Black Caucus of the American Library Association
Executive Director
Black Caucus of the American Library Association, Wilmington, Delaware, us, 19894
Overview
The award-winning Wilmington Institute Free Library (also known as the Wilmington Public Library) is looking for its next Executive Director.
About the Library Established in 1754, Wilmington Public Library is recognized for its community centered approach to programs, services, and partnerships. Its
Make the Library Cool Again
strategy has attracted living legends, popular culture icons, thought leaders, and visitors from across the region and beyond. The library works to improve the lives of Wilmington and Delaware residents through local, state, and national partnerships that advance education, economic opportunity, and social well-being for more than 71,000+ people. In partnership with the State of Delaware and the Delaware State Library, Wilmington Public Library participated in a statewide investment in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Literacy program. The library has received the American Library Association John Cotton Dana Award for Public Relations and the Institute of Museum and Library Services National Medal for Library Services, the highest honors a library can receive. Library Journal named Wilmington Free Institute Library its 2024 Marketer of the Year.
Executive Director Role As Wilmington embarks on an exciting period of growth and development, the Executive Director will partner with a talented and growing staff and contractors committed to the people they serve and the transformative power of the library. A supportive managing board and library foundation board will collaborate with the Executive Director and key staff to ensure the library’s viability and sustainability. The director will work in concert with the City of Wilmington, New Castle County, and the State of Delaware on fiscal, policy, and compliance matters. A host of community organizations are ready to lend their time, talent, and treasure to the library’s ongoing efforts.
Responsibilities
Be an effective communicator and collaborator across varied stakeholder groups to envision and strategize the library’s next chapter.
Apply political savvy to cultivate partnerships and collaborations.
Tell a compelling, data-informed, outcomes-based story of the library’s accomplishments.
Inspire library colleagues and the community with creativity and ingenuity.
Foster agency and accountability among library staff.
Maintain fiscal responsibility and steward library resources.
Optimize operational efficiency and effectiveness.
Uphold integrity and ethics to engender public trust and confidence in the library.
Qualifications
Minimum of five (5) years of leadership and management experience in libraries, specifically public libraries, and/or adjacent fields with responsibilities related to financial management, operations, facilities management, vendor and contractor management, staff and organizational development, public programming, service design and implementation, evaluation, fundraising, community engagement and partnership development.
Master’s degree in library and information science (MLIS) from an ALA-accredited program (earned or in progress).
Compensation Wilmington Public Library offers a generous compensation package with a salary range of $110,000–$120,000.
How to Apply To be considered for this position, please email a resume/CV, cover letter, and 3 references to ED.Search@lib.de.us by 11:59, Friday September 30, 2025.
Learn More Learn more about The City of Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley
https://www.wilmingtonde.gov/visitors/enjoy-wilmington
https://www.visitwilmingtonde.com/
#J-18808-Ljbffr
About the Library Established in 1754, Wilmington Public Library is recognized for its community centered approach to programs, services, and partnerships. Its
Make the Library Cool Again
strategy has attracted living legends, popular culture icons, thought leaders, and visitors from across the region and beyond. The library works to improve the lives of Wilmington and Delaware residents through local, state, and national partnerships that advance education, economic opportunity, and social well-being for more than 71,000+ people. In partnership with the State of Delaware and the Delaware State Library, Wilmington Public Library participated in a statewide investment in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Literacy program. The library has received the American Library Association John Cotton Dana Award for Public Relations and the Institute of Museum and Library Services National Medal for Library Services, the highest honors a library can receive. Library Journal named Wilmington Free Institute Library its 2024 Marketer of the Year.
Executive Director Role As Wilmington embarks on an exciting period of growth and development, the Executive Director will partner with a talented and growing staff and contractors committed to the people they serve and the transformative power of the library. A supportive managing board and library foundation board will collaborate with the Executive Director and key staff to ensure the library’s viability and sustainability. The director will work in concert with the City of Wilmington, New Castle County, and the State of Delaware on fiscal, policy, and compliance matters. A host of community organizations are ready to lend their time, talent, and treasure to the library’s ongoing efforts.
Responsibilities
Be an effective communicator and collaborator across varied stakeholder groups to envision and strategize the library’s next chapter.
Apply political savvy to cultivate partnerships and collaborations.
Tell a compelling, data-informed, outcomes-based story of the library’s accomplishments.
Inspire library colleagues and the community with creativity and ingenuity.
Foster agency and accountability among library staff.
Maintain fiscal responsibility and steward library resources.
Optimize operational efficiency and effectiveness.
Uphold integrity and ethics to engender public trust and confidence in the library.
Qualifications
Minimum of five (5) years of leadership and management experience in libraries, specifically public libraries, and/or adjacent fields with responsibilities related to financial management, operations, facilities management, vendor and contractor management, staff and organizational development, public programming, service design and implementation, evaluation, fundraising, community engagement and partnership development.
Master’s degree in library and information science (MLIS) from an ALA-accredited program (earned or in progress).
Compensation Wilmington Public Library offers a generous compensation package with a salary range of $110,000–$120,000.
How to Apply To be considered for this position, please email a resume/CV, cover letter, and 3 references to ED.Search@lib.de.us by 11:59, Friday September 30, 2025.
Learn More Learn more about The City of Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley
https://www.wilmingtonde.gov/visitors/enjoy-wilmington
https://www.visitwilmingtonde.com/
#J-18808-Ljbffr