EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, Upper Hudson Library System

The Board of Trustees of the Upper Hudson Library System (UHLS) is seeking applicants for the position of Executive Director due to the retirement of the 10-year incumbent. UHLS is a cooperative system of 29 public libraries with an annual budget of $1.8 million and a staff of 10 FTE. UHLS is headquartered in Albany, NY, an urban hub with easy access to New York City, Montreal, the Berkshires and the Adirondack Mountains. Applicants must know and understand public library and administrative practices, fiscal management, and automated systems. Position reports to the UHLS Board of Trustees and is responsible for implementation of Board policies and for the general supervision of the System staff. Applicant must be willing to travel to the member libraries and to work together with their directors and trustees, consolidating the member libraries’ needs into a System-wide plan.

The position requires:
1. Creative leadership and consensus-building capabilities;
2. Familiarity with library automation systems and current technologies;
3. Ability to advocate convincingly on behalf of public libraries and work within a complex State bureaucratic structure;
4. Ability to lead and inspire System staff;
5. Commitment to flexible and creative solutions within the current economic situation while continuing the high quality of services provided to the member libraries;
6. Developing a broad knowledge of New York State's library systems and the ways in which they serve their member libraries.

Qualifications:
1. Masters Degree in Library Science (MLS) from an ALA-accredited institution
2. Eligibility for a New York State Public Librarian’s Professional Certificate
3. Eight or more years of increasingly responsible public library experience (post MLS) including three or more years in an administrative capacity.

Hiring range $80,000 - $90,000. Generous benefits including New York State Retirement.
Deadline for applications: March 31, 2010. Start date August 1, 2010.

Send letter, resume and three references to: Mary Muller, Chair, Search Committee, 207 Second St., Troy, NY 12180; email: marymuller207@gmail.com

Job description and information available at: www.uhls.org.