Revised March 18, 2025
Position Description: Director of Library Services
Position Status: Permanent Full Time (faculty status with appropriate credentials)
Employee Classification: Exempt
Regular Work Hours: Monday-Thursday, 8:00am to 5:00pm; in-person
Accountable to: Dean of the Faculty
Department: Academic Dean’s Office
Position Overview:
The William Broadhurst Library at Nazarene Theological Seminary serves as both an academic hub and
a theological resource, fostering rigorous scholarship and intellectual formation in the Seminary
community. The Director ensures that collections and services support the Seminary’s academic work
in the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition, equipping users with the resources necessary for academic
inquiry across all programs. The Director provides leadership for all aspects of library
operations, ensuring access to high-quality print and digital resources and services for all users.
The Director also oversees the Seminary’s educational technology and writing support, creating a
centralized hub that enhances learning access, and providing academic tools that
contribute to a holistic and technologically enhanced seminary education.
Our collection currently holds over 91,000 print volumes, with access to over 500,000 electronic
books and journals. The focus of our specialized collection is religion, specifically Christian,
with an emphasis on Wesleyan theology. The James McGraw Rare Book Room houses heritage materials
relating to Arminian, Wesleyan, and American-Holiness traditions, and the Church of the Nazarene.
Key Responsibilities & Duties:
• Lead the development and implementation of a strategic vision for the library in a time of
profound change.
• Develop and maintain the library collection in keeping with the research and educational
needs of Seminary faculty, students, and the wider community.
• Attend faculty meetings and participate in academic programming work.
• Engage in professional development for library management and academic research in theology
and related fields.
Library Operations & Collection Management:
• Hire, train, and supervise library staff.
• Oversee circulation, acquisitions, cataloging, interlibrary loan, and collection management.
• Prepare, evaluate, and manage library budget and vendor contracts.
• Lead institutional repository efforts and digital archiving.
• Maintain and continue the cataloging of the James McGraw Rare Book Room.
arch & Academic Support:
• Provide research and reference assistance, including digital literacy and research
strategies, to faculty and student users.
• Provide orientation, library access, and library instructional support to incoming students.
• Direct the Center for Academic Writing and supervise online tutors.
• Facilitate the review of student dissertations for Turabian style and formatting, prior to
final binding.
Educational Technology & Digital Services:
• Manage the library webpage.
• Collaborate with IT and EdTech staff for seamless integration of digital resources.
Institutional Engagement & Planning:
• Evaluate library use and effectiveness, providing data for annual reporting processes.
• Represent the library in faculty meetings and institutional planning.
• Represent NTS in Wesleyan-Holiness Digital Library and Nazarene Librarians networks, and
facilitate the Seminary’s contributions to the WHDL.
• Collaborate with Seminary Events for use of library space, book sales, etc.
Qualifications:
• Education: Master’s degree in Library Science (MLS or MLIS) required; additional graduate
degree in theology, religious studies, or a related field preferred.
• Experience: Minimum of 3-5 years of library experience, preferably in a theological or
academic library, with at least 2 years in a leadership or supervisory role.
• Theological Understanding: Familiarity with theological education, research, and resources,
especially within the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition.
• Technical Proficiency: Experience with library systems, digital databases, and educational
technology platforms (e.g., Moodle, proxy servers, institutional repositories).
• Student & Faculty Support: Strong background in research assistance, academic writing
support, and student success initiatives.
• Administrative & Budget Management: Experience with acquisitions, vendor negotiations,
collection development, and budget oversight.
• Collaboration & Communication: Ability to work effectively with faculty, students, staff, and
external partners to enhance the library’s role as an academic hub.
Evaluation: Ongoing evaluation through meetings with the Dean of the Faculty, with a formal written
review annually.
Travel Requirements: occasional travel for professional conferences.
Revised: March 2025