About Our Job

The Denver Public Library (DPL) isn't just a place to borrow books; it's a vibrant, essential hub for our diverse city. As a growing urban library system with 28 locations and over 4 million annual visitors, we're deeply woven into the fabric of Denver.

Join a team where your values align with your work. At the Denver Public Library, we're not just serving our community; we're building a culture guided by values that empower both our staff and the public. 

• Welcoming:  We make our resources, services, and expertise accessible for all, recognize the inherent dignity in each person, and provide safe places where everyone can be themselves.

• Curiosity: We foster a culture of exploration, innovation, and forward thinking by creating environments that support learning and growth.

• Connection: We are neighbors. We foster relationships, listen and act to build and strengthen our community. We bring people together to share information, ideas, and experiences.

• Equity: We work to change inequitable practices, structures and policies, and attitudes that drive them, to provide opportunities for every person in our community to thrive. As we do so, we actively examine our roles in perpetuating oppressive systems.

• Stewardship: We are accountable to our community, using our resources responsibly. We lead with honesty and integrity, protect privacy and preserve and share the full history of our Denver community.

If you're passionate about service, community engagement, and creating positive change, we invite you to explore career opportunities with us. Come join a team that believes in the power of knowledge, connection, and equity.

Unrivaled Benefits

The City and County of Denver offers a competitive salary commensurate with education and experience. We also offer generous benefits for full-time employees which include but is not limited to:  

• Four (4) Medical Plans, Dental, Vision Insurance  

• Pension Plan for Life (employee contributes 8.45%, employer matches at 17.95%) and 457 (b) Retirement Plan  

• PTO (over 3 weeks in your first year), 4 paid wellness days, and 12 paid holidays

• CARE Bank, Family Leave Benefits  

• Enhanced Work/Life Balance: Employee Assistance Program (6 counseling sessions per year, legal assistance, financial counseling, discounted recreation center passes), Employee Volunteer Program

• Learning and Development Opportunities; Courses and Career Development Resources  

• EcoPass (unlimited free RTD bus/train rides) 

• For more information please visit our website.

About Our Position(s)

The Denver Public Library (DPL) seeks 2 strategic and collaborative library leaders to ensure high-quality, equitable, responsive, and inclusive library services for the community. The Directors of Branch and Library Services will focus on delivery of excellent customer services, fostering a welcoming environment, cultivating collaboration, and utilizing the library’s service philosophy and strategic plan to co-create a vision that drives inter- and intra-divisional alignment and system-wide coordination of branch and operational services.

These positions directly support the library’s strategic priorities by promoting a strong community where everyone thrives and where all are free to explore and connect through innovative library services.

• Directs work areas that provide popular and educational circulating books and audiovisual materials, educational and community programs, and collection development. Develops and maintains online resources and services, manages the Library’s network and library systems, and provides public access to computers and the internet.

• Develops annual and multi-year work plans and strategies to meet business needs. Develops and directs the implementation of goals, objectives, policies, procedures, and work standards to ensure success.

• Develops, tracks, and reports progress on the Library’s overall performance measures for customer satisfaction, community impact, operational enhancement, employee learning and growth, fiscal stewardship, and external partnerships.

• Communicates business and work area plans and goals to managers and/or supervisors to secure buy-in. Reviews, approves, and implements recommended changes to plans and leads the development of process and/or operational improvements.

• Prioritizes and allocates resources to achieve strategies. Utilizes resources to develop or expand services and/or operation. Ensures resources are utilized appropriately and do not exceed the established budget without approval.

• Creates and administers policies and integrates work group procedures across work areas for consistency.

• Resolves sensitive, controversial issues by making decisions that are inclusive of multiple perspectives.

• Represents the Library in meetings with elected and/or appointed officials and other stakeholders. Serves as the city representative with a variety of schools and public and community organizations. Fosters collaborative relationships to the benefit of the organization.

• Develops goals, documents performance, provides performance feedback and formally evaluates the work of the employee; provides reward and recognition for proper and efficient performance. Assists staff to achieve performance standards and identifies opportunities for continual improvement to performance standards.

• Resolves escalated employee, citizen, or community complaints including long-term resolutions in problem areas.

• Selects, trains, develops, and evaluates subordinate staff. Makes decisions on hiring, terminations, promotions, and disciplinary actions as required.

• Develops and monitors the budget and oversees financial well-being by analyzing cost effectiveness. Directs cost control activities.

• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Any one position may not include all of the duties listed. However, the allocation of positions will be determined by the amount of time spent in performing the essential duties listed above.

What You Would Bring

Our ideal candidate has the following experience, skills, and characteristics:

• A creative, proactive champion of the library, skilled in navigating dynamic change, who can meet and serve the needs of the community and the organization.

• A leader who can innovate while upholding core library values and balancing emerging library trends.

• An excellent communicator, decision maker, and problem solver who can build team cohesion, lead projects, take initiative, and build relationships.

• A leader who works across divisions, departments, and organizational levels focusing on shared goals and open communication, building unified strategies to ensure equitable resource allocations and addressing community needs.

• Demonstrated experience with imminent public library issues, resource limitations, and emerging financial challenges.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree in Library Science from an American Library Association accredited institution.

• Five (5) years of experience at the type and level of functional or operational management, which must have included management of subordinate supervisors.

Substitutions:

No substitution of experience for education is permitted.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Effective people and organizational change leader

• Experience building an equitable, diverse, and inclusive work environment

• Ability to deal with individuals sensitively, tactfully, diplomatically, and professionally

• Ability to manage simultaneous and multiple priorities, multi-tasking, and a dynamic work environment

• Data-processing and analytical skills to determine and distribute resources and services

• Excellent customer service, interpersonal, and relationship building skills

• Effective people and organizational change management skills

Work Environment & Location

The positions’ main office is located in the Central Library in downtown Denver. The positions manage library staff, develop policies, and oversee library budgets, services, and facilities and as such will be expected to work across locations to support the staff and community. 

The position is an exempt position and requires the ability to work various shifts depending upon the needs of the library, including evenings and weekends. Must be able to adapt to schedule changes on short notice.

Employees may be re-deployed to work in other capacities in their own agencies or in other City agencies to support core functions of the City during a City-wide emergency declared by the Mayor.

Application & Additional Info 

Ensure that the 'Work Experience" section of the application is complete and contains all relevant work experience related to the position that you are applying for. Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply immediately. All applicants must submit an online employment application by 11:59PM on the posted cut-off date.

Offer of employment contingent upon successful completion of criminal history and employment verification  

All Denver Public Library employees must apply through their internal profile.

Ready to learn more and see how you can contribute? Visit us at denverlibrary.org and connect with our community on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

About Everything Else

Job Profile

To view the full job profile including position specifications, physical demands, and probationary period, click here.

Position Type

Library Hiring Range

Target Pay

Agency

Assessment Requirement

The City and County of Denver provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, or any other status protected under federal, state, and/or local law.

It is your right to access oral or written language assistance, sign language interpretation, real-time captioning via CART, or disability-related accommodations. To request any of these services at no cost to you, please contact Jobs@Denvergov.org with three business days’ notice.

For information about right to work, click here for English or here for Spanish.