Interim Director of Jannes Library & Archives

The Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI) seeks a thoughtful, collaborative, and forward-looking leader to serve as Interim Director of the Jannes Library & Archives. This is an opportunity to guide the evolution of the library as a central intellectual and creative engine of the college—one that sustains rigorous scholarly research while advancing new forms of inquiry across studio practice, critical studies, and interdisciplinary exploration.

The Interim Director will lead the library as both a steward of collections and an active site of engagement, where research, making, and critique intersect. Working in close partnership with faculty, students, and staff, the Interim Director will expand how the library supports creative work, academic research, and public dialogue, while ensuring that core operations, systems, and services function with excellence and reliability.

This role calls for a leader who can balance strategic vision with operational execution and who is committed to inclusive access, student success, and the evolving role of the library in an art and design environment.

Essential Functional Responsibilities

Strategic and Conceptual Leadership

• Lead the development of the library as a dynamic environment for research, creative practice, and interdisciplinary exchange

• Strengthen connections between collections, archives, and studio-based pedagogy, supporting critique, experimentation, and process-driven learning
• Partner with faculty to embed library resources and expertise into curriculum, studio courses, and critiques
• Support material- and object-based learning through access to physical collections, artist books, and interdisciplinary resource environments
• Position the library as a hub for collaboration, community engagement, and shared intellectual life

• Cultivate partnerships with cultural institutions, public libraries, and industry partners

Operations and Administration

• Oversee library operations, including collections, services, personnel, budget, and facilities

• Supervise staff and foster a collaborative, high-functioning team
• Manage the annual budget using data to guide planning and resource allocation
• Ensure equitable access to services through effective staffing and delivery

• Collaborate with campus technology partners to maintain digital systems and tools

Collections, Archives, and Access

• Guide development and accessibility of collections and archives aligned with curricular and research priorities

• Implement an archival strategy including student work, faculty activity, exhibitions, and institutional history
• Establish practices for managing born-digital and media-rich materials
• Oversee acquisitions, licensing, cataloging, metadata, and shared collection strategies
• Steward special collections and artist books, balancing preservation with active use

• Advance inclusive and representative collection practices

Teaching, Research, and Engagement

• Support instruction that reflects research as a creative, iterative process

• Provide research support through course integration, embedded engagement, and consultation
• Develop engagement through workshops, exhibitions, and collaborative projects

• Support student research, documentation, and professional practices

Assessment, Student Success, and Equity

• Use data and engagement metrics to assess effectiveness and guide improvement

• Identify and address gaps in access and student success
• Contribute to institutional planning, accreditation, and effectiveness efforts

• Promote equitable access to resources and services

Institutional and External Engagement

• Serve as liaison to academic departments, administrative units, and committees

• Build cross-department collaborations supporting shared collections and research practices
• Represent KCAI in professional and cultural sectors

• Develop partnerships that expand access, visibility, and resources

Supervises the Following:

• Assistant Library Director

• Visual and Archival Resources Assistant
• Library Assistant

• Workstudy Students

Required Experience/Education

• Master’s degree in Library and Information Science (MLIS)

• Experience managing personnel, budgets, and operations
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement programs or services that support research, collections, or creative practice
• Strong collaboration and communication skills across diverse constituencies

• Working knowledge of core library operations, systems, and access services

Preferred Experience/Education

• Experience with special collections, archives, or material-based research environments

• Background in art and design education or creative practice
• Experience with exhibitions, public programming, or research initiatives
• Experience with digital repositories, media collections, or consortium-based resource sharing

• Commitment to inclusive and equitable practices in collections and services

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