Description

About Phillips Theological Seminary
Phillips Theological Seminary offers theological education dedicated to learning the way of Jesus in order to cultivate vital congregations, communities, conversations, and the public good. Affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Phillips is located at the trifinium of the Creek, Osage, and Cherokee Nations, just minutes east of Tulsa's Greenwood District, historically known as Black Wall Street.

Phillips is committed to justice initiatives and relational solidarity. We are committed to diversity, interculturality—including Africana, Latinx, Asian, and Indigenous American communities—and justice, with attention to the social realities of race, class, ethnicity, gender, and queer expressions of the human experience.

Position Summary
The Dean of the Library and Research Services provides strategic direction and leadership for the library, ensuring that its resources, services, and instruction are accessible, timely, appropriate for the communities served, and reflective of the dynamic relationship between information science and theological education. The Dean serves as a member of key seminary committees and leadership groups and works collaboratively across the institution to advance the library's mission in support of teaching, learning, research, and the broader Phillips community.

Essential Responsibilities
Library Leadership, Representation, and Policy

• Develop and direct library policies in alignment with institutional priorities and the library's mission.
• Serve as an ex officio, non-voting member of Faculty Council.
• Serve as a member of Seminary Cabinet.
• Serve as ex officio chair of the Library Committee.
• Participate in the Oklahoma State University (OSU) Library Consortium and Oklahoma Council for Academic Library Directors (OCALD).
• Represent the library at appropriate Phillips events.
• Coordinate library communications with appropriate departments across the seminary.
• Maintain professional memberships with organizations including Atla, the American Academy of Religion (AAR), and the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL).

Library Personnel Administration

• In collaboration with People & Culture, shape the work cycle of library employees and implement Phillips personnel policies and procedures.
• Ensure staff understand and fulfill their position missions and responsibilities.
• Support staff competencies and professional development through training, conference attendance, and continuing education.
• Facilitate effective conflict management and minimize disruption to library operations.
• Meet annually with individual staff to establish goals and quarterly to evaluate progress and make adjustments in accordance with institutional SMART Goals guidelines.
• Fill library position openings in collaboration with People & Culture and selection committees.
• Oversee circulation desk scheduling and absentee management.

Resource Management and Budget

• Coordinate with the Vice President of Finance and Administration and Vice President of Academic Affairs to develop and implement an effective library budget.
• Ensure stewardship of library materials in all formats in accordance with professional guidelines and seminary policies.
• Select collection materials, manage gifts, and conduct weeding in accordance with the Collection Development Policy.
• Direct the curation of materials in all formats according to library policy and professional best practices.
• Coordinate with Advancement to communicate library projects requiring donor assistance.
• Work with Finance and Administration, Information Technology, and vendors to provide appropriate equipment and resources for library operations.
• Coordinate with Oklahoma State University and IT regarding library management software systems.
• Assess the effectiveness and usage of library resources.
• Coordinate with Finance and Administration and the Maintenance Manager to develop and implement facilities and maintenance plans and resolve library facilities issues.

Academic and Public Services

• Lead library staff in providing effective research support to students and faculty.
• Direct promotion of library services and materials.
• Coordinate with the Instruction Librarian and faculty to implement an effective information literacy and writing skills development program.
• Ensure coordination between the Electronic Resources Librarian and IT to provide uninterrupted and license-compliant access to materials for students, faculty, alumni, and other Phillips communities.
• Communicate assessment results from information literacy and writing skills development programs to faculty and the Library Committee for analysis and discussion.
• Direct assessment of the effectiveness of library services, including research assistance, course reserves, access services, and fulfillment services.

DMin Project and Master's Thesis Preservation

• Collaborate with the Access Services Librarian to provide discoverability, access, and curation of completed electronic projects and theses.

Supervisory Responsibilities
The Dean directly supervises:

• Assistant Dean of the Library and Instruction and Writing Services Librarian
• Reserves, Electronic Resources, and Journals Librarian
• Special Collections and Archives Librarian
• Cataloging and Technical Services Librarian
• Library Assistants

Requirements

Required Qualifications

• Master's degree in Library Science from an ALA-accredited program.
• At least two years of post-MLIS/MLS leadership experience in an academic library.
• Ability to communicate effectively with internal and external constituencies.
• Ability to work collegially and collaboratively with internal and external constituencies.
• Demonstrated expertise in budgeting and planning.
• Understanding of the role of the academic library in supporting learning, teaching, and research.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with mainline Christian denominations and organizations.
• Master's degree in a theological discipline from an ATS-accredited program.

Desired Competencies
Successful candidates will demonstrate:

• Budget development and management skills
• Ability to supervise, guide, and listen to professional librarians and paraprofessional library staff
• Strategic planning and project management skills
• Library and information science management expertise
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ethical judgment and conduct
• Problem-solving and analytical skills
• Ability to foster a collaborative work environment
• Ability to engage effectively in a learning-oriented work environment
• Strong editing skills
• Grant-writing skills

Work Environment and Schedule
This position requires a creative self-starter who can collaborate effectively with a variety of department leaders within seminary and library environments. The position requires self-management, productivity, and timely responsiveness to Phillips employees and the supervisor.

This is a full-time position with regular hours of Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Evening and weekend work may be required as job duties demand.

The position requires mobility throughout the seminary, including bending, sitting, and standing to assist students, faculty, and visitors; giving tours of the library; lifting and retrieving books; and opening cabinets.

Travel to meetings and conferences is required.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.