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About the Community:

Evanston, IL, a city of 77,000, sits on the shores of Lake Michigan directly north of Chicago. Home to an incredibly diverse and engaged community, Northwestern University, and the NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston boasts a thriving downtown, nationally recognized school system, and an award-winning public library, Evanston Public Library (EPL). Evanston has a vision to create the most livable city in America.

Evanston Public Librarys mission is to be the heart of our diverse community by promoting the development of independent, self-confident and literate citizens, and providing equitable access to cultural, intellectual, technological, and information resources. EPL currently serves our community in two permanent physical locations, the Main Branch located in the heart of Evanstons downtown, and Robert Crown, a branch located in a bustling community center on the citys west side. In 2022, 348,532 patrons visited, checking out 978,537 digital and physical items. Our FY 2023 budget is $9m and we rely on the support of 239 volunteers and 111 employees.

The Evanston Public Library Board of Trustees envisions a community in which the Library engages all residents in reaching their aspirations. The Librarys staff, collections, programs, technology and leadership help ensure that:

• All Evanston residents of every background and ability have the opportunity to enjoy an intellectually and culturally rich life
• Every child experiences the pleasure of reading, the joy of learning, enters school with the requisite developmental skills and continues to develop critical thinking skills including functional literacy
• Our community celebrates, appreciates and supports its diversity in all of its forms
• Those in need can find assistance and information with ease
• Every resident experiences the pleasure of reading and the joy of lifelong learning

The Evanston Public Library endorses and embraces the American Library Associations Equity of Access Statement and Freedom to Read Statement(link removed)>

Key Expectations:

The Executive Director of Evanston Public Library will guide the organization through the next chapter of its collective story, working to realize the EPL Vision and Mission(link removed) The Evanston Public Library is governed by an engaged board of nine trustees, seeking an excellent communicator able to develop and empower staff through authentic engagement, partnership, training and support. The Executive Director must be financially astute, able to manage the budget process, and committed to building on the librarys history of fundraising and grants by creatively seeking additional sources of revenue. This visionary leader will collaborate with the community, staff, and City of Evanston, as well as engage and leverage the Board of Trustees as a valued resource, and work to fulfill Evanston Public Librarys mission and vision. The executive director will lead the organization through a strategic planning process and help foster purposeful and meaningful connections with the community including those most in need of access to the librarys literature and technology resources.

Key Responsibilities

Setting and implementing the EPL strategic plan

• Direct and participate in long-range planning for the library to improve internal functions and delivery of services to the community including overseeing the Librarys marketing and development activities.
• Model innovation, creativity, and thought leadership that is inclusive, transparent, and empowering in a manner that upholds the organizations vision and drives its mission.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement by evaluating the organizations effectiveness using qualitative and quantitative data and refining the strategy to ensure success and sustainability.
• Ensure written and spoken communication is consistent with organizational goals and priorities, and advocate for EPL in ways that enhance our collective impact based on those goals and priorities.

Building strong relationships with transparency

• Build and maintain collaborative, trusted, engaged and effective working relationships with the community, Board of Trustees, the City of Evanston, the community, and other organizations (including elected officials, donors, foundations and grantors).
• Use Asset-Based Community Development to nurture a sense of belonging among staff, volunteers, and the community as a whole.
• Initiate, cultivate and lead efforts to generate philanthropic support and community partnerships and support for EPLs mission and vision, leveraging the Board as needed.
• Manage strong relationship and partnership with the Board of Trustees, maintaining regular and ongoing communication to ensure effective governance of EPL.

Hiring, managing and developing a strong team

• Coach, develop and support members of the senior leadership team to be effective in their roles and in their management of their teams and functional areas.
• Promote and foster equitable and inclusive recruiting, hiring, and onboarding practices to find, grow, and retain a diverse team.
• Develop and regularly update the succession plan for key positions in the organization.

Ensuring accessibility, high-quality programming and relevant patron experiences

• Ensure program excellence and evaluation, including documentation to meet government and grantor policies, to meet or exceed reporting requirements.
• Invest in maintaining and accumulating a robust collection that is inclusive and meets the needs and voices of Evanstons diverse community including our local schools and institutions of higher education.
• Create proactive systems that garner feedback from key stakeholders to inform program success and outcomes.

Operational effectiveness, safety and financial management

• Partner with the senior leadership team to manage the daily operations and to keep the services of the library system current with public/community needs.
• Systematize key functions in the organization to maximize efficiency, enhance productivity, and increase transparency and access to necessary information for internal stakeholders.
• Ensure the safety and security of all branches, providing the necessary support to keep staff and patrons safe at all times.
• Oversee the development and preparation of the annual Library operating budget that includes both revenue and expenditure history analysis and future projections and is clearly aligned with the library strategic goals and equity-driven priorities.

• Ensure maximum resource utilization, budget management, and maintenance of the organization to put the organization in a positive, productive and sustainable financial situation.

Key Competencies

Champion for diversity, equity, access and inclusion

• Set ambitious goals to advance equity, and cultivate a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and access in the Library and throughout its engagement with patrons, the Evanston community, and Library staff.
• Engage meaningfully with diverse stakeholders in challenging dialogue and critical self-reflection around implicit bias, systemic racism, and structural inequities.
• Address inequities with urgency in order to improve the lives of current and future patrons in Evanston.

Authentic and honest communicator and listener

• Communicate clearly, authentically and with transparency while being mindful of the audience and mode of communication.
• Demonstrate ability to transition quickly from individual, detail oriented projects to collaborative, people oriented conversations.
• Navigate difficult conversations with a focus on and commitment to understanding others perspectives that lead to progress.

Relationship builder and influencer

• Maintain visibility and presence in the branches and the community and work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders at all levels.
• Build positive relationships and coalitions both within the organization and outside of the organization that is inclusive of staff, patrons, community partners and city leaders.
• Facilitate conversations and establish buy-in for projects, programs, and initiatives aimed at supporting the goals of EPL.

Strategic planning, change management and effective execution