Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Director of Library Services

🎯 Role Definition

The Director of Library Services provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for all library functions — including collection development, digital services, public and reference services, budgets, staffing, facilities, and community engagement. This role is responsible for translating institutional goals into a cohesive library strategy, managing complex projects and vendor relationships (ILS, e-resources, digital repositories), and ensuring equitable, accessible, and high-quality information services for diverse user communities. Ideal candidates will combine an MLIS/MLS with progressive leadership experience and a proven record of innovation in library services, digital transformation, and stakeholder collaboration.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Senior/Head Librarian (Public Services, Technical Services, Collections)
Library Operations Manager or Branch Manager
Associate Director / Assistant Director of Library Services

Advancement To:

Chief Library Officer / Dean of Libraries
Vice President / Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Services
Director of Information & Learning Services (institutional leadership roles)

Lateral Moves:

Director of Archives & Special Collections
Director of Digital Scholarship or Knowledge Management
Director of Information Services / Records Management

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Provide strategic leadership and vision for the library by developing, communicating, and executing a multi-year strategic plan that aligns library goals with institutional or municipal priorities and improves access to information, digital resources, and community programming.
Oversee all aspects of library operations including circulation, reference and research services, technical services, acquisitions, cataloging, interlibrary loan, and special collections to ensure timely, accurate, and user-centered service delivery.
Direct the development and management of the library budget, including forecasting, resource allocation, financial reporting, grant administration, and stewardship of public or institutional funds to maximize impact and sustainability.
Lead collection development and management policies for print, electronic, and multimedia resources, balancing user demand, curriculum or community needs, licensing considerations, and preservation priorities.
Manage and optimize the Library Management System / Integrated Library System (ILS) or Library Services Platform (LSP) — including vendor relationships, module deployments, system migrations, data integrity, and integration with discovery services and institutional systems.
Champion digital library initiatives such as digitization programs, institutional repositories, digital scholarship services, e-resource management, and metadata strategy (MARC21, Dublin Core, BIBFRAME) to expand digital access and preservation.
Recruit, mentor, and evaluate professional, technical, and support staff; create a culture of continuous learning, inclusive leadership, performance management, and career development to build a high-performing team.
Design, implement, and assess outreach, programming, and engagement strategies that increase library use, support information literacy, community partnerships, and cross-departmental collaboration with faculty, schools, or civic organizations.
Negotiate contracts and license agreements with vendors, publishers, and consortia for subscriptions, databases, and electronic resources, ensuring favorable terms, rights, and cost-effective access models.
Serve as primary liaison to governance bodies — boards, trustees, faculty senates, municipal administrations — by preparing reports, presenting strategic updates, and supporting decision-making with clear metrics and analysis.
Implement data-driven assessment frameworks and analytics to measure service outcomes, usage statistics, program impact, and to guide resource allocation, UX improvements, and strategic decisions.
Ensure compliance with legal, ethical, and professional standards including copyright, licensing, privacy, freedom of information, ADA accessibility, and institutional policies.
Oversee facility management and capital projects for library spaces: planning renovations, space allocation, security, accessibility upgrades, and the development of collaborative learning environments and makerspaces.
Lead fundraising, development, and grant-writing efforts to secure external funding, cultivate donors, and steward philanthropic relationships that augment library programs and capital needs.
Drive campus- or community-wide collaborations for curricular support, research data management, scholarly communications, open access initiatives, and liaison programs that strengthen the library’s institutional impact.
Direct emergency preparedness, continuity planning, collections protection, and risk management for both physical and digital assets, ensuring rapid recovery and resilience in crises.
Develop and update policies and procedures for circulation, collections, service delivery, user behavior, and intellectual freedom; communicate changes clearly to staff and the public.
Oversee program planning and evaluation for instruction and information literacy initiatives, working with academic departments or community partners to embed library services into teaching and lifelong learning.
Implement inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility initiatives across collections, staffing, services, and outreach to ensure culturally responsive and barrier-free access for all patrons.
Lead technology planning for discovery tools, digital exhibits, user interfaces, and patron-facing services to improve discoverability, personalization, and user experience across platforms.
Monitor and report on industry trends (open educational resources, transformative agreements, discovery platforms, AI in libraries) and recommend innovative practices for adoption and pilot projects.
Supervise interdepartmental projects such as shared systems, cross-campus integrations (authentication, single sign-on), and data governance that require complex stakeholder coordination.
Represent the library at professional associations, conferences, and public events; promote the library’s value proposition, secure partnerships, and build networks for knowledge exchange and benchmarking.
Oversee volunteer programs, internships, and work-study initiatives to extend service capacity while providing training and career exposure for emerging professionals.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc institutional data requests, produce management-level dashboards and metrics for stakeholders, and collaborate with IT on analytics infrastructure.
Contribute to the organization's digital strategy and roadmap by advising on repository architecture, discovery services, and metadata standards.
Collaborate with academic departments, municipal agencies, or community groups to translate service needs into library programs, digital initiatives, and policy recommendations.
Participate in senior leadership meetings, strategic planning committees, and cross-functional working groups; represent library interests in institutional initiatives.
Advocate for the library in broader institutional projects like campus master planning, student success initiatives, or city-wide literacy campaigns.
Mentor emerging leaders and coordinate succession planning, staff training, and leadership development programs to maintain continuity of services.
Conduct periodic reviews of workflows and service models, recommending automation or process improvements to increase efficiency and user satisfaction.
Support marketing and communications strategies, including website content, social media, newsletters, and local media outreach to increase visibility and engagement.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Strategic Library Leadership & Operations Management (planning, policy, service design)
Budgeting, Financial Management & Grant Administration (public/institutional/private funds)
Integrated Library Systems (ILS) / Library Services Platforms (e.g., Alma, Sierra, Koha) and discovery layer administration
Electronic Resource Management & Licensing (ERM, contract negotiation, consortia experience)
Metadata, Cataloging & Taxonomies (MARC21, Dublin Core, BIBFRAME, authority control)
Digital Libraries & Repositories (DSpace, Fedora, CONTENTdm, institutional repository workflows)
Information Literacy & Instructional Design for academic or public contexts
Data Analysis & Reporting (library analytics, COUNTER/SUSHI, usage metrics, Tableau/Power BI)
Project Management (Agile/Scrum familiarity, vendor implementation, migration planning)
Accessibility & Compliance (ADA, WCAG, privacy, intellectual property and copyright law)
Preservation & Collections Care (digital preservation planning, disaster recovery)
Marketing & Community Engagement Tools (CMS, social media, CRM for patron outreach)

Soft Skills

Executive leadership with strong stakeholder influence and board-level communication
People management: coaching, conflict resolution, performance evaluation
Strategic thinker with ability to translate vision into measurable operational goals
Problem-solving mindset and comfort with ambiguity during change and transformation
Strong written and verbal communication for reports, grant narratives, and public speaking
Collaborative partnership-building across academic departments, municipal partners, and vendors
Customer-centric orientation and empathy for diverse user communities
Change management and the ability to lead digital transformation initiatives
Analytical mindset with an emphasis on evidence-based decision-making
Integrity and commitment to intellectual freedom, privacy, and ethical collection practices

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Master's in Library and Information Science (MLIS / MLS / MSLIS) from an ALA-accredited program or equivalent professional degree.

Preferred Education:

MLIS/MLS plus a second advanced degree in Management, Public Administration, Education, Information Science, or relevant field (e.g., MBA, MPA).
Continuing education or certifications in project management, digital librarianship, or accessibility.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Library and Information Science
Information Management / Digital Curation
Public Administration / Nonprofit Management
Education / Instructional Design
Business Administration (for budgeting and development skills)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 8–15 years of progressive professional library experience, with at least 4–7 years in supervisory or managerial roles.

Preferred:

Proven experience directing library operations, managing multi-million dollar budgets, and leading successful system migrations or major technology implementations.
Demonstrated record of strategic planning, fundraising, grant-writing, and community or campus partnerships.
Experience with collections development, electronic resource negotiation, metadata standards, and digital preservation.
Prior work with boards, trustees, or municipal governance, and comfort presenting at senior leadership or public forums.