Director of Mabee Library

University Overview: 

MidAmerica Nazarene University (MNU) is a private, liberal arts university with a variety of undergraduate, graduate, and adult education programs, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.  Located in the Kansas City metropolitan area, MNU seeks to educate students to serve with purpose within the educational context of the liberal arts, and a Wesleyen-Holiness theological perspective.  MNU has an enrollment of approximately 1300 students with over half considered traditional undergraduate students.  For more information about MNU, see our website: www.mnu.edu.

Position Description:

The Mabee Library at MidAmerica Nazarene University seeks a dynamic, service-minded Director of the Library to lead a highly collaborative and innovative team in advancing the library’s mission to build student success through high-impact practices for information literacy and academic enrichment. The library team consists of 2.0 FTE faculty librarians, 1.25 FTE staff librarians, and 12-15 student paraprofessionals.  The student paraprofessionals carry significant responsibility for one-on-one research consultation, copy cataloging, interlibrary loan, programming, archives, social media marketing, scanning services, and wide-format print services.

This role requires a highly relational and visible leader—someone who thrives on engagement across campus. The Director must be comfortable and energized by regular interaction with students, faculty, and staff through classroom visits, consultations, meetings, and outreach activities.  The new Director will inherit a well-established team, mission, and identity—and will be expected to continue in this outward-focused, collaborative direction while bringing their own vision and creativity to the next chapter of leadership.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Leadership and Administration
  • Provide strategic direction and day-to-day management of library operations, resources, and personnel.
  • Develop a collaborative and student-centered team culture in the spirit of servant-leadership, specially focused on building capacities in student paraprofessionals.
  • Maintain a strong campus presence—meeting with faculty, visiting classes, and representing the library in diverse campus settings including governance structures.
  • Manage the library’s budget and resource allocations with transparency, data-informed decision-making, and entrepreneurial revenue generation.
• Outreach and Relationship Building
  • Serve as the primary ambassador for the library, proactively cultivating partnerships with faculty, academic departments, faculty development, student organizations, local community constituencies, and regional/national library networks.
  • Regularly seek opportunities to ask stakeholders, “How can we serve you better?”
  • Represent the library at academic and co-curricular events; actively promote library services and programs.
• Instruction, Reference, and Engagement
  • Participate in student-centered library instruction, information literacy initiatives, and research consultation services.
  • Encourage embedded/liaison librarianship to integrate research skills across the curriculum.
  • Preserve and enhance the library’s reputation for warmth, hospitality, and community engagement.
  • Support faculty research and grant writing needs.
• Collections, Technology, and Assessment
  • Oversee collection development and subscriptions guided by usage data, curricular relevance, and budget priorities.
  • Manage digital systems and resources that support discovery and access, including the institutional repository.
  • Evaluate library effectiveness through assessment and feedback, using results to inform planning and services.