Inside Higher Ed is hiring: Dean, Thurgood Marshall Library in Bowie

Overview

Dean, Thurgood Marshall Library — Bowie State University

Senior administrator responsible for the instructional division which may include but is not limited to: Librarianship.

Bowie State University is seeking a transformative leader to serve as Dean of the Thurgood Marshall Library. The Dean will lead with passion, creativity, and excellence to cultivate an interactive environment for interdisciplinary discovery and research. They are expected to articulate a clear, forward-thinking strategic vision for a 21st-century university library and to transform the library into a hub of lifelong learning.

Responsibilities

• Work collaboratively with library and academic leadership to support the goals of the University’s strategic plan and the vision of our President, Boldly Forward.
• Manage the library, including oversight of the library budget, personnel, and the physical, informational, and technical resources necessary to provide high-quality library services.
• Provide vision, strategic direction, and operational leadership for the library; infuse new information formats and access technologies and services to meet the University’s educational and research missions and growth goals.
• Lead and support faculty librarians and staff to provide outstanding library services and transform facilities into centers of academic excellence and student success.
• Champion digital scholarship, open access publishing, and integration of digital platforms and tools in teaching, learning, and research.
• Promote the integration of information literacy and research skills into the curriculum by collaborating with faculty across disciplines.
• Ensure development, preservation, access, and promotion of the Library’s Special Collections and Archives, supporting the University and surrounding communities.
• Foster a collaborative and inclusive environment that values diverse perspectives and promotes equity, access, and belonging.
• Ensure library services, spaces, and digital environments are accessible and responsive to the diverse needs of students, faculty, staff, and community users.
• Advocate for intellectual freedom, academic privacy, and equitable access to resources in alignment with library standards and university policies.
• Identify and pursue grants and external funding sources to support the Library’s priorities and service enhancements.
• Develop and monitor KPIs and lead ongoing library assessment to support accreditation and continuous improvement.
• Direct content management and promotion of materials to meet the needs of students, faculty, staff, and clinicians.
• Build relationships with alumni and other strategic partners to support scholarly, educational, service, and fundraising goals.
• Form collaboration with the University System of Maryland and the Affiliated Institutions Library Consortium.
• Coordinate library activities with other universities and support professional development for library staff and faculty.
• Serve as an equal member of the Academic Deans Council along with five other deans.
• Oversee the Library’s technology infrastructure and implement emerging technologies to enhance operations and user experience.
• Advocate for the Library in institutional planning and policy development to align with campus-wide goals.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master's degree in Library Science.
• At least 10 years of progressively responsible leadership and management experience in an academic library setting.
• Distinguished career with scholarly accomplishments and a record of excellence in teaching, research, and service appropriate to appointment at the rank of Full Librarian.
• Demonstrated initiative, flexibility, and ability to adapt library services in a rapidly changing environment.
• Visionary leadership with a participatory style that promotes innovation, collaboration, and transformational change.
• Strong communication, supervisory, and management skills with transparency in decision-making.
• Ability to foster collaboration across academic and administrative units and promote student success.
• Knowledge of trends and best practices in academic librarianship, including digital repositories, scholarly communication, accessibility, and assessment methodologies.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in librarianship, services, and recruitment.
• Experience overseeing or supporting Special Collections and Archives, including preservation and digital access initiatives.

Preferred Qualifications

• Not Currently Available

Conditions Of Employment

• Not Currently Available

Additional Job Information

Benefits include medical, dental, prescription, long-term disability, accidental death and dismemberment insurance and life insurance; paid time for sick leave, annual leave, personal leave; 12 paid holidays per year; tuition remission; employer-funded pension and supplemental retirement accounts.

Bowie State University shall not discriminate against any individual on the basis of race, color, religion, age, ancestry or national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability, marital status or veteran status. All policies, programs, and activities are in conformity with pertinent Federal and state nondiscrimination laws. Equal opportunity in recruitment, pay, promotions, training, retention and dismissals for all employees and applicants. The University will provide reasonable accommodations to promote employment of qualified individuals with disabilities.

Seniority level

• Executive

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Education and Training

Industries

• Online Audio and Video Media

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