DLA

Executive Director

Wilmington Public Library Executive Director

Job Description:
The award-winning Wilmington Institute Free Library (also known as the Wilmington Public Library) is looking for its next Executive Director.

Are you a community focused, collaborative leader? Do you understand the power of building and nurturing relationships? Are you creative, and innovative? Do you inspire others to tap into their ingenuity? Do you thrive in an environment that balances big picture thinking with the details of day-to-day library operations? Are you looking for an opportunity to build on the solid foundation of a nationally recognized, award-winning library system?

Established in 1754, Wilmington Public Library is recognized for its community centered approach to programs, services, and partnerships. Its “Make the Library Cool Again” strategy brought a bevy of living legends, popular culture icons, thought leaders and visitors from across the region and beyond to the library. At the core of the library’s work is strong commitment to improving the lives of Wilmington and Delaware residents through local, state, and national partnerships that advance education, economic opportunity, and social well-being for more than 71,000+ people. In partnership with the State of Delaware and the Delaware State Library, Wilmington Public Library was instrumental in a statewide investment in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Literacy program. The library was the recipient of American Library Association John Cotton Dana Award for Public Relations, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services National Medal for Library Services, the highest honor a library can receive. Library Journal named Wilmington Free Institute Library its 2024 Marketer of the Year.

As Wilmington embarks on an exciting period of growth and development, the Executive Director will partner with a talented, and growing staff, and contractors committed to the people they serve, and the transformative power of the library. A supportive managing board and library foundation board will collaborate with the Executive Director and key staff to ensure the viability and sustainability of the library. The director will work in concert with the City of Wilmington, New Castle County, and the State of Delaware on fiscal, policy, and compliance matters. A host of community organizations are ready to lend their time, talent, and treasure to the library’s new and on-going efforts.

As Executive Director, you will be an effective communicator. You will collaborate across varied stakeholder groups to envision and strategize Wilmington Public Library’s next chapter. Political savvy will inform your approach to cultivating partnerships and collaborations. You will tell a compelling data-informed, outcomes-based story of the library’s accomplishments. Library colleagues, and the community will be inspired by your creativity and ingenuity. You will foster agency and accountability among library staff. A commitment to fiscal responsibility will guide your stewardship of library resources. You will optimize operational efficiency and efficacy. Your integrity and ethics will engender the public’s trust and confidence in the Wilmington Public Library.

Wilmington Public Library offers a generous compensation package with a salary range of $110,000-$120,000.
To be considered for this position, please email a resume/CV, cover letter, and 3 references to ED.Search@lib.de.us by 11:59, Friday September 30, 2025.

Learn more about The City of Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley:

https://www.wilmingtonde.gov/visitors/enjoy-wilmington

https://www.visitwilmingtonde.com/

Job Requirements:
You bring a minimum of five (5) years of leadership and management experience in libraries, specifically public libraries, and/or adjacent fields with responsibilities related to financial management, operations, facilities management, vendor and contractor management, staff and organizational development, public programming, service design and implementation, evaluation, fundraising, community engagement and partnership development. You earned or are completing a master’s degree in library and information science (MLIS) from an ALA accredited program.

Posted: 9/15/25