So, You Want to Be a Library Director?

Session 1: Do You Want to be a Library Director?

Tuesday, May 18, 2021, 10-11:30 a.m.

The library director is an essential position in any library. The director sets the tone for the organization, shapes its culture, influences its hiring decisions, and works with the governing body, staff and community to chart a mission, vision and goals for the library. It is an exciting and rewarding job, yet finding good candidates for open positions is becoming more and more challenging, as library workers shy away from moving into administration. Without good library directors, what happens to the future of libraries?

This session includes plenty of time for Q & A.

In this session, you will learn:

• What the job of library director is—and what it is not
• Reasons to consider becoming a library director
• The three most common fears about being a library director—and how to overcome them
• Traits and characteristics a library director should have
• How you can prepare yourself for this role in your current position

Session 2: Interview Tips for Future Library Directors

Tuesday, June 1, 2021, 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.

You’ve decided to go for it! Your interview for library director is coming up and you need to prepare. This session will help you prepare for your interview, as well as introduce you to commonly asked questions in interviews for the library director position, and give you tips on how to answer them. This session includes plenty of time for Q & A.

Speaker

Cathy Russ is the director of the West Bloomfield Township Public Library. Prior to that, she was Director of the Troy Public Library from 2007-2020. From 2010-2014, she was an Adjunct Professor at Wayne State University, teaching Library Administration and Management. Honored as the MLA 2019 Librarian of the Year, Russ has been an MLA member since 2000. She has mentored many professionals through MLA’s Mentor program and is passionate about growing the next generation of library directors.

Platform

So you want to be a as a Library Director will be hosted remotely via Zoom. Login credentials will be sent ahead of the sessions.

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