Section: Administration
Approved: 1/16/1997
Reviewed: 4/17/1997, 1/21/1999, 4/20/2000, 3/15/2001, 3/27/2003, 5/13/2004, 1/17/2008, 3/15/2018, 1/19/2023
Revised: 3/26/1998, 1/20/2005, 12/16/2010, 3/19/2015, 2/18/2021
The Director’s general job duties are to:
Promote the mission and vision of the Library while fostering inclusivity.
Manage the Library’s buildings, grounds and equipment in order to maintain a clean, safe, attractive and functional public institution.
- Provide for custodial care of the library building and grounds on a regular basis.
- Provide for the regular maintenance and licensing of the building’s mechanical systems.
- Establish emergency procedures and provide staff training for the safety of the public, staff, and capital assets.
- Investigate and resolve problems with the library facility in a timely manner.
Manage the Library’s collections so that the public may benefit from a developed body of materials that exhibits the depth, timeliness, diversity and means of access necessary to meet user interests.
- Assist and supervise the various collection managers in the development and maintenance of their collections
- Provide for the accurate, timely, economical, and useful acquisition, cataloging and classification of the collection.
- Provide guides to the collections and instruction in use of the library as appropriate.
Plan and manage the Library’s expenditures and revenues.
- Submit an annual budget requisition for Trustee consideration in preparation for submission to the City.
- Supervise expenditures and revenues on an ongoing basis, recommend budget amendments as necessary and provide a summary annual report of the year’s financial transactions.
- Work with the Trustees in obtaining gifts, grants, and other non-tax revenues for the furtherance of library activities.
Provide public programs and services to enhance community use of the Library’s resources.
- Identify, report, and suggest solutions for any problems and successes in currently offered library services.
- Identify, report, and suggest means of implementation for services not currently offered that would benefit the community.
Favorably represent the Library and its interests in interactions with the community, other governmental entities and the library community.
- Provide an ongoing public relations program for the community to show how the Library’s services and collections may be utilized.
- Work with community organizations whenever practical and possible, to achieve mutually beneficial ends.
- Know and maintain working relations with representatives of county, regional, and state governments.
- Work cooperatively with the City of Ames organization to ensure that the Library functions successfully as a City department and promotes the City’s Excellence Through People values.
- Maintain a working relationship with regional and state library agencies.
- Submit the State annual report and maintain the Library’s state accreditation
- Maintain membership in, actively participate in, and attend meetings of county, state, and national professional organizations.
- Meet and work with the Ames Public Library Friends Foundation to advise and assist the Friends Foundation in the attainment of its goals.
Manage the Library’s human resources, providing for efficient, courteous public service as well as the professional growth and effective supervision of library personnel.
- Plan and implement training and/or continuing education for staff of all classifications and Trustees as the budget allows.
- Oversee the recruitment, selection, evaluation and setting of salary levels for all staff on an ongoing as well as annual basis.
- Utilize community volunteers on an ongoing basis.
- Monitor staffing levels, scheduling, employee morale, and classification allocations on an ongoing basis.
Provide for the general administration of the library as Chief Agent of the Board of Trustees.
- Act as technical advisor to the Board, recommending needed policies for Trustee consideration and appropriate use of innovative methods of service delivery.
- Report the use of library services, collections, and facilities on both a monthly and an annual basis.
- Carry out the policies of the Board of Trustees.
- Present Board policies for Trustee review and consideration on a pre-determined review cycle.
- Report significant problems and successes encountered in the course of general library operations.
- Lead the development of the Library’s long-range plan goals and objectives.
- Carry out the elements of the Library’s long-range plan.
Implement the requirements of the Iowa Public Record Law, Code of Iowa, Chapter 22.
