Job Details

Dean of the Z. Smith Reynolds Library
Go to our website »

Position Number: 5605653
Location: Winston-Salem, NC
Position Type: Deans - Communications

Dean of the Z. Smith Reynolds Library

Wake Forest University invites inquiries, nominations, and applications for its next Dean of the Z. Smith Reynolds Library.

Wake Forest is dedicated to educating the whole person and upholding the promise of its motto, Pro Humanitate. Wake Forest University is a distinctive institution, combining a rigorous residential based academic liberal arts core for undergraduates, exceptional graduate and professional schools, and innovative research programs for its lively academic community. Recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top 50 National Universities and 31st for Best Undergraduate Teaching, Wake Forest is committed to educating students to be bold thinkers who can address the most challenging problems of today's world.

The ZSR Library is a gathering place for students, faculty, and staff with several open study areas, study carrels, an Academic Commons, and with wellness in mind, even has a ZieSta room: a technology-free space for naps! ZSR hires an average of 75 student employees every year. Compared to other Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) schools, students use the ZSR Library at three times the rate of their ACC peers.

Wake Forest seeks a strategic, innovative, collaborative, and experienced leader to work with Provost Michele Gillespie, the University's academic leadership team, the Deans' Council, the President's Cabinet, and other partners across campus to position the library as a campus leader in advancing the institution's strategic framework: Framing Our Future. This leadership will center on facilitating collaborations, including information data, media literacies, empowering campus-wide research, scholarly and creative inquiry, teaching, and learning excellence. Additional priorities will include continuing to re-imagine the physical spaces of the libraries through campus master planning, supporting student success, and ensuring access to the collections for all students and faculty. A high priority for the incoming dean will be leading fundraising efforts required to support these evolving needs. The new dean must be a dedicated advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and will collaborate with colleagues within the Library, across the university, and into the broader community to ensure relationships and communications that integrate multiple voices, perspectives, and pedagogy of shared inquiry that respects all persons.

The Dean of the Z. Smith Reynolds Library will be a visionary leader who collaborates with university leadership, faculty, students, and staff on and off campus. They will have the administrative, budgetary, communication, and collaborative leadership skills to work effectively in a shared governance environment and a commitment to the teacher-scholar ideal of Wake Forest University. A distinguished record of librarianship, scholarly achievement, and professional accomplishments commensurate with an appointment of a Faculty Librarian is required. The successful candidate must also have a record of distinguished professional accomplishment, demonstrated progressive administrative experience, and intellectual leadership in a complex library environment.

WittKieffer is assisting Wake Forest University in this search. For fullest consideration, candidate materials should be received no later than October 16, 2024. Applications should include, as separate documents, a CV or résumé, and a letter of interest addressing the themes in the profile available at www.wittkieffer.com

Application materials, nominations and inquiries can be directed to: Jessica Herrington and Cathryn Davis at WakeForestLibraryDean@wittkieffer.com.

Wake Forest seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce while promoting an inclusive work environment committed to excellence. In adherence with applicable laws and as provided by University policies, the University prohibits discrimination in its employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, disability and veteran status and encourages qualified candidates across all group demographics to apply.