Founded in 1959 on the traditional territory of the Anishinabek Nation, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and the Huron-Wendat, York University is Canada's third-largest university and is a leading interdisciplinary research and teaching institution. York is proud of our student population's unparalleled, vibrant diversity, which mirrors that of the Greater Toronto Area and includes students from across Canada and around the world. We are a community of over 60,000 faculty, staff and students and over 325,000 alumni worldwide, all building unique paths to success but united through a commitment to creating positive change through learning, research, innovation and community engagement.

Reporting to the Provost & Vice-President Academic and working supportively and collaboratively with the senior executive team, the Dean is the chief administrative officer of York University Libraries. They provide strategic direction to the Libraries’ portfolio and oversee the administration, budget, planning and policy development for the University's soon-to-be six libraries as they continue to lead and foster change and innovation at York through diverse programming to advance, support and partner in teaching, learning and research pursuits at York University.

York University Libraries provides core infrastructure and support for York University’s academic mission by working to pursue, preserve and disseminate knowledge; by providing leadership to adapt to and capitalize on rapidly evolving information technologies and forms of scholarly communication; by building quality collections; and by planning and implementing services that support learning, teaching and research. The libraries grow by about 40,000 volumes per year and currently comprise collections of almost 2.4 million volumes. They provide access to over 80,000 print and electronic periodicals, with an emphasis on open access publishing, digital access to information and accessibility. With a budget of $27M and 150 employees, York University Libraries encompass several separate libraries serving various constituencies, including the Scott Library; the Frost Library at Glendon College; the Steacie Science and Engineering Library; the Bronfman Library in the Schulich School of Business; Casita Azul at York’s Eco-Campus in Costa Rica; and the Markham  Campus Library opening in 2024. The Libraries also hold the university archives and special collections, and steward the university’s corporate records as well as archival collections and distinct collections that support the university’s teaching, learning and research.

The Dean of Libraries is responsible for the direction and development of staff resources; development of the Libraries’ collections; overseeing the provision of library services; the allocation and control of the Libraries’ budget; the planning and implementation of library information systems and library services; and the Libraries’ participation and leadership on regional, national and international consortia and projects. The Dean will be a collegial and creative leader with outstanding achievements in the academic librarianship community and hold a record as an exemplary administrator. They will be adept at operating in a large and complex environment and motivated to engage widely across the breadth of York University and internally with a diverse and talented team of frontline staff. They will also provide leadership and work actively with librarians and archivists as they engage in teaching, research and service to the organization. As a champion of York’s mission, the Dean will ensure that a lens of decolonization, equity, diversity, inclusion (DEDI), anti-racism and reconciliation are emphasized in all activities, in addition to committing to the University-wide challenge to contribute to the UN SDGs. The successful candidate should possess an MLIS or an equivalent degree from an ALA-accredited institution. The possession of a PhD or other research degrees would be an asset. The appointment is based on a five-year term, which is renewable, with an expected start date of July 1, 2024, or as agreed upon with the successful candidate.

The University welcomes applications from all qualified individuals, including individuals within the University's employment equity categories. York University is an Affirmative Action (AA) employer and strongly values diversity, including gender and sexual diversity, within its community.  The Affirmative Action Program, which applies to women, members of racialized groups, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities and those who self-identify as 2SLGBTQ+, can be found at http://yorku.ca/acadjobs or by calling the AA office at 416-736-5713.  All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents and Indigenous peoples in Canada will be given priority. Please advise if you are a Canadian Citizen or Canadian Permanent Resident in your CV, Cover Letter or by completing the Citizenship form which can  be  accessed https://acadjobs.info.yorku.ca/affirmative-action/work-authorization-form/

Applications should consist of a cover letter and curriculum vitae. 

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