The Essentials of Hiring and Evaluating Library Directors

The Essentials of Hiring and Evaluating Library Directors Edwin Beckerman and Luke Tirrell May 9, 2009

Overview of Presentation • Beginning the Hiring Process • Developing a Search Strategy • Forming the Search Committee • Performing the Search • Planning for Success • Evaluating your Director • Considering Termination? • Resources

Beginning the Hiring Process • Time Frame • Organizational Assessment • Transition Plan • Interim/Acting Director

Developing a Search Strategy • Establish and prioritize specific competencies of new Director • Prepare a job description and salary package • Establish search committee budget • Decide scope of search (local or broader) • Determine number and qualities of search committee members • Decide if a search consultant is to be used

Forming the Search Committee • Establish guidelines for communication between Board and Committee • Specify timeframe for search process • Cite stage at which full Board is to be re-involved • Designate search committee members • Select a chairperson for the committee • Register Board approval on all decisions

Performing the Search • Review Board guidelines for search committee • Determine process to receive correspondence • Advertise widely according to search guidelines, budget, and applicable laws/requirements • Acknowledge applications as they are received • Develop interview questions (same every time)

Performing the Search(continued) • Narrow pool and interview top candidates • Cut down to 3-4 finalists • Check references with candidates’ permission • Refer 2-3 finalists to full Board • Decide whom search committee will recommend for hire

Planning for Success • Approve the Board’s choice of Director • Formalize the agreement with the new Director • Establish a schedule of regular evaluation • Include the staff as much as possible from this point forward • Announce the hiring widely through local outlets • Stage a reception for community to meet new Director and reintroduce Library’s mission

Evaluating your Director • Work through Board’s Personnel Committee • Work with Director to set performance goals • Ensure all competencies specified in job description are observed according to priority • Have Director meet with full Board annually to discuss progress (use executive session) • Maintain focus on improving Library • If Director is not meeting standards, create an improvement plan with benchmarks

Considering Termination? • Ensure personnel manual is up to date • Document all evaluations of Director • Seek the advice of Library’s attorney • Avoid hasty action • Allow the Director to improve performance, except under special circumstances • Ensure termination action aligns with personnel manual and labor laws

Resources To develop competencies and shape job descriptions: • NJLA Competencies for Library Administratorshttp://www.njla.org/resources/administrators.html • NJLA Information on Library Directorshttp://www.njla.org/resources/librarydirector.html • NJ State Library’s Library Development Bureau http://www.njstatelib.org/LDB/factsheet.php • U.S. Equal Employment Opportuntiy Commission Info on Job Discrimination http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/qanda.html

Resources(continued) To advertise open positions: • American Library Association JobLIST: www.joblist.ala.org/ • LibraryJournal.com Careers: www.libraryjournal.com/index.asp?layout=jobs • New Jersey Library Association Job Hotline: www.njla.org/jobs.html • New York State Library Job Listings: www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/libjobs.htm • Pennsylvania Library Assn. Job Listings: www.palibraries.org/jobbank.cfm

Presenters • Edwin Beckerman, Library Consultant 8E Brookline Court Princeton, NJ 08540 609-924-5849 edwinbeckerman@msn.com • Luke Tirrell, Library Board President 1231 Eleventh Avenue Neptune, NJ 07753 732-567-3955 luketirrell@hotmail.com

The Essentials of Hiring and Evaluating Library Directors