Director of the William A. Wise Law Library

Job Summary

The University of Colorado Law School invites applications for the Director of the William A. Wise Law Library to begin at the start of the 2023-34 academic year. The Director of the Law Library is a 12-month, Instructor or Tenure Track faculty position and is appointed on a continuing appointment with rank commensurate with experience and qualifications. This may include, but does not require, appointment to the tenure or tenure-track faculty in the Law School or in the University Libraries (tenure home in the University Libraries, rostered in the Law School), depending on the interests and experience of the successful candidate.

The Law Library’s primary mission is to support the strategic initiatives of the Law School ( https://www.colorado.edu/law/about-colorado-law ). In order to achieve our mission, the Law Library strives to create a culture of innovation, creativity, responsiveness, and excellence for all of our endeavors. The Law Library supports the scholarly and teaching activities of the Law School’s faculty, administrative staff, and students. The Law Library is a center for innovation in legal research pedagogy, and provides services to the University, the local community, and beyond through its digital collections, outreach, and collaborations. The Law Library currently has 8 professional librarians, 6 support staff, and an annual budget in excess of $3.45 million.

We strongly encourage applications from people of color, women, individuals with disabilities, LGBTQ people, veterans, and others whose background, experience, and viewpoints would contribute to the diversity of our faculty.

The University of Colorado Boulder is committed to building a culturally diverse community of faculty, staff, and students dedicated to contributing to an inclusive campus environment. We are an Equal Opportunity employer, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Who We Are

We are an engaged, diverse, and inclusive community of students, faculty, staff, and alumni who help one another succeed. Our selective admissions process keeps our student body small, enabling our faculty, staff, alumni, and community to invest deeply in each student’s success, while preserving space for innovative faculty research. Because we take our responsibility to educate and train future lawyers very seriously, our curriculum, research centers, and experiential learning opportunities are designed to prepare students for success in today’s changing legal environment.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

• The Law Library Director is responsible for managing all aspects of the library to preserve and enhance its central role in the life of Colorado Law. This includes setting the strategic directions of the Law Library, personnel and budget management, collection development, and providing research and reference support to library patrons. The Director also is responsible for establishing and implementing both technological and traditional methods of delivery of information to support the research needs of faculty, students, and the larger community, for overseeing the development and management of the Library’s webpage and digital collections, for ensuring compliance with ABA and other standards, and for managing the physical space of the Library. The Director actively participates in the governance of the Law School and the University, and collaborates with University Libraries, including on a forthcoming migration to the open source LSP Folio.
• Candidates should have a forward-looking vision of the role of law libraries in legal education and provide leadership to enhance library services. Law librarians teach eight stand-alone legal research courses, and the Director should be forward-thinking about enhancing instruction to students. The Law Library is a state-of-the-art modern library housing the largest collection of legal materials in the Rocky Mountain region.
• The Law Library Director will be required to conduct research, librarianship, and service, with distributions among those obligations dependent on the nature of the position (tenure track vs. non-tenure track).

What We Can Offer

• Law Library Director, Non-Tenure Track: $145,000 - $165,000
• Law Library Director, Tenure Track: $155,000 - $170,000
• Law Library Director, with Tenure: $170,000 - $190,000

Benefits

The University of Colorado offers excellent benefits , including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO Pass. The University of Colorado Boulder is one of the largest employers in Boulder County and offers an inspiring higher education environment. Learn more about the University of Colorado Boulder .

Be Statements

Be dynamic. Be engaged. Be Boulder.

What We Require

• J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school, or an equivalent foreign law degree;
• Master’s degree in Library or Information Science from an ALA-accredited program, or its equivalent from an accredited university;
• Minimum of 5 years administrative experience in a library.

Requirements for Tenure/Tenure Track:

• Eligibility for a tenure or tenure track position will be dependent on the nature, quality, and quantity of the candidate’s research, pursuant to review by the appropriate tenure committee (Law School or University Libraries).

What You Will Need

• A record of accomplishment as a law library administrator who can bring vision and strategic planning to the institution, as well as the ability to cultivate and develop a superb staff.
• Experience with budget and financial management including vendor negotiations of complex contracts.
• Demonstrated ability to cultivate and champion an environment of diversity, respect, and inclusion.
• The ability to support the research and scholarly needs of faculty, students, staff, and the public.
• Thorough understanding of the scope, process, and demands of a law school library and the need to align services to changes taking place in legal education, the legal profession, and legal publishing.
• The ability to build relationships and effective partnerships at the University and the Law School, and in the larger academic and librarian communities.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and teaching skills.
• Strong organizational and interpersonal skills indicating an ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.
• A record of professional service and scholarly or creative work.

Special Instructions

To apply, please submit the following materials:

1. Resume or CV.
2. The cover letter should be addressed to the Appointments Committee and should briefly describe your qualifications, professional goals, and specific interest in this position.
3. Candidates for Tenure/Tenure Track rank should provide a Research Statement that does not exceed 2 pages. This statement should highlight your scholarly accomplishments, your current research agenda and your proposed future projects. Your statement should include why your research is important, what direction your research is taking, and why it matters.
4. Diversity & Inclusion Statement (describing how your scholarship, librarianship, and service would contribute to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion at Colorado Law School ).

Should your candidacy advance, you may be asked to provide a list of references who may be contacted for letters of recommendation.

For full consideration, candidates should apply by October 31, 2022, although we recommend that you submit your materials as soon as possible.

Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, applications must be submitted through CU Boulder Jobs .

For questions, please contact Lauren Seney, Chair, Library Director Search Sub-committee, lauren.seney@colorado.edu and/or Victoria Johnson, Faculty Affairs Program Manager, victoria.a.johnson@colorado.edu .

Posting Contact Information

Posting Contact Name: Lauren Seney

Posting Contact Email: lauren.seney@colorado.edu