Hartford Public Library (CT)-Chief Youth & Family Services Officer
A place like no other - the Hartford Public Library - seeks a Chief Youth & Family Services Officer like no other to be a vital dynamic part of the Library’s leadership team. This new leader will be a key Library partner working with City agencies, nonprofit organizations, and the Hartford Public Schools setting the vision for the future for Hartford’s children and young adults. The successful candidate will be customer-focused, forward-thinking, and collaborative with both internal and external customers. The Chief Youth & Family Services Officer will also be knowledgeable about current youth and family issues, will understand cutting edge youth services and technology trends, be committed to literacy for all ages, and facilitate the fusion of traditional and nontraditional library services for youth and families. Creativity and innovation are part of the complete package and a joy for working in a large, diverse, urban environment is crucial. Ongoing programs include YOUmedia Hartford and the YOUmedia Makers Space, the Library’s Great Summer Read, the Center for Civic Engagement, ARTWalk, the award-winning American Place, CTWorks@HPL, The Kitchen at Hartford Public Library, the Hartford History Center, and One Book, One Hartford. A 2002 IMLS National Service Medal winner, the Library was also a finalist for the medal in both 2013 and 2014. Hartford Public Library serves 124,775 residents with ten facilities and a $9.6 million annual budget. In FY14, the library staff (98FTE) hosted 833,000 visits and circulated nearly 500,000 items.
Hartford, the capital of Connecticut, is the fourth largest Connecticut City and home to the nation’s oldest public art museum, the oldest public park, and the birthplace of the Boys and Girls Club. Hartford also was home to Caroline Hewins, the Library’s first chief librarian, who was a national leader in the early 20th century for creating services for children in the public library. The City is proud of its innovative iQuilt project, a culture based urban design plan for Downtown Hartford-a compact historic district with more than 45 cultural assets and destinations (including the Library)-accessible through a pedestrian network. Its centerpiece is the GreenWalk, a one mile chain of parks and plazas connecting the Capitol to the Connecticut River waterfront. The City’s goals include a more walkable, sustainable and welcoming downtown, an improved cultural network, and a stronger economy and workforce. Hartford is a city of neighborhoods and housing choices range from a loft to a Victorian home to a starter home. For additional information on the Library and the City, see Hartford Has It!
Responsibilities. The Chief Youth & Family Services Officer is responsible for the successful delivery of services and programs to families, children and young adults through cooperative and collaborative external partnerships; designs and executes the strategic initiatives to address needs; coordinates collection development and selects materials for purchase; and ensures effective communication with other departments and partners. Reporting to the chief executive officer and serving on the Library’s leadership team, the Chief Youth & Family Services Officer performs professional, managerial, and administrative work of a highly responsible nature in directing and coordinating the activities of the library program. With considerable independent judgment, discretion, and initiative, this position develops youth collections, plans, and implements services and activities to meet present and anticipated community needs ensuring the highest level of service is provided by staff to all customers. This position also acknowledges and accepts the library’s vision, mission and core values, respects the library’s confidentiality policy and maintains the integrity of Hartford Public Library.
Qualifications. Minimum qualifications include: an ALA–accredited Master’s Degree in Library Science with a minimum of five years of increasingly responsible leadership experience in public services with a concentration in youth and family services. The successful candidate will also demonstrate the ability to think strategically at a high leadership level, proven success in system-wide and community partnerships, project management skills, sound public presentation skills, thorough knowledge of the principles, practices and techniques of modern library operation and administration, and a strong commitment to working in a team environment. Expectations also include strong oral and written communication skills and budgeting experience. Experience working in a multi-branch urban setting and a union environment is preferred. For the complete position description, please visit Chief Youth & Family Services Officer.
Compensation. The position’s salary range is $79,720 - $113,533 annually and a competitive employee benefits package.
For more information, contact Bradbury Associates/Gossage Sager Associates. To start the application process, send a meaningful cover letter and your résumé as Word or pdf attachments to Jobeth Bradbury or Karen Miller and apply on or before the closing date of February 1, 2015.
Jobeth Bradbury
Bradbury Associates/Gossage Sager Associates
4545 Wornall Rd, Ste. 805
Kansas City, MO 64111
816-803-7087 (cell); 816-531-2468 (office)
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