Description

Library Director

City of Irving, Texas

The City of Irving is seeking a new Library Director to lead the award-winning, nationally recognized home of the North Texas Teen Book Festival at the Irving Public Library.  Candidates should be skilled in community engagement, and have experience in leading  library operations and management. The city seeks a technology-savvy Library Director that prioritizes community input and accessibility tools with 21st century services.

The new Irving Public Library Director will effectively lead their team and collaborate with the Library Advisory Board to help shape the future of library services in one of the region’s most dynamic communities. The next Director will lead the development of a new five-year strategic plan and initiate long-term planning for a fourth library branch.

The Community and Organization

Irving is a vibrant, diverse, and highly engaged city committed to delivering exceptional services and promoting a high quality of life for residents, visitors, and businesses. The City’s vision is to serve as a model for safe and beautiful neighborhoods, a thriving economy, and exceptional recreational, cultural, and educational opportunities. Within this vision, the library system plays a central and impactful role.

This diversity is reflected not only in Irving’s population, but also in the wide range of languages spoken throughout the community. According to the 2021 Census, Irving’s population is 44.0% Hispanic, 16.9% White, 12.0% Black, 23.9% Asian, and 3.3% Other. To effectively serve this dynamic community, the next Library Director must be proficient in English, with fluency in Spanish or another language strongly preferred to support inclusive communication and service delivery.

The Irving Public Library serves as both an essential educational resource and a vibrant community hub, providing access to information that supports lifelong learning, fostering a love of reading, and creating welcoming spaces where residents of all ages can connect, learn, and grow. Through educational programming, digital resources, outreach initiatives, and responsive collections, the library system plays a key role in enhancing quality of life and supporting the academic, professional, and cultural vitality of the community.

The department operates with an $8.2 million budget across three branches and an administrative team supported by 108 team members, including 64 full-time and 44 part-time employees. The system serves more than 35,000 active library users, circulates approximately 1.3 million materials annually, and maintains a collection of more than 530,000 materials. The library also enjoys strong community support, including an active Friends of the Library organization that contributes more than $50,000 annually to support library operations.

The Irving Public Library is also recognized for its programming and innovation. The system hosts the acclaimed North Texas Teen Book Festival, one of the region’s marquee literary events, drawing nearly 14,000 attendees and featuring more than 70 middle-grade and young adult authors. Recent accomplishments include launching the Irving Library Outreach Vehicle (ILOV), completing the selection of a new integrated library system, advancing a large-scale RFID tagging effort and delivering signature community events that reinforce the library’s value as a civic and cultural asset.

The Opportunity

The duties of the Library Director are written into the City’s Code of Ordinances and serves as the administrative leader of the library system under the direction of the City Manager.

The City is looking for a Director who will be active and present with staff and branches, informed about programming and daily operations, and engaged in collection development decisions at the appropriate level. The next Director will be expected to further enhance internal confidence, strengthen alignment with community partners, and position the library to continue meeting rising demand for services, materials and programming in a sustainable and responsive way.

Demand for library programming and materials is strong, and the city recently increased staffing and technology resources to help meet the demand. This year, the City Council  authorized the purchase of property for a future fourth library branch to continue to grow the system.

Over the next few years, the Library Director will be tasked with finalizing any remaining policy revisions to the collection development and reconsideration processes, conduct an internal operational assessment, clarify the role and priorities of the Library Advisory Board and lead development of a new five-year strategic plan. That plan should focus primarily on operations, service delivery, and future system needs while also framing the longer-term vision for a fourth branch as part of future bond planning.

The Department and Operating Environment

The Irving Public Library is distinguished by both its scale and its reach. The system’s three branches serve diverse populations and tailor programming and collections to the unique needs of the communities they support. Demand for materials and programming remains high, and the City recognizes the library as a critical contributor to educational opportunities, civic life and community well-being.

The Director will oversee a department with significant public visibility and broad stakeholder interaction. Key relationships include the Library Advisory Board, City Council, the Friends of the Irving Public Library, and professional associations such as the Texas Municipal Library Directors Association, Texas State Library and Archives Commission, and relevant state and national library organizations. Success in this role will require the judgment to remain current on evolving professional practices while thoughtfully balancing industry best practices with what the community desires from the library.

The successful candidate will be a collaborative leader who values strong partnerships both within the organization and across the community. In Irving, this includes working closely with other City departments and central support functions, while also building productive relationships with the public, Library Board, Friends of the Irving Public Library and other key community stakeholders. The next Director should be skilled in fostering open communication, aligning priorities, and advancing the library’s goals through inclusive and effective collaboration.

The Ideal Candidate

The City of Irving is seeking a leader who has the heart of a public servant and the steadiness of an experienced municipal executive. The ideal candidate will bring a strong foundation in library operations and library science, complemented by the ability to lead effectively in a visible and politically nuanced environment. This person must understand programming, branch operations, exceptional service delivery, collections, and administrative functions while also knowing how to step back, set direction and lead at the organizational level.

This leader will demonstrate resilience, composure and strong professional grounding. They will navigate sensitive issues with focus and sound judgment, maintaining momentum and delivering results in high-pressure situations. The City seeks a candidate who responds to challenges with openness and professionalism, leading with maturity, balance and confidence.

The successful candidate will also be a servant leader, someone who puts the team first, invests in staff and creates an environment where people feel supported, empowered and accountable. At the same time, this person must maintain operational awareness and be willing to stay close enough to the work to understand what is happening across branches and functions.

Strong political acumen is essential. The next Director will excel at building and maintaining effective relationships with the Library Advisory Board, City Council, executive leadership, staff, and the public, and will approach complex or highly visible issues with confidence, sound judgment, and a commitment to transparency. This individual must be an excellent communicator who can adapt to varied audiences, articulate the library’s needs and priorities clearly, and represent the department with credibility and professionalism.

Finally, the ideal candidate will be self-directed and collaborative. Irving needs a leader who demonstrates initiative, identifies what needs to be done, and moves work forward without requiring constant direction while also exercising sound judgment about when to seek guidance and align with executive leadership.

Preferred Background and Experience

Qualified candidates should bring a combination of senior library leadership experience, organizational management capability and public-facing service delivery expertise. The City is particularly interested in candidates with experience in municipal libraries, though relevant backgrounds in public school library administration, city management or other department director-level roles involving large teams and public-facing services may also be of interest.

Culture and Fit

The City of Irving is guided by the values of Professionalism, Resilience, Innovation, Dependability and Ethics. The next Library Director should embody those values in both leadership style and day-to-day decision-making.

The strongest cultural fit will be someone who demonstrates initiative and independent drive, exercises sound judgment about when to seek guidance, remains composed in difficult circumstances and navigates politically sensitive matters with professionalism. This leader should be an empowering manager, excellent communicator and an engaged team member who understands the realities of managing a multi-branch library system.

A Defining Leadership Opportunity

Irving Public Library has numerous strengths: a talented team, strong community usage, high-profile programming, broad public support and a City leadership team that recognizes the value of the department. The next Library Director will have the chance to build on that foundation and create a thoughtful roadmap for the future.

This is an opportunity for a leader who can thoughtfully navigate complexity, provide clear vision during times of transition, and keep a strong focus on service at the center of their work.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic leadership and department direction

•       Provide strategic leadership and long-term direction for the Irving Public Library system, aligning departmental priorities with the City’s mission, vision and service expectations.
•       Lead the development and execution of a new, five-year Library Strategic Plan that establishes priorities for the department, strengthens operations and positions the system for future growth, including planning parameters for a fourth branch.
•       Establish plans for service delivery, branch operations, programming, collections and administrative functions that reflect both community needs and City leadership expectations.

Library operations and organizational performance

•       Oversee all aspects of library operations across three branches and administrative functions, ensuring high-quality, responsive and community-centered service delivery.
•       Direct the development of departmental work plans, goals, policies, procedures, and performance standards while monitoring workflow, evaluating outcomes, and improving operational effectiveness.
•       Maintain strong working knowledge of programming, collection development, and day-to-day branch operations without losing sight of broader strategic and executive responsibilities.

Budget, resources and stewardship

•       Develop, administer, and oversee the department’s operating budget, revenue accounts, grants and bond funds, ensuring sound fiscal stewardship and alignment of resources with strategic priorities.
•       Forecast future budget needs, monitor expenditures and implement adjustments as needed to support service levels, operational sustainability and long-term system planning.
•       Help balance rising demand for materials, digital resources and programming with finite staffing and financial resources.

Boards, policy and governance

•       Work effectively with the Library Advisory Board, City Council, and executive leadership to clarify roles, support sound governance and advance library priorities.
•       Finalize and operationalize policy direction related to collection development and reconsideration of materials.
•       Prepare reports, presentations, and decision-ready materials that support clear communication and well-informed policy discussions.

Staff leadership and culture

•       Provide direction, support and leadership to library staff in fulfilling the library’s mission while fostering a culture of professionalism, resilience, accountability and service excellence.
•       Oversee recruitment, selection, training, development, counseling and performance evaluation for a large and diverse team.
•       Empower staff and strengthen team cohesion while maintaining visibility into operational needs and organizational performance.

Community engagement and external partnerships

•       Serve as a visible and credible representative of the library system with patrons, community groups, partner organizations and professional associations.
•       Coordinate with other City departments, outside agencies, the Friends of the Irving Public Library and relevant state and national library organizations to advance service delivery and strategic goals.
•       Support public engagement and communication efforts that build trust, promote library services and reinforce the library’s role as a cultural and educational anchor for the community.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

•       Master’s degree in Library Science, Library Information Studies, Public Administration or a related field.
•       At least seven years of library experience, including five years of supervisory experience.
•       Valid state-issued driver’s license, or the ability to obtain one upon hire.
•       Strong knowledge of library systems, standards, and practices, including integrated library systems, print and electronic resources, accreditation requirements, and copyright and censorship issues.
•       Demonstrated experience in administration, organizational planning, budgeting, personnel management and service delivery within a public-facing organization.
•       Ability to communicate effectively in writing and verbally, present to governing bodies and community groups and exercise sound judgment in stressful or sensitive circumstances.

Preferred

•       Experience leading in a municipal library or similarly complex public-sector environment with significant public visibility.
•       Strong working knowledge of programming and day-to-day operations across multiple branches and administrative functions.
•       Familiarity with the evolving legal and policy landscape affecting Texas public libraries, including recent issues related to collection development authority, challenged materials and protections for minors.
•       A collaborative, servant-minded leadership style with the ability to empower staff, build internal partnerships and work effectively across City departments.
•       Experience developing strategic plans, guiding organizational change and positioning public-facing departments for long-term growth and community impact.