Library Director – Bartholomew County Public Library (IN)

Palibraries; Columbus (IN); On-site; USD 115,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Indiana Public Retirement System

Excellent fringe benefits package

Job summary

Bartholomew County Public Library in Columbus, Indiana, seeks a collaborative, forward‑looking Library Director to guide BCPL’s strategic, financial, administrative and operational programs. The director will lead 51 staff across a Main Library, two branches, and outreach services while strengthening partnerships.

Requirements include an MLS from an ALA‑accredited program and Indiana Librarian Certificate 1, plus six years of professional library experience with at least three years in

Qualifications

• MLS degree from an ALA‑accredited library school.
• Qualification for an Indiana Librarian Certificate 1.
• Six years professional library work experience that includes three years administrative experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic, financial, administrative, and operational leadership for the library; oversee budget and governance.
• Lead personnel, policy, facilities, collections, technology, outreach, and service planning; support Board governance.
• Develop grants and community partnerships; work with a broad management team and represent BCPL in the community.

Education

Master of Library Science (MLS) degree

Indiana Librarian Certificate 1

Job description

The Bartholomew County Public Library Board of Trustees(IN) seeks a collaborative, community-centered, and forward-looking leader to serve as the next Library Director. BCPL serves approximately 81,845 residents through its 58,000-square-foot Main Library in Columbus, two branches, an express library, a bookmobile, and other mobile and outreach services. The library employs 51 FTE and, in 2025, welcomed more than 231,000 visits, circulated nearly 760,000 physical and digital items, and offered 1,649 live programs attended by nearly 35,000 people. BCPL prioritizes programming for all ages and continues to invest in BCPL Create, its digital media lab, to ensure patrons have access to up-to-date technology and equipment. The library also values building a strong, connected, and informed staff, with professional development—including workshops, conferences, and study enrollments—supported by an endowment.

Guided by a 2024-2028 Strategic Plan that defines BCPL as the community crossroads—connecting people, ideas, information, and experiences—the library is working to deepen its role as a convener, connector, and catalyst for the county. A key role for the next director will be to advance a county-wide facilities strategy, strengthen community partnerships and outreach, support equitable access and inclusive placemaking, and balance ambitious service goals with thoughtful fiscal stewardship and long-term sustainability.

Bartholomew County offers the accessibility of a welcoming Midwestern community with an unusually rich design and cultural identity. Columbus, the county seat, has an extraordinary concentration of architecture, public art, and design. Internationally recognized modernist buildings and landscapes are woven throughout the community, and the library is part of that story: the I.M. Pei-designed Cleo Rogers Memorial Library faces a plaza anchored by Henry Moore’s Large Arch and houses the Columbus Indiana Architectural Archives. BCPL’s stewardship of architecturally significant spaces reflects a community where design, history, creativity, and civic life are unusually interconnected. Residents also enjoy parks, the People Trails network, riverfront recreation, nearby Brown County, and convenient access to Indianapolis and Louisville, while local higher education and major employers contribute to a community known for innovation, manufacturing, and civic investment.

Responsibilities: Reporting to the Board of Trustees, the Library Director provides strategic, financial, administrative, and operational leadership for the library. The director prepares and oversees the budget; leads personnel, policy, facilities, collections, technology, outreach, and service planning; supports effective Board governance; develops grants and community partnerships; and provides leadership through a broad management team spanning public services, branches, collections, communications, facilities, business services, human resources, outreach, archives, and specialty services. The Library Director also serves as a visible representative of BCPL within the community and the profession. For a full list of responsibilities, see the links in the job posting on the Bradbury Miller Associate website .

Qualifications: A Master of Library Science degree from an ALA-accredited library school and qualification for an Indiana Librarian Certificate 1 —six years professional library work experience that includes three years administrative experience (as a director or supervisor of at least two staff with MLS degrees) are required.

Preferred qualifications include: Experience developing and implementing long-term facilities plans, including managing historically significant buildings, preservation requirements, capital planning, and future facility needs; success building community partnerships and outreach initiatives that expand the library’s visibility, strengthen relationships, and respond to community needs; and strong financial management and planning experience, including developing and managing budgets, establishing priorities, evaluating investments, and aligning resources with strategic goals.

Compensation: The hiring salary range is $115,000 – $125,000 (with placement negotiable dependent on experience and qualifications) and an excellent fringe benefits package, including Indiana Public Retirement System participation.

This position closes on Sunday, November 15, 2026.

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Additional Info

Job Type : Full-Time

Education Level : Masters in Library Science

Type of library : Public Library

Hourly or salaried position? : Salaried position

What is the pay range? : $115,000 – $125,000