Library Director

Bellingham, Massachusetts is a growing community located 35 miles southwest of Boston in Norfolk County. Bellingham shares borders with the towns of Franklin, Milford, Medway, Mendon, Blackstone, Wrentham and Hopedale, Massachusetts and Woonsocket, Rhode Island. The population of the town is currently over 15,500 and there are three elementary schools, one middle school and one high school in town. The public library currently has over 8000 library card holders, a library budget over $450,000 per year, seventeen employees and is part of the C/WMARS network and the Central Massachusetts Regional Library System.   The library currently circulates over 120,000 items per year and sees an average of 350 visitors per day.

Official Job Posting:

Institution: Bellingham Public Library

Job: Library Director 

Duties/

Description The Board of Library Trustees of the Bellingham Public Library seeks a dynamic and organized library director to lead the library.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:.

--MLS or MIS, 5 years of progressively responsible library experience, including supervisory, budget, and collection development; or an equivalent combination of education and experience

.--Certification by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.

--Knowledge of management principles and public library administration, including organization, financing, fundraising, and human resources; knowledge of public reference, circulation and children’s services; knowledge of library technological maintenance and advancement.

--Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with staff, patrons, community organizations and town officials, work independently and prioritize tasks, speak and write effectively, prepare and administer budgets, prepare financial reports and pursue and administer grants.

--Interpersonal skills; verbal and written communication skills; computer skills; planning and organizational skills; administrative and budgetary skills. 

Major responsibilities include:

--Preparing of the annual budget, assessing capital needs, reporting to the Trustees on budgetary matters; monitoring expenses; approving bills, payroll and expense vouchers.

--Supervising and scheduling of staff and implementation of personnel policies.

--Developing plans for future library services; responsibility for development of all library collections; participating in adult collection development; providing readers’ advisory services to patrons.

--Responsible for the library physical plant in conjunction with the library custodian.

--Maintaining the library website, www.bellinghamlibrary.org

--Planning and implementing adult programming in cooperation with the adult services librarians.

--Maintaining library statistical records.

--Overseeing the library’s technological maintenance and advancement.

--Purchasing office and maintenance supplies.

--Pursuing grants, gifts and other sources of non-municipal funding; overseeing all library funds including gift funds, grants, state aid monies and revolving fees.

--Representing the library before various groups, including town boards and the library network; work with the Friends of the Library; attend all meetings as appropriate

.--Representing the library at regional and automated network meetings.

--Coordinating library broadcasts in conjunction with the local cable access channel.

--Creating marketing tools for the library, writing and/or overseeing the publication of the library’s quarterly newsletter.

--Coordinating public relations; promoting library programs and oversee the preparation of public relations materials; preparing and submitting press releases

.--Responsible for the preparation of all state-mandated reports including the ARIS, State Aid Application, Long-Range Plan and yearly updates.

--Responsible for writing the library’s portion of the yearly Annual Report for the Town of Bellingham.

--Supervision of the entire department, including two professional MLS librarians,one 10-hour administrative assistant, one part-time young adult librarian, one part-time children’s assistant, three 30-hour union library technicians, one 30-hour union custodian, and seven part-time library staff, tax work-off volunteers and other library volunteers.

--Perform other similar or related duties, as required. Professional, full-time, salaried position. Open until filled. 

Salary: $55,000 to $65,000 per year

Closing Date: January 31, 2008 

Send: Direct cover letter and resume (electronic preferred) to Michael Carr, mbrencarr@yahoo.com OR Chairman or the Board of Library Trustees,
Bellingham Public Library, 100 Blackstone Street, Bellingham, MA 02019

(Please do not submit materials via the library’s Website.)