Description

The University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (“UC Law San Francisco,” formerly “UC Hastings”) seeks to hire a Library Director. This is a faculty line with security of employment and voting rights commensurate with Long-Term Contract Faculty.

Reporting to the Provost & Academic Dean, the Library Director is the chief administrative officer for the law school’s library and leads all library operations—including budget preparation, strategic and operational planning, personnel supervision, library facilities management, and technology initiatives. The Director oversees the full range of library services, including reference and faculty services, research and instructional services, technical services, collection development, circulation, and interlibrary loan, and coordinates activities across the law library. As a member of the full-time faculty, the Director is expected to teach courses in the legal research curriculum and will be eligible for long-term contract status.

Sample responsibilities include:

• Provides vision, leadership, and day-to-day oversight for the library and all of its functions, including staff, collections, and budget management.
• In a collaborative environment, sets the strategic direction for the next generation of law library services—anticipating change rather than reacting to it and aligning day-to-day operations with a forward-looking vision.
• Coordinates and participates in the delivery of faculty and student services across all library departments.
• Directs collection development that strengthens the connection between the collection and the communities it serves—supporting faculty research needs, curriculum, and broad, equitable access to information.
• Teaches in the library’s instructional program and advances the pedagogy and curriculum of the law school’s legal research courses, keeping instruction current, evidence-based, and responsive to how students learn and how legal research is practiced.
• Leads the responsible evaluation and adoption of emerging technologies—including generative artificial intelligence—balancing their use in research and technical services against a critical information perspective that weighs accuracy, ethics, and information literacy.
• Supports staff retention and professional development and plans strategically for workforce and labor-management needs, so the library can attract, develop, and keep talented staff.
• Ensures that library systems, content, and services meet digital accessibility obligations, including ADA Title II and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA.
• Leads or participates in substantial library procurements, such as major vendor contracts, database licensing, and significant equipment purchases.
• Partners with the law school’s information technology staff to implement new and emerging applications and knowledge systems.
• Communicates in an inclusive, timely, and meaningful way—keeping staff, faculty, and stakeholders informed and inviting a range of voices into the conversation.
• Represents the library on law school committees, at student events, and in other appropriate school-wide activities.

Minimum Qualifications include:

• A Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an ABA-accredited law school.
• A Master's degree in Library and Information Science (M.L.I.S. or equivalent) or Master of Library Science (M.L.S or equivalent) from an American Library Association (ALA)-accredited program.
• Experience working within an academic environment—ideally a law school or research library—with a clear understanding of the rhythms, governance, and service expectations of higher education, including at least five (and preferably at least 10) years of progressively responsible experience.
• Extensive, hands-on supervisory experience leading professional and support staff—including managing performance, mentoring, and building effective teams—with experience mentoring a diverse range of library professionals in a unionized environment.
• Substantive leadership experience: setting direction, building trust, and guiding an organization through both routine operations and periods of change.
• Demonstrated expertise in legal research, library administration, and emerging technologies.
• Demonstrated strong communication and interpersonal skills. 

Preferred Qualifications include:

• Academic teaching experience, especially teaching legal research, bringing an educator’s perspective to the library’s instructional mission.
• A commitment to pedagogical advances in the legal research curriculum—keeping instruction current, evidence-based, and responsive to students’ learning modalities and how legal research is practiced by attorneys.
• An innovative and proactive approach to management and operations—anticipating change and aligning operations with a forward-looking strategic vision.
• Demonstrated experience with staff retention, professional development, and strategic planning for labor-management and workforce needs.
• Collection development experience that connects the collection to faculty research, curriculum, and broad, equitable access to information.
• A working understanding of generative AI paired with a critical information perspective on accuracy, ethics, and information literacy.
• Awareness of ADA Title II compliance obligations and practical experience applying WCAG 2.1 Level AA to library systems, content, and services.
• Experience with information technology and library systems beyond knowledge of Lexis, Westlaw, OCLC and Office software.
• Record of innovation as evidenced in scholarship, teaching methods and library services.
• Experience managing in a unionized environment.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Substantial experience with and interest in emerging informational and instructional technologies, including a critical, ethically grounded approach to artificial intelligence.
• Inclusive, timely, and meaningful communication skills, in both written and verbal form, that keep stakeholders informed and invite a range of voices into the conversation.
• A genuine commitment to collaboration and to learning from the institutional knowledge and expertise already present within the library.
• Ability to develop and maintain positive working relationships with members and affiliates of the law school community.
• Strong managerial skills, including project management.
• Strategic and analytical thinking skills with an ability to solve problems and make decisions.
• Familiarity with ABA accreditation standards related to the law library.
• Ability to prioritize ongoing and new projects.

Compensation is based on experience by reference to the Long-Term Contract Faculty member step scale. Based on minimum qualification expectations, it is likely that the occupant would fall between approximately Step 5 and Step 7, or between $166,258.26 and $184,556.99. This position qualifies for the UC benefits package.

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Each applicant must submit the following materials:

• Cover letter summarizing reasons for seeking this position.
• Resume or CV.
• Teaching reviews, if any.
• The names of at least three professional or academic references.

Application materials should be emailed to Provost & Academic Dean Morris Ratner (ratnerm@uclawsf.edu).

UC Law San Francisco was founded in 1878 as the original law department of the University of California. Our mission is to serve society as a center of higher learning committed to exceptional teaching, influential scholarship, and exemplary public service. We provide a rigorous, innovative, and inclusive legal education that prepares diverse students to excel as professionals, advance the rule of law, and further justice.

UC Law San Francisco prohibits discrimination against any person employed; seeking employment; or applying for or engaged in a paid or unpaid internship or training program leading to employment with UC Law San Francisco on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, gender transition status, sex- or gender-stereotyping, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, medical condition (cancer-related or genetic characteristics), genetic information (including family medical history), ancestry, marital status, citizenship, or service in the uniformed services, including protected veterans. This policy applies to all employment practices, including recruitment, selection, promotion, transfer, merit increase, salary, training and development, demotion, and separation.

Requirements

• A Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an ABA-accredited law school.
• A Master's degree in Library and Information Science (M.L.I.S. or equivalent) or Master of Library Science (M.L.S or equivalent) from an American Library Association (ALA)-accredited program.
• Experience working within an academic environment—ideally a law school or research library—with a clear understanding of the rhythms, governance, and service expectations of higher education, including at least five (and preferably at least 10) years of progressively responsible experience.
• Extensive, hands-on supervisory experience leading professional and support staff—including managing performance, mentoring, and building effective teams—with experience mentoring a diverse range of library professionals in a unionized environment.
• Substantive leadership experience: setting direction, building trust, and guiding an organization through both routine operations and periods of change.
• Demonstrated expertise in legal research, library administration, and emerging technologies.
• Demonstrated strong communication and interpersonal skills.