Director of the Auraria Library
About the Search
The University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver) seeks a highly skilled, agile, compassionate, and confident leader to serve as University Librarian and Director of the Auraria Library. The Auraria Library serves a downtown Denver campus with three higher education institutions—CU Denver, Metropolitan State University of Denver, and Community College of Denver. While the library provides equitable support across all three institutions, comprising nearly 40,000 Auraria Campus students and thousands of faculty and staff, the position reports to the CU Denver Provost.
This full-time university staff position manages 59 employees (including three direct reports) and a budget of $10.3 million. The Director works closely with faculty, students, and administration from all three partner higher education institutions in planning, resourcing, implementing, and evaluating library resources, programs, and services, in alignment with the missions of these institutions.
Deadline for full applicant consideration is Friday, March 14. The full job posting can be found here.
Leadership Attributes
The successful candidate will embrace these essential duties:
- Advance the learning and teaching of Auraria Campus students, staff, and faculty—and support their success and well-being—through robust and accessible library services
- Advance the strategic plans of each Auraria Campus higher education institution
- Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with executive leaders across campus
- Lead the library’s budget planning and ensure sound management of library finances
- Implement, evaluate, and refine library services and spaces to maximize their impact and to ensure that they are inclusive, accessible, and supportive of diverse constituents and cultures
- Continuously seek ways to optimize customer service through the application of innovative technologies, policies, and services
- Employ inclusive leadership principles to foster collaborative decision-making
- Cultivate a welcoming and affirming organizational culture among library staff that promotes inclusive excellence and champions diversity in leadership
- Articulate the library’s value and positive impact to campus and community constituents
- Participate in state, regional and/or national professional associations as appropriate and pursue scholarship to advance the profession
- Lead the library’s fundraising, grant-seeking, and other revenue-generating efforts
High-Level Search Timeline
December 2024
Engagement with Auraria Library community
January-March 2025
Recruitment
Late March 2025
First round of interviews
April
Finalist interviews
Search Committee Membership
| Co-Chairs |
|---|
| Marvin Lynn, Dean, School of Education & Human Development, CU Denver |
| Cath Kleier, Associate Vice President, Faculty Affairs, MSU-Denver |
| Committee Members |
|---|
| Bodhi Rogers, Professor and Chair, Physics, CU Denver (Search Advocate) |
| Megan Hughes, Honors Program Director, MSU-Denver |
| Kevin Lawless, HR Program Director, Auraria Library |
| Isabella Luna, Student, Sociology, CU Denver |
| Kelly McCusker, Collection Development Program Lead Librarian, Auraria Library |
| Karen Sobel, Teaching & Learning Librarian, Auraria Library |
| Keith Teeter, Associate Director, Research and Learning Services, Auraria Library |
| Jessica Weiss, Professor, Art History, Theory, and Criticism, MSU-Denver |