THE SEARCH
CRL, the Center for Research Libraries, seeks a visionary and collaborative professional to be its next president. This is an opportunity to lead and grow one of the most visible and important organizations in the library field, at a consequential time for the profession.
An international consortium of more than 200 college, university, and independent research libraries, CRL works in service to—and convenes the expertise and capacity of—its member organizations. To this end, CRL collects and preserves less commonly-held and difficult-to-acquire scholarly materials that are loaned to members through interlibrary loan and digital delivery; develops shared print and digital research collections of global scope; offers programs on innovations in digitization, licensing, and shared print; convenes specialists and scholars to pool knowledge and resources; and provides tools and services that support research at member institutions and minimize or optimize the burden of local acquisition, processing, and storage. CRL serves as the home of NERL, which pursues the best licensing terms and prices for electronic resources for its members, as well more than a dozen global resources programs for collecting and collections expertise in specific world regions or areas of focus.
Reporting to the Board of Directors, the next president will develop and advance a strategic and sustainable vision for the organization. The President will ensure that CRL serves as a trusted and valuable source of materials, services, community facilitation, and thought leadership for the library field, at a moment rife with technological disruption, societal change, and financial pressure. The ideal candidate will have substantive knowledge of the requirements and best practices of research libraries, including digital and AI strategies; a history of astute organizational leadership; experience working with a board and stakeholders with distinct institutional cultures and requirements; and a leadership approach that embraces the future, evinces business-mindedness, and champions collaboration and transparency. An orientation to service, innovation, and demonstrated commitment to access, equity, openness, diversity, and inclusion are essential.
TO APPLY
Confidential inquiries, nominations/referrals, and applications should be submitted electronically to:
Anita Tien, Partner and Andy Marshall, Managing Associate
Isaacson, Miller
Presidential Search, Center for Research Libraries
CRL is committed to actively promoting the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion as key components for serving our members and advancing our global mission. As such, CRL is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state and local laws regarding recruitment, hiring and employment and is dedicated to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at CRL are based on organization needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, physical, mental or sensory disability, HIV Status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, past or present military service, family medical history or genetic information, family or parental status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. CRL will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics.
