Director, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park MD
Posted June 29, 2014
Position Summary/Purpose of Position:
The University of Maryland Libraries’ Special Collections and University Archives(SCUA) are at the heart of the research and teaching mission of the university.Collection strengths include labor history, Maryland history and culture, modern Japanese history, mass media and culture,history of the book, women’s history, historic preservation,American and British writers and poets,and the history of the University.Collection highlights include the National Public Broadcasting Archives, the Library of American Broadcasting, the George Meany Memorial AFL-CIO Archive, the Gordon W. Prange Collection, and the Katherine Anne Porter Collection.
Lead as an organizational innovator, facilitating the ongoing development of a flexible work environment that places a premium on strategic priorities, project orientation, a work culture that is both fluid and accountable, and an excellent staff.
Demonstrate creativity in identifying and allocating resources through donor relations, fundraising, grants, partnerships, budgeting, and flexible staff deployments.
Articulate a vision for the collection of the 21st century that takes into account new collecting opportunities in a born-digital information environment and the changing nature of primary documentation in a post-industrial society.
Articulate a vision for services in special collections that transcends collection management and incorporates dynamic activities in the areas of discovery, teaching, preservation, digital presentation to online communities, outreach to new audiences, off-campus partnerships, and alliances with the teaching faculty, students, and colleagues on the library faculty.
Participate in ongoing assessment and strategic planning for special collections materials in the performing arts.
Serve as point of contact for Special Collections and University Archives’ off-campus partners, including the AFL-CIO, National Public Radio, the National Diet Library of Japan and others.
Communicate this vision effectively to university and library administrators, researchers, resource allocators, potential collaborators, and the SCUA staff.
DUTIES:
Manage personnel operations for approximately 30-40 faculty librarians, professional staff, contract staff, graduate assistants, hourly student employees, emeriti faculty and volunteers.
Manage planning and assessment processes in department. These include strategic plans, annual plans, individual work plans, budgeting, project prioritization and evaluation. Organizational planning is a critical leadership responsibility for this position.
Coordinate SCUA’s operations with other Libraries departments and divisions, including Acquisitions, Digital Services and Stewardship, Metadata Services, Preservation, Public Services, and Special Collections in the Performing Arts/International Piano Archives to meet departmental and Libraries-wide goals and objectives.
Lead collection development planning in collaboration with collection area leaders and the Associate Dean for Collections. Oversee process for drafting and acting on collection development plans, including strategies for managing the identification, acquisition, processing, preservation and delivery of born-digital content.
Lead functional planning for new tools, services and programs that improve access to and preservation of collections, with particular emphasis on digital projects, products and services. Develop assessment procedures for measuring effectiveness.
Oversee security and facility issues in R. Lee Hornbake Library in collaboration with other residents of the building and relevant campus departments. Coordinate operation of the Severn Library facility with relevant Libraries staff for off-site collections.
Coordinate donor stewardship, grant and fundraising initiatives and other outreach efforts in collaboration with relevant University personnel.
Minimum Qualifications:
Ability to lead and articulate a vision for SCUA and to provide leadership to achieve organizational goals and priorities.
Sound knowledge of current trends in the special collections field, including in-depth command of digital issues as they relate to special collections, and experience with a variety of audiovisual formats, as well as print and other analog materials.
Evidence of potential for success in managing an extensive, multi-faceted library program.
Evidence of successful coordination of a library program with other units within and external to the library in order to meet departmental and library-wide goals and objectives.
Demonstrated record of successful fundraising, donor development, and grant writing.
Evidence of relevant publications, presentations and professional service that is attuned to work in the special collections field.
Ability to hire, train, supervise, develop, and evaluate staff and to organize their work.
Excellent written and oral communication skills and interpersonal skills.
EDUCATION:
Master’s degree in Library/Information Science or an advanced degree in a related discipline; evidence of significant formal education or training pertaining to special collections in multiple formats, including digital and media; advanced knowledge of digital issues relevant for special collections materials.
EXPERIENCE:
Minimum five years of experience working with special collections or archival materials. Minimum three years supervisory experience.
Preferences:
Preferred: Advanced degree in academic disciplines relevant to major holdings in SCUA.
Experience in a university or large research institution setting.
The job announcement, including details about the application procedure, is available at https://ejobs.umd.edu/postings/26737. The full position description is located on the UMD Libraries’ website at: http://www.lib.umd.edu/hr/employment-opportunities/staff-faculty-positions. Applications will be accepted until July 10.