Like What We Do? Join Us!

Library Strategies is looking to expand its pool of consultants. Consider joining our team! 

About Us: Library Strategies is a nonprofit enterprise of The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library. We partner with library organizations across the country to cultivate their potential – so that they can better serve and strengthen their communities.   

Library Strategies is recruiting people with current or prior library employment and/or consulting experience in these areas:  

Fundraising: We seek professional fundraisers specialized in capital campaigns supporting libraries and/or other public sector building projects. Strong candidates will bring a track record of involvement with successful funding initiatives and a demonstrated ability to lead future capital campaign projects in a lead consultant capacity.  

People with a deep background and transferable experiences working in/for library foundations or Friends groups are also encouraged to reach out to us about consulting opportunities.  

Strategic Planning: Our strategic planning leads are expected to shape and guide varied, robust community engagement exercises. These may include community round tables (focus groups), town halls, stakeholder retreats, and SWOT/SOAR style strategy sessions with library boards and staff members. Lead consultants also spearhead the crafting of a clear, fitted, and actionable strategic framework for their client libraries.  

Qualified individuals will bring extensive experience in long-range library planning, either in high-level library administration roles or as a consultant. Prior experience should encompass many or all of the following: library operations, governance, funding, outreach, marketing, programming, collections, children’s services, staff professional development and board cultivation. While basic training will be provided, new consultants should be ready to lead a planning process with minimal oversight.  

Project Management: Library Strategies teams are supplemented with an experienced project manager to facilitate logistics. Responsibilities include team and committee meeting scheduling, community engagement invitation processes, and general troubleshooting as needs arise. Project managers also make sure that strategic planning adheres to a set timetable and that all parties are working together and are informed of all updates that impact their role.  

Ideal candidates will have a background in library work and a demonstrated aptitude for managing large, multi-faceted projects. (NOTE: Project management is a wonderful inroad into consulting for early- and mid-career professionals!) 

Things You Should Know…  

• MEETING AVAILABILITY: In addition to periodic travel, Library Strategies work usually necessitates regular, remote team and client meetings. These are often held Monday-Friday during regular work hours. 

• TRAVEL: Library Strategies projects ordinarily require overnight travel for lead consultants (not project managers). However, few of our consultants are called upon to travel more than once a month or twice per quarter. 

• REIMBURSEMENTS: Once a project’s travel dates are known, Library Strategies consultants coordinate their own travel arrangements, including airline and hotel bookings. Consultants should be prepared to book travel expenses on their personal card and seek reimbursement from Library Strategies for all applicable expenses (including mileage, meals, and incidentals) at the conclusion of that trip. Reimbursements will be processed and remitted 3-4 weeks after a consultant submits receipts to the Library Strategies office. 

• PAY SCALE: Compensation varies based on project type and budget, as well as consultant’s seniority and level of involvement on the project team. For a standard project, compensation is based on an hourly rate of $110/hr for lead consultants and $75/hr for project managers. Payouts are typically structured as lump sums remitted after key project milestones, but this may vary based on the project in question.  

Click here to apply. When doing so, be prepared to upload your resume, share how you envision part-time consulting fitting into your schedule, and speak specifically to how the Library Strategies vision – “a dynamic library at the heart of every community” – resonates with you.  

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.