Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) seeks an innovative and forward-thinking leader in 21st-century librarianship to serve as the Executive Director of the TTUHSC Libraries. The TTUHSC Libraries, with physical locations in Lubbock, Amarillo, and Odessa, are places for learner and team member growth to stimulate innate curiosity and hone critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Our libraries play a vital and essential role in supporting and accelerating the discovery of new knowledge and understanding across the TTUHSC enterprise. The Executive Director of the TTUHSC Libraries reports to the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Integrated Learning.

Candidates must demonstrate integrity, professional maturity, commitment, and accountability in alignment with our Values-Based Culture comprised of the following five values: One Team, Kind-hearted, Integrity, Visionary, and Beyond Service. The ideal candidate is a visionary leader who can shape the future of library services in a rapidly evolving landscape of health care and health professions education. The Executive Director must have skills in resource selection, material and information management, classification of information, research services, and bringing information forward for continued learning and professional development of all TTUHSC team members and learners. This position is crucial in our commitment to providing exceptional resources, promoting medical informatics, and advancing health information literacy across our diverse health professions programs.

Through collaboration and expertise in health information literacy, the Executive Director will provide leadership to establish the TTUHSC Libraries as the information hub that finds, analyzes, and provides access to critical information that improves patient care and supports health and medical education, research, and publication. The Executive Director must have a history of providing successful professional development opportunities and a proven ability to interact effectively and productively with a wide spectrum of learners and health professionals. 

The TTUHSC Libraries serve the needs of TTUHSC learners and team members in academic, research, and clinical programs across all schools and locations, as well as those enrolled in distance education programs. In addition to its three physical locations, the library system has extensive electronic resources accessible through secured remote access. The central administration of the TTUHSC Libraries is located in the Preston Smith Library of the Health Sciences in Lubbock with the Harrington Library of the Health Sciences in Amarillo and the Library of the Health Sciences in Odessa.

Duties and Responsibilities

Major/Essential Functions

• Shape the future of library services and drive innovative initiatives that transform TTUHSC libraries into dynamic centers of intellectual life and collaboration.
• Develop and communicate a strategic vision for library services aligned with the evolving needs of medical and health sciences education, research, and patient care.
• Lead annual strategic and operational planning efforts and implement assessment strategies to measure the impact and effectiveness of library services to improve operations.
• Recruit, lead, motivate, and develop staff to foster engagement and high performance in the landscape of 21^st-century librarianship.
• Manage the TTUHSC Library’s leadership team to ensure seamless operations for a complex array of library services across multiple locations and programs (both in-person and online).
• Develop and implement programs to enhance medical and health literacy among team members, learners, and healthcare professionals.
• Explore and integrate cutting-edge technologies to enhance library services, ensuring that the libraries remain at the forefront of technological advancements in the field (e.g., artificial intelligence (AI), informatics, data analytics, integrated discovery platforms, etc.).
• Collaborate with academic departments to support faculty in utilizing library resources for teaching, research, and scholarship (including AI-driven library resources).
• Foster collaborative relationships with team members and learners to enhance the impact of library services on education and research.
• Explore and establish partnerships with external organizations to expand access to resources and enhance innovation.
• Oversee the development and management of the library budget, ensuring efficient resource allocation to meet the needs of diverse health professions programs.
• Maintain professional growth and development that demonstrates national and international involvement and service in library associations through presentations, and publications.
• Prepare and submit internal and external reports on library organizations, resources, funding, and staffing per TTUHSC, state, and national policy requirements.

Minimum Qualifications:

Master’s Degree required, terminal degree preferred. Nine years of progressively responsible management experience is required. Education beyond the master's level may substitute for required experience on a year-for-year basis.

Preferred Qualifications:

• A Master’s Degree in Library and Information Sciences from an accredited American Library Association (ALA) Program, a doctoral degree preferred
• Certification: Medical Library Association Academy of Health Information Professionals credentials
• Five years of progressive and accomplished experience in library administrative/leadership roles that include significant budgetary oversight and resource planning responsibilities, preferably in an academic health sciences library or similar setting
• Significant previous success in transforming/reimagining libraries
• Record of scholarship for teaching in library sciences, health information literacy, and medical informatics
• Proven leadership experience, including managing diverse teams across multiple locations and platforms
• Proven experience in and understanding of AI technologies, including their benefits and limitations
• Proven skill in promoting libraries and library services
• Commitment to active advocacy and building strong positive relationships with stakeholders

TTUHSC Background:

Beginning in 1969 as the Texas Tech University School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) is now a six-school, comprehensive health sciences center with locations in Abilene, Amarillo, Dallas, Lubbock, Midland, and Odessa.

One of the two charter institutions of the Texas Tech University System, TTUHSC celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2019 by being named to the 'Great Colleges to Work For' list and being ranked in the top 10 colleges as 'Best for Vets' by Military Times. Having trained over 30,000 healthcare professionals, TTUHSC continues to work diligently to meet the healthcare needs of those living in Texas, neighboring states, and beyond.

Headquartered in Lubbock, Texas, TTUHSC's six schools are present at multiple campuses and sites across Texas and offer numerous distance education programs:

• Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences – located in Abilene, Amarillo, and Lubbock
• Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy – located in Abilene, Amarillo, Dallas, and Lubbock
• Julia Jones Matthews School of Population and Public Health – located in Abilene and Lubbock
• School of Health Professions – located in Amarillo, Lubbock, Midland, and Odessa
• School of Medicine – located in Amarillo, Lubbock, and Odessa
• School of Nursing – located in Abilene, Amarillo, Lubbock, Mansfield, and Odessa

TTUHSC offers learners the opportunity to expand their knowledge in programs at the forefront of healthcare education. The programs and state-of-the-art facilities give learners the opportunity for hands-on research and clinical experience, and various collaborations with community entities provide learners with the practical knowledge that is vital to their success.

Today, TTUHSC enrolls approximately 4,900 students with 44% in distance education programs. It boasts more than 30,000 alumni, 24% of whom remain in the university’s 108-county service area. TTUHSC leads Texas in graduating more healthcare professionals than any other health-related institution in the state.