.

Specific program management:

• Plan, organize and direct all phases of the County library program, including the main library, branch libraries and outreach services.
• Meet with library Friends and Trustees Board members, community organizations, and other interested groups in explaining and promoting library programs.
• Prepare various recurring and non-recurring reports of program progress and status for local, state and federal agencies and boards.
• Organize and coordinate the activities of the library staff; conduct staff conferences and meetings and provide guidance to professional and supervisory personnel in the development of new programs and activities.
• Oversee collection development for the library system.
• Establish and supervise policies and procedures for all library operations.
  Maintain memberships in professional organizations and attend seminars and conferences to continue professional development for self, staff and the library system.
• Make public presentations informing and promoting library services.
  Respond to and resolve complex resident & visitor inquiries and complaints.
• Represent the Library in the community and at professional meetings as required.
• Coordinate development activities and program opportunities and support strategies and efforts to augment the Library’s collections and programs.
• Ensure the Library meets NC Cardinal Consortium Standards regarding data entry, training, and common operational rules.
• Promote and sustain a work environment that reflects Buncombe County’s organizational values and standards of customer service and teamwork.
• Represent the Library’s interests as a voting member of the NC Cardinal Consortium.

Knowledge, skills, and other abilities:

• Thorough knowledge of the theories, concepts, principles and practices of modern library management.
• Thorough knowledge of the principles and practices of library science.
  Thorough knowledge of library techniques, systems, working tools and procedures.
• Considerable knowledge of the principles of supervision, organization, and administration.
• Considerable knowledge of the current literature, trends, and developments in the field of library science and administration.
• Ability to plan, organize and administer a public library system.
• Ability to plan and direct the work of a staff of librarians engaged in carrying out generalized and specialized library functions.
• Ability to supervise and use specialized library methods and principles in bibliography, cataloging, classification and reference services.
• Ability to present ideas effectively orally and in writing.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with community groups, departmental personnel and library patrons.

Department:Assistant County Manager

Location: Asheville, NC

Job Posting End Date: October 07, 2022

Salary Range: $104,056.48 – $127,902.78

Buncombe County Government realizes the importance of a diverse professional workforce and the need to foster a responsive and innovative organizational culture, one that fully engages all of our employees, honoring and building on each employee’s unique experiences, opinions, and perspective.

It is the policy of Buncombe County to provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all persons regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, physical or mental disability, age, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other legally protected class under federal or NC State law. In addition the Agency expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment or discrimination.

Applicants for employment are invited to participate in the affirmative action program by reporting their status as a protected veteran or other minority. In extending this invitation, we advise you that: (a) workers (applicants) are under no obligation to respond but may do so in the future if they choose; (b) responses will remain confidential within the human resource department; and (c) responses will be used only for the necessary information to include in our affirmative action program. We are a company that values diversity. We actively encourage women, minorities, veterans and disabled employees to apply. Refusal to provide this information will have no bearing on your application and will not subject you to any adverse treatment.