Bradbury Associates/Gossage Sager Heading Library Director Search

June 25, 2015 – Executive search firm Bradbury Associates/Gossage Sager Associates has been retained by the Tuscaloosa Public Library (TPL) to lead its search for a new executive director. Past library director Mary Elizabeth Harper resigned in December. Managing partners Dan Bradbury and Jobeth Bradbury are project co-directors on the engagement and they are joined by Karen Miller working as a principal on the search.

According to the library, qualified applicants must have a master’s degree in library science from a school accredited by the American Library Association, as well as five years of professional-level library experience and at least three years of “increasingly responsible experience in operations administration and management.” Ideal candidates also will have a “strong knowledge of current technologies; successful public relations experience; strong writing and communication skills; confident presentation skills; experience in fundraising and development; political acumen; and knowledge of non-profit and library ‘best practices.’

“We think Tuscaloosa Public Library is going to be a great opportunity for a current director of a slightly smaller library or a second tier administrator of a similar sized or even larger library who is ready for a leadership position,” said Mr. Bradbury. “We are confident that by the time the position closes in late July we will have a solid pool of 18-20 qualified candidates eager to explore the Tuscaloosa possibility.”

The Tuscaloosa Public Library is a city/county agency located in the city of Tuscaloosa, serving a population of over 184,035 in Tuscaloosa County in the state of Alabama.

Bradbury Associates/Gossage Sager Associates specializes in executive searches for libraries. Most of the firm’s work (about 80 percent) is for public libraries, while it also conducts searches for state libraries, library networks or consortia, and academic libraries. The two most recent director searches the firm wrapped up in the last month were Westport (CT) and Carmel Clay (IN) Library System outside Indianapolis. In the past few years the firm completed searches for public library directors in Denver (CO), Pierce County (WA), New Haven (CT), Las Vegas-Clark County (NV), Sonoma County (CA), Wooster (MA), Boulder (CO), Mobile (AL), Baton Rouge (LA) and Berkeley (CA).

Contributed by Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor, Hunt Scanlon Media

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