COSLA Job Board

COSLA maintains this listing of current employment opportunities at the nation's state library agencies, based on those that have been submitted by our members. Each listing includes the date on which it was added. Interested parties should pursue additional details via the individual state library agency.

The New York State Library is Hiring

Director of the Research Library
Salary: $147,952/annually
Location: Albany, NY

The New York State Education Department’s (NYSED) Office of Cultural Education is seeking candidates for a Director of the Research Library (M5) in the New York State Library. The New York State Library is seeking an accomplished and forward-looking library leader to serve as Director of the Regent Joseph E. Bowman, Jr. Research Library, one of the largest research libraries in North America. Reporting directly to the New York State Librarian and serving as a senior leader in the New York State Library, the Director leads the Research Library and serves as a key strategic partner to the State Librarian.

KEY DUTIES

  • Provide strategic, administrative, and operational leadership for all aspects of the Research Library, including its collections, services, programs, staff, facilities, and resources, establishing priorities and ensuring excellence in service to State government, researchers, and the public;
  • Serve as a key strategic partner and advisor to the State Librarian, contributing to broader New York State Library strategy, policy, planning, partnerships, and major institutional initiatives;
  • Lead and develop a large, multidisciplinary organization, including senior managers and specialized professional staff, building a high-performing culture that embraces change, collaboration, accountability, innovation, professional growth, and service excellence;
  • Set and execute an ambitious agenda for the modernization and future direction of the Research Library, reimagining how its collections, expertise, spaces, technology, and services can best meet the needs of contemporary and future users;
  • Direct the management, development, preservation, and long-term stewardship of the Research Library’s nationally significant collection of more than 20 million items in print, digital, and special formats, balancing the enduring responsibility of preservation with an ambitious commitment to access and use;
  • Advance digitization, digital preservation, technology, and innovative approaches to discovery and access that expand the reach and use of the Research Library’s collections and services across New York State;
  • Develop and oversee the Research Library’s budget, operations, facilities, and resources, including space planning and capital improvement projects, ensuring responsible fiscal stewardship while strategically directing resources toward institutional priorities, modernization, and long-term sustainability;
  • Build and sustain strategic partnerships with government agencies, libraries, educational institutions, cultural organizations, and community partners to extend the Research Library’s reach, relevance, and impact;
  • Collaborate with executive leadership of the New York State Museum, New York State Archives, and Office of Educational Television and Public Broadcasting to advance shared priorities and initiatives across the Office of Cultural Education; and
  • Represent the Research Library and New York State Library at the state and national levels, advocating for the Library’s collections, services, expertise, and public mission and advising the State Librarian and agency leadership on major issues and emerging opportunities affecting research libraries, collections, preservation, access, technology, and the future of library services.

Click here to learn more about duties/responsibilities and how to apply.