Position Title: Chief Librarian
Duty Station : Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria, EGYPT
Deadline for Application: 7 April 2008
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina/Library of
Alexandria invites nominations and applications for the position of Chief
Librarian.
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is an
international center of intellectual excellence and a space for research,
dialogue and understanding. Though it opened its doors in 2002, it soon
established itself as a library, an academic institution, a cultural
Mecca, a pioneer in technology and communication, and a window on the
world. To achieve its goals, the BA created specialized libraries, a
planetarium, museums, exhibitions, a conference center, several research
institutes, a dialogue forum, an arts center and a center for technology.
The Library of Alexandria is internationally
renowned for the vision and innovation with which it addresses the
changing needs of library users and harnesses new opportunities made
possible by technological advances.
The Chief Librarian's role is to lead the
Library Sector, one of the BA’s main sectors which is multi-functional
with many responsibilities and a set of clear-cut goals. This sector
seeks to establish itself as an international center of excellence through
its print collection, electronic resources, and most importantly,
customized services to its users. The BA is a new form of learning space
that is designed to bring the community of learners together to partake of
knowledge in all its formats. The mind boggling structure and the comfort
enhanced interior, combined with the multitude of services, help in
creating a first-rate environment that augments the library users learning
opportunities, and enhances their cultural and intellectual interactions.
The open access shelves display the library collection through a reading
area which cascades over the seven levels of the library and accommodates
2,000 readers under its roof. All museums, exhibitions, workstations and
the conference center, and other entities are all within a few steps from
the reading area. Indeed, the BA is a place that appeals to all five
senses.
The Library Sector is composed of the Main
Library, the Arts & Multimedia Library, the Taha Hussein Library, the
Nobel Section, the Young People’s Library, the Children’s Library and the
office of the IFLA Center For Arabic Speaking Libraries and Information
Institutions . Each one of these specialized libraries act as part of an
integrated whole that seeks to meet the needs of diverse groups or
individuals. The sector’s staff are divided among eight sections:
Special Libraries, Digital Library Services, Technical Services, Access
Services, Public Services, New Initiatives, Arts & Multimedia Services,
and Enabling Infrastructure.
As the head of the Library Sector, the Chief
Librarian oversees the sector’s overall administration, operation and
services, and reports to the Librarian of Alexandria/Director of the
Library. The Chief Librarian also serves as a member of the Administrative
Council Group, which is comprised of the sector heads and legal council
and is chaired by the Director.
Because the Chief Librarian is a key member of
the leadership team of the Bibliotheca as a whole, he/she must understand
the essential role that a library plays on the national, regional and
international levels and must be able to address, with vision, the
challenges and transformations currently facing libraries allover the
world. He/she should be an effective advocate for libraries and
librarianship, and should also be able to ensure continued development of
the Library’s print collections while working towards advancing new
digital technologies that support scholarly communication, research, and
learning.
The successful candidate should have
leadership experience either in a public or an academic library as well as
a record of expertise in strategic programming and financial planning for
a large organization. In addition, a demonstrated capacity for developing
and sustaining relationships with administrators, constituencies, staff,
and external professional entities will be essential, as will the ability
to represent the Library effectively for purposes of outreach,
development, and inter-institutional cooperation.
The successful candidate must possess
knowledge of emerging digital technologies and their potential within the
domains of scholarship and public services, and must demonstrate excellent
interpersonal and written communication and negotiation skills.
A master’s degree in Library Science from an
accredited university and either an earned doctorate (preferred) or a
second master’s degree are required in addition to 15-20 years of
progressively responsible operational and administrative experience in a
large organization as well as evidence of significant professional and
scholarly achievement.
Complete job description and other information
are available at
www.bibalex.org
Nominations and applications will be reviewed
beginning April 7, 2008, and will be accepted until the position is
filled. All inquiries, nominations, and applications will be treated in a
confidential manner. Materials and inquiries should be submitted
electronically. Also, please send a letter of interest and the names and
addresses of five professional references to:
Chief Librarian Search Committee
Library of Alexandria,
Chatby, Alexandria, Egypt 21526
E-mail
chiefsearch@bibalex.org
