About the Department

• Staff: 9.95 Employees: 8.95 full-time employees and 2 part-time students from the Cooperative Education Program at Bastrop Independent School District

• Budget: $764,955

• Square footage of the main Building: 19,000

• Service Measures Reported in the Texas Public Libraries Annual Report include 23,292 Reference transactions, 115,461 Library visits, and 11,741 Registered Users.

 

About the Position

The essential functions of the Director of Library Services include the following:

• Manages Library Services by planning, directing, and overseeing library activities, developing work plans, monitoring the effectiveness of work plans, coordinating the expansion of library collections, establishing goals and objectives, and overseeing the development and presentation of library programs and outreach activities.

• Develops and implements policies and procedures with input from the Library Board, overseeing the implementation of policies and procedures, and soliciting patron comments and suggestions on Library Services.

• Supervises employees by selecting and hiring new employees, coordinating staff training and development, working with employees to correct deficiencies and establish a sense of teamwork, administering personnel policies and procedures, completing performance evaluations, and resolving personnel matters when necessary.

• Oversees the development and administration of the budget by preparing and recommending department budget items, coordinating budget requests, monitoring and approving the budget expenditures and monitoring adjustments to the budget.

• Designs and recommends future plans for library services by staying abreast of trends in library services and local needs, investigating and pursuing grants from federal, state and regional agencies and obtaining financial support from community organizations.

• Works closely with the Friends of the Bastrop Public Library and Volunteers to insure the future growth of the library in the Bastrop community.

• Responsible for the regular up keep and maintenance of the library.

• Responsible for regular attendance and arriving to work on time.

 

Leadership and Innovation

The new Director of Library Services will be expected to take a talented and well-led departmental workforce to the next performance level. The selected candidate should create a culture of excellence, employing best practices, and promoting continuous improvement ensuring that the needs of residents are met with the highest degree of professionalism. Outstanding customer service will be an ongoing priority.

Libraries have always been responsible for preserving information and providing access to resources in order to strengthen patron knowledge and imagination. The library has always been a physical building, filled with books, that the community comes to visit. With the rise of the Internet, which puts access at our fingertips, information became ubiquitous. Navigating the endless sea of information requires strong critical thinking skills to discern quality search results, and the public library stands ready to meet the challenge. Librarians are practiced at evaluating the weight and accuracy of information from a variety of sources, taking responsibility to provide access to quality information and worldly interactions. And so, the library remained front and center, connecting patrons to new sources of information, in new formats, with new devices to support information literacy in an ever-expanding pool of content. While the Internet was a compelling event for library transformation, libraries remain in a state of ongoing evolution. As technology advances and patron demands continue to change, the expectation of what a library should be and offer changes with them. The new Director will promote, embrace, and be a champion for new and upcoming services, increasing programming for all ages, in order to provide excellent services to our citizens, while remaining relevant in the 21st century.

 

Ideal Candidate

• A strong leader who believes in staff empowerment, delegates effectively, embraces open and transparent government, embodies fair play and teamwork, and leads and inspires his/her team.

• Passion for libraries and truly cares about his/her customers and the role the public library plays in enhancing Bastrop’s sense of community.

• A strong understanding of collection development and experience in developing and managing programs.

• A forward-thinking innovative individual who can strategically position the Bastrop Public Library to meet the changing needs of the community.

• Grant writing experience a strong plus.

• Ability to recognize potential in employees and provide coaching and mentoring to develop employees.

• Comprehensive knowledge of the principles and practices of public library administration.

• Ability to plan and direct the work of subordinate personnel engaged in various professional, technical, and clerical functions of library services.

• Ability to prepare comprehensive reports and present ideas clearly and concisely, both verbally and in writing.

• Ability to exercise considerable judgement and discretion in establishing and maintaining good working relationships with officials, appointed boards, department directors, and other agencies.

 

Education, Experience, and Skills

Candidates must have a master’s degree in Library Science from an ALA-accredited university and at least seven (7) years of progressively responsible professional library experience for a major library in a public library system, including three (3) years as a Director or Assistant Director.

 

Management Style and Personal Traits of the Ideal Candidate is someone:

• Who will embrace and welcome community engagement in an open, transparent manner, viewing stakeholders as partners in problem solving and service delivery, and deal in a professional, fair, straightforward, and responsive manner.

• Who is customer focused, who actively gathers information about customer needs, suggestions and feedback.

• Who is willing to question the status quo and be a force for constructive and positive change.

• Who is naturally collaborative, with a desire and ability to be able to work effectively with City management, departments, employees, neighborhood groups, and other stakeholders.

• Who is a self-starter, able to take a project or initiative from start to finish.

• Who is able to think in innovative and creative ways, challenging themselves and the organization to set high expectations.

• Who is able to lead and motivate by personal example, encouraging high standards of performance, productivity, and ethical conduct from all Department personnel.

• Who is an engaged leader, who actively manages his/her department, and is an effective member of the City’s management teams.

• Who is a leader championing diversity in the workplace and is committed to making progress in enhancing diversity in the department.

• Who is patient, resilient, and a visionary leader with the ability to focus on the “big picture” and to anticipate, rather than react, to problems and opportunities.

 

Compensation & Benefits

The City of Bastrop offers a starting salary between $74,006 and $107,181 depending on qualifications and experience. In addition to a competitive salary, the City provides a generous benefits package that includes a mandatory retirement plan through Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS) at a 6% employee deposit rate with a municipal matching ratio of 2:1, a voluntary 457 plan, as well as comprehensive medical coverage, life insurance, paid vacation, paid sick leave, and 12 paid holidays.

 

For more information on this position, contact:

Tanya Cantrell, Human Resources Director

tcantrell@cityofbastrop.org 

(512) 332-8812

 

The City of Bastrop is an Equal Opportunity Employer and values diversity in its workforce. Applicants selected as finalists for this position will be subject to a comprehensive background check and drug/physical screening.

7About the Department

•

Staff: 9.95 Employees: 8.95 full-time employees and 2 part-time students from the Cooperative Education Program at Bastrop Independent School District

•

Budget: $764,955

•

Square footage of the main Building: 19,000

•

Service Measures Reported in the Texas Public Libraries Annual Report include 23,292 Reference transactions, 115,461 Library visits, and 11,741 Registered Users.

About the Position

The essential functions of the Director of Library Services include the following:

•

Manages Library Services by planning, directing, and overseeing library activities, developing work plans, monitoring the effectiveness of work plans, coordinating the expansion of library collections, establishing goals and objectives, and overseeing the development and presentation of library programs and outreach activities.

•

Develops and implements policies and procedures with input from the Library Board, overseeing the implementation of policies and procedures, and soliciting patron comments and suggestions on Library Services.

•

Supervises employees by selecting and hiring new employees, coordinating staff training and development, working with employees to correct deficiencies and establish a sense of teamwork, administering personnel policies and procedures, completing performance evaluations, and resolving personnel matters when necessary.

•

Oversees the development and administration of the budget by preparing and recommending department budget items, coordinating budget requests, monitoring and approving the budget expenditures and monitoring adjustments to the budget.

•

Designs and recommends future plans for library services by staying abreast of trends in library services and local needs, investigating and pursuing grants from federal, state and regional agencies and obtaining financial support from community organizations.

•

Works closely with the Friends of the Bastrop Public Library and Volunteers to insure the future growth of the library in the Bastrop community.

5

•

Responsible for the regular up keep and maintenance of the library.

•

Responsible for regular attendance and arriving to work on time.

Leadership and Innovation

The new Director of Library Services will be expected to take a talented and well-led departmental workforce to the next performance level. The selected candidate should create a culture of excellence, employing best practices, and promoting continuous improvement ensuring that the needs of residents are met with the highest degree of professionalism. Outstanding customer service will be an ongoing priority.

Libraries have always been responsible for preserving information and providing access to resources in order to strengthen patron knowledge and imagination. The library has always been a physical building, filled with books, that the community comes to visit. With the rise of the Internet, which puts access at our fingertips, information became ubiquitous. Navigating the endless sea of information requires strong critical thinking skills to discern quality search results, and the public library stands ready to meet the challenge. Librarians are practiced at evaluating the weight and accuracy of information from a variety of sources, taking responsibility to provide access to quality information and worldly interactions. And so, the library remained front and center, connecting patrons to new sources of information, in new formats, with new devices to support information literacy in an ever-expanding pool of content. While the Internet was a compelling event for library transformation, libraries remain in a state of ongoing evolution. As technology advances and patron demands continue to change, the expectation of what a library should be and offer changes with them. The new Director will promote, embrace, and be a champion for new and upcoming services, increasing programming for all ages, in order to provide excellent services to our citizens, while remaining relevant in the 21st century.

6

Ideal Candidate

•

A strong leader who believes in staff empowerment, delegates effectively, embraces open and transparent government, embodies fair play and teamwork, and leads and inspires his/her team.

•

Passion for libraries and truly cares about his/her customers and the role the public library plays in enhancing Bastrop’s sense of community.

•

A strong understanding of collection development and experience in developing and managing programs.

•

A forward-thinking innovative individual who can strategically position the Bastrop Public Library to meet the changing needs of the community.

•

Grant writing experience a strong plus.

•

Ability to recognize potential in employees and provide coaching and mentoring to develop employees.

•

Comprehensive knowledge of the principles and practices of public library administration.

•

Ability to plan and direct the work of subordinate personnel engaged in various professional, technical, and clerical functions of library services.

•

Ability to prepare comprehensive reports and present ideas clearly and concisely, both verbally and in writing.

•

Ability to exercise considerable judgement and discretion in establishing and maintaining good working relationships with officials, appointed boards, department directors, and other agencies.

Education, Experience, and Skills

Candidates must have a master’s degree in Library Science from an ALA-accredited university and at least seven (7) years of progressively responsible professional library experience for a major library in a public library system, including three (3) years as a Director or Assistant Director.

Management Style and Personal Traits of the Ideal Candidate is someone:

•

Who will embrace and welcome community engagement in an open, transparent manner, viewing stakeholders as partners in problem solving and service delivery, and deal in a professional, fair, straightforward, and responsive manner.

•

Who is customer focused, who actively gathers information about customer needs, suggestions and feedback.

•

Who is willing to question the status quo and be a force for constructive and positive change.

•

Who is naturally collaborative, with a desire and ability to be able to work effectively with City management, departments, employees, neighborhood groups, and other stakeholders.

•

Who is a self-starter, able to take a project or initiative from start to finish.

•

Who is able to think in innovative and creative ways, challenging themselves and the organization to set high expectations.

•

Who is able to lead and motivate by personal example, encouraging high standards of performance, productivity, and ethical conduct from all Department personnel.

•

Who is an engaged leader, who actively manages his/her department, and is an effective member of the City’s management teams.

•

Who is a leader championing diversity in the workplace and is committed to making progress in enhancing diversity in the department.

•

Who is patient, resilient, and a visionary leader with the ability to focus on the “big picture” and to anticipate, rather than react, to problems and opportunities.

Compensation & Benefits

The City of Bastrop offers a starting salary between $74,006 and $107,181 depending on qualifications and experience. In addition to a competitive salary, the City provides a generous benefits package that includes a mandatory retirement plan through Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS) at a 6% employee deposit rate with a municipal matching ratio of 2:1, a voluntary 457 plan, as well as comprehensive medical coverage, life insurance, paid vacation, paid sick leave, and 12 paid holidays.

For more information on this position, contact:

Tanya Cantrell, Human Resources Director

tcantrell@cityofbastrop.org

(512) 332-8812

The City of Bastrop is an Equal Opportunity Employer and values diversity in its workforce. Applicants selected as finalists for this position will be subject to a comprehensive background check and drug/physical screening.

7