Director of the National Library for the Study of George Washington
Mount Vernon, the most popular historic home in America, is in the design phase for a 45,000 square foot facility that will serve as the international headquarters for scholarship about the life and times of George Washington. The Director of the new National Library will provide strong leadership and vision in the quest for knowledge about America’s most effective leader.
The Director will expand Mount Vernon’s collection of books and manuscripts, dramatically enhance scholarly research, develop an aggressive plan to disseminate knowledge about George Washington to a large and diverse audience, and use technology and other creative techniques to underline Washington’s relevance to new generations.
The Director will develop a business plan that calls for Mount Vernon to be an important destination for seminars and conferences focusing on the leadership of George Washington. It will serve both existing audiences (teachers’ institutes) and a wide range of corporate, government and non-profit organizations which seek leadership training.
The Director will establish strategic alliances with partners, and effectively manage the Library resources, including staff, space, time, money, equipment, and technology. He/she will also direct the research, care, and effective use of the special collections – including the Association’s institutional records – with the goal of exposing the most important of these artifacts to audiences both on and off the estate.
The Director will provide leadership to an aggressive acquisitions program, books and manuscripts exhibitions, and special projects. He/She will actively promote the books and manuscripts collection through lectures, special tours, publications, podcasts, audio tours, and the internet. The Director will also manage all educational programs specifically designed to reach beyond Mount Vernon’s gates, and he/she will be responsible for materials and programming related to a variety of important audiences, including teachers and students.
In addition to managing the operations of the Library and its collections, the Director will create new programs that reach millions of Americans through “popular culture,” recognizing that they are unlikely to be exposed to traditional approaches of scholarly communication. The Director will also devise new ways to communicate internationally about George Washington. Information exchange, using the highest standards and latest technologies, will be a critical focus. The Director is charged with the implementation of new technologies, strategic partnerships and collaborations; as well as building and maintaining important relationships with other libraries and museum collections, such as The Papers of George Washington and the Founding Fathers Library Project.
In collaboration with the Development office, the Director will cultivate current and potential donors and raise funds to support new acquisitions and programs. He/She will create a plan to expand and endow the Library’s reference and special collections through gifts, purchases, and loans, so that Mount Vernon can become the most prominent and accessible educational resource on George Washington in the world.
A qualified candidate for the position of Director will offer a graduate degree and experience with scholarly methods and resources, as well as a familiarity with historic manuscripts and rare books. Knowledge of 18th-century American history, professional experience in a special collections library or museum setting, and familiarity with the latest electronic outreach tools, is preferred. A doctorate in history, library science, or other related topic is highly desirable, as is a record of publishing, and speaking in public. The qualified candidate will have excellent interpersonal, communication and managerial skills, as well as a vigorous work ethic driven by a vision to safeguard Washington’s life and legacies for future generations.
Please forward a resume, cover letter and salary history/requirement by email to hrmail@mountvernon.org, by fax to 703.780.8320 or by US Mail to POB 110, Mount Vernon, VA 22121.
