La Cienega Valley Library is a small rural library serving the traditional communities of La Cienega and La Cieneguilla, south of Santa Fe. A vibrant board and core of volunteers launched the library in fall 2025, and is seeking a part-time Executive Director to bring the library into its next stage of growth. The Executive Director is a cornerstone leadership position responsible for envisioning, organizing, and growing library services and programs; recruiting, training, and supervising volunteers; applying for grants and ensuring compliance with grants and budgets; and being a voice and face for the library within our community and with funders. The successful candidate will be resourceful, energetic, skillful with people, knowledgeable about twenty-first century library services and information management, and eager to be part of our diverse, welcoming rural community.
Education and Experience
● Work experience in a public, school, or academic library setting is required.
● Leadership or management experience is required.
● Either a bachelor’s degree in any field, or an associates degree in library science is required.
● A master’s degree in library science is preferred.
● Spanish-language skills are desirable.
● Life experience in rural communities is desirable.
For additional information or to submit your application: Contact Andrea La Cruz-Crawford, President of La Cienega Valley Library Board of Directors at lcvlibraryinfo@gmail.com. To apply, submit a meaningful cover letter, resumé, and the names of and contact information for three professional references.
Core Responsibilities:
Leadership and Vision
● Strategic Planning: The executive director will develop and strengthen the library’s identity and presence within the community, and will work with the Board to craft day-to-day operating procedures for the library, work on strategic planning and forming mission and vision statements for the library.
● Fundraising: The executive director will seek and apply for grants and other funding, will collect data and prepare grant reports as needed and ensure compliance with all grant requirements, and will communicate with donors and sponsors of the library.
● Conducting Outreach: The executive director will grow our patron base and circulation, conduct user surveys and data collection, identify opportunities for advertising, outreach, partnerships, and marketing. They will draft library updates for email outreach and newsletters, and will create and monitor the website and social media accounts that engage and inform patrons and funders.
● Partnering: The executive director will cultivate and maintain relationships with county agencies, community organizations, nonprofits, businesses and local institutions.
Library Services and Programs
● Designing Library Programs: The executive director will create and run library programs that engage and serve a wide range of youth, adults, and elders in the community, including traditional book-based programs as well as community-building programs, technology and skills programs, and social service-based programs.
● Managing Collection and Catalog: The executive director will oversee acquisitions and weeding of our collection, will draft a library collections policy in coordination with the Board, and will assess our current cataloguing system for any needed changes. Additionally, the executive director will assist patrons in locating materials, answering questions, referring patrons to outside resources and collections when appropriate in order to provide information services to patrons.
● Enhancing Technology Access: The executive director will recommend to the Board appropriate information technology resources for patron use and programming, and will oversee daily operation of library information technology resources, liaising as needed with Santa Fe County Information Technology Division for technical support, and assist patrons in the use of technologies by answering questions, offering basic technical assistance, troubleshooting computer problems or bringing in contractors to assist as needed within budgetary constraints, providing one-on-one assistance in navigating the Internet, and locating databases in order to help patrons use library resources.
● Collaborating and Ensuring Best Practices: The executive director will establish and maintain relationships with contacts with peer libraries, the New Mexico Rural Library Initiative, and the New Mexico State Library to build relationships and to ensure best practices, and utilization of available resources.
Volunteer Supervision and Development
● The executive director will supervise our enthusiastic crew of weekly and monthly volunteers, motivating and training volunteers on routine library tasks and best practices, managing volunteer schedules to ensure consistent library coverage, collaborating with volunteers on programs and services, and recruiting new volunteers as needed.
Administration and Management
● Managing Budget: The executive director will be responsible for managing the library budget and recommending budget changes as needed as well as ensuring the library operates within budgetary constraints, in collaboration with bookkeeper, Board Treasurer and with approval of the Board.
● Overseeing Library Facilities: The executive director will care for and oversee library facilities, coordinating as needed with Santa Fe County Public Works Department.
● Reporting to Board: The executive director will attend the monthly meetings of the library Board, will prepare a written monthly progress report for the Board, and will prepare an annual report compliant to the extent possible with the reporting requirements outlined by the New Mexico State Library.
Required Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities
● Excellent interpersonal skills in relationships with volunteers, patrons, partners, funders, and community members
● Ready knowledge of twenty-first-century library science principles
● Comfort in leadership and team management
● Ability to convey vision, impart information clearly, and inspire others in writing, presentations, and in-person interactions
● Understanding of the social services needs of rural communities and how libraries can address them
● Strong organizational, budget management, and data management skills
● Solid information technology skills
● Orientation toward cooperation, partnership, curiosity and community building
● Ability to be resourceful, follow directions, prioritize, and a self-starter
● While working hours are flexible, must be able to work flex hours as needed, including during library hours, which include weekends
● Dependable and reliable
Compensation
● 20 hours/week, $36–48/hour. This is a contract position that reports to the La Cienega Valley Library Board of Directors. Position to remain open until filled.
