Dean, Division of Libraries

New York University (NYU) is seeking a visionary, bold and collaborative leader to serve as their next Dean of the Division of Libraries (DOL).

Great libraries are essential to great universities. They support and empower teaching, learning, scholarship, and research innovation. The NYU Division of Libraries is a 7-library, 6.7-million-volume system that continually grows and enhances its on-site and online services and resources for students and faculty and expands its research collections in all formats, from paper to electronic and multimedia. NYU Libraries provides students, faculty, and other members of the NYU community with access to the world’s scholarship.

The system flagship is the Elmer Holmes Bobst Library, which houses 1.2 million volumes on-site, more than 53,020 print serial titles, and over 43,000 linear feet of archives. The Libraries catalog also provides NYU’s global community with access to millions of electronic resources. Bobst Library receives more than 10,000 visits per day and circulates 159,000 items annually. Within Bobst is the Special Collections Center, which houses the Fales Collections of literature, food studies, and New York City avant-garde culture; the Tamiment Library/Wagner Labor Archives, internationally known and uniquely strong in the history of left politics, labor, and social protest movements; the Barbara Goldsmith Preservation and Conservation Department for the care of special collections materials in formats ranging from papyrus to film and tape; and the Avery Fisher Center for Music and Media. The Libraries provides a vast array of specialized services to assist students and faculty, including thriving instructional, engagement, and event programming that reaches thousands of community members every semester; expert assistance with digital projects and data methods, tools, and management; and more than 2,800 seats for study and computing.

The Institute of Fine Arts Library (https://library.nyu.edu/locations/institute-of-fine-arts-library)(including the Stephen Chan Library of Fine Arts and Conservation Center Library) houses rich collections that support the research and curricular needs of the Institute’s graduate programs in art history, archaeology, and art conservation. Jack Brause Library (https://library.nyu.edu/locations/jack-brause-library/) at the SPS Midtown Center serves the information needs of the programs, students, and faculty based at the Center, as well as the real estate community. The Library of the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW) (http://isaw.nyu.edu/library) supports ISAW’s core academic areas and is strong in Greek and Roman art and archaeology, Egyptology, Mesopotamian archaeology, Assyriology, Central Asia, Iran, and Asian art. In Brooklyn, the Bern Dibner Library (https://library.nyu.edu/locations/bern-dibner-library/) at NYU Tandon School of Engineering specializes in science, engineering, and technology management. The NYU Abu Dhabi Library (https://nyuad.nyu.edu/en/library.html) and the NYU Shanghai Library (https://shanghai.nyu.edu/academics/library) are full-service libraries whose mission is to create a learning environment that brings together collections, high-capacity computing tools, and the professional assistance of library and IT staff to provide a single point of assistance for their students and faculty. Lastly, the NYU Press (https://nyupress.org/) reports through the Division of Libraries dean, creating opportunities for synergy that advances the work of both organizations.

Reporting to the president, Linda G. Mills, and provost, Georgina Dopico, the dean serves as the chief administrative officer and executive of the libraries. The dean provides strategic vision for and operational leadership of the division, which supports NYU's research and instructional missions by providing discovery, access, delivery, and preservation of NYU’s world-class physical and virtual collections and information resources; fostering a robust suite of information, research, and engagement services that supports the full lifecycle of scholarly needs; encouraging innovation; and promoting excellence. Among the Dean’s responsibilities are overseeing the appointment, promotion, and advancement of approximately 75 FTE Faculty librarians, 192 FTE staff, and 255 student employees; working closely with deans, directors, and faculty across the University to advance teaching, learning, and research by building and sustaining services and resources that are responsive to the diverse needs of faculty and students, enhancing the experience of these user communities, and creating useful touchpoints throughout the entirety of the information and research lifecycle; providing oversight, prioritization, and decision making for the Division's budgets, and leading its efforts in extramural fundraising; and planning for and implementing space renovations, improvements, and enhancements. The dean will lead the continuing effort to build a library of the future by making knowledge accessible both in person and online; advancing digital innovations; promoting global inclusion; establishing community and campus-wide partnerships; and sustaining a commitment to open publishing and the capacity to support new forms of scholarly communication, sharing, and dissemination. They will also drive innovation and promote a future-oriented stance that capitalizes on the unique roles that the library plays in the academic enterprise.

The next dean of the NYU Division of Libraries will be a forward-looking and people-centered leader who collaborates with university leaders, faculty, staff, students, and alumni in New York City, nationally, and internationally. The successful candidate will have a strong record of leadership in academic scholarly communities at the national, if not international, level.

WittKieffer is assisting New York University in this search. All applications, nominations, and inquiries are invited. Applications should include, as separate documents, a CV or resume and a letter of interest addressing the themes in the leadership profile found at www.wittkieffer.com (https://apptrkr.com/5732925). For fullest consideration, candidate materials should be received by January 6, 2025. Nominations, inquiries, and application materials can be directed to: Jessica Herrington and Cathryn Davis at [email protected].

In compliance with NYC's Pay Transparency Act, the annual base salary range for this position is USD $400,000 to $450,000. New York University considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, as well as market and organizational considerations when extending an offer. NYU offers comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and disability benefits. NYU aims to be among the greenest urban campuses in the country and carbon neutral by 2040. Learn more at nyu.edu/nyugreen.

NYU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to a policy of equal treatment and opportunity in every aspect of its recruitment and hiring process without regard to age, alienage, caregiver status, childbirth, citizenship status, color, creed, disability, domestic violence victim status, ethnicity, familial status, gender and/or gender identity or expression, marital status, military status, national origin, parental status, partnership status, predisposing genetic characteristics, pregnancy, race, religion, reproductive health decision making, sex, sexual orientation, unemployment status, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, persons of minority sexual orientation or gender identity, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply for vacant positions at all levels.