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Head, Information Delivery and Library Access, MIT Libraries, Cambridge, MA

Posted June 1, 2015

The MIT Libraries seek an experienced, customer-oriented manager of services, staff and technology to lead the Information Delivery & Library Access (ID&LA) Department. This is an exciting opportunity to provide leadership in the planning, coordination, implementation, delivery, administration, innovation, and assessment of an important array of library access and content delivery services used across multiple disciplines and communities. Among the library services included in the current ID&LA portfolio are access services (circulation, fines, privileges), course reserves and Textbook Information Provisioning (TIP), paging, document delivery including scan on demand services, stacks maintenance and inventory control in four campus libraries as well as on-campus and off-site storage, resource sharing, emergency planning and disaster response, operational management of access policies, coordination of reciprocal relationships, and other programs that deliver the MIT Libraries’ rich collections to the MIT and external communities. The Head of ID&LA provides operational oversight, coordination, and service model development for services associated with library spaces to enhance the quality and value of this important MIT community asset.

The Head develops and executes a shared vision and strategic plan for Information Delivery & Library Access. S/he will lead an entrepreneurial and service-focused staff in establishing and achieving customer-oriented goals and service standards for the work of ID&LA and will oversee the development of appropriate assessment activities that measure the effectiveness of the group’s programs. The Head will foster a working environment that promotes and supports productivity, creativity, innovation, collaboration, diversity and inclusion for the team of thirty to forty staff, comprised of librarians and specialists in access services and resource sharing. S/he will manage human, fiscal and technology resources to optimize support of current and future initiatives. 

The ID&LA Department works synergistically with other units of the MIT Libraries to deliver an integrated portfolio of services to the MIT community. The Head of ID&LA will lead and support these internal partnerships and will work to cultivate and strengthen collaborative relationships with other MIT departments and appropriate external partners to support access to the services, spaces, and collections of the MIT Libraries. The Head will also contribute to professional networks of others engaged in similar work. The Head will also work with the Libraries’ Director of Development to propose funding opportunities and meet with donors.

As one of three department heads reporting to the Associate Director of Research and Instructional Services (RIS), the Head of Information Delivery & Library Access will participate in developing the overall strategy and goals for the directorate, balancing the needs of the MIT community and the Library system, fiscal constraints, and departmental staff needs. S/he will collaborate with other library department heads in prioritizing services and initiatives, analyzing the quality or impact of library programs, planning for their implementation, setting system-wide policies, and developing effective cross-group work practices. And, as a member of Library Council s/he will participate in Libraries-wide governance activities to advance the MIT Libraries’ mission and strategy.

Required Qualifications:

  • MLS/MLIS or equivalent combination of an advanced degree and experience
  • Minimum of 7 years of relevant professional experience in a client-centered service organization, with a minimum of 5 years of management and supervisory experience that demonstrates success in managing, motivating and leading teams with a varied portfolio of services.
  • Substantive knowledge of customer service, access services, resource sharing and the technical infrastructure required for access and delivery of content.
  • Experience in or demonstrated understanding of academic, research and/or library environments.
  • Demonstrated ability to successfully use assessment techniques to foster continuous improvement.
  • Successful leadership style that includes a commitment to transparency and inclusiveness.
  • Demonstrated ability to cultivate the growth and potential of staff and to foster a collegial work environment.
  • A collaborative approach to problem solving and working across organizational boundaries in service of user needs.
  • Knowledge of library systems and tools, platforms for external library collaborations.
  • Proven ability to manage complex, long-term projects, and flexibility in meeting objectives and implementing creative solutions.
  • Demonstrated service commitment and success in user-centered service delivery.
  • Excellent analytical and communication skills.
  • Proven success in collaboration and strategic partnering and ability to think broadly about the needs and mission of the library system as a whole.
  • A strong commitment to diversity and inclusion both in supporting a diverse workforce and serving the needs of a diverse population.
  • A record of sustained professional contribution and engagement.

Salary and Benefits: $102,500 minimum. Actual salary will depend on qualifications and experience. MIT offers excellent benefits including a choice of health and retirement plans, a dental plan, tuition assistance and a relocation allowance. The MIT Libraries afford a flexible and collegial working environment and foster professional growth of staff with management training and travel funding for professional meetings.

Application Process: This is an expedited search process with a strong internal candidate. Full consideration will be given to applicants who send a cover letter, resume and contact information for three references by June 15, 2015. Apply online at: http://jobs.mit.edu/. MIT is strongly and actively committed to diversity within its community and particularly encourages applications from qualified women and minority candidates.

The MIT Libraries support the Institute’s programs of research and study with holdings of more than 2.9 million print volumes and 3.1 million special format items, and terabytes of MIT-owned digital content. In addition, rare special collections, Institute records, historical documents, and papers of noted faculty are held in the Institute Archives and Special Collections. Library resources and services are accessible to students and researchers through the Libraries’ website (http://libraries.mit.edu/), and library spaces are widely available for both collaborative work and quiet study. Library resources are supplemented by innovative services for bioinformatics, GIS, metadata, social science and other research data. Through a culture that encourages innovation and collaboration, the MIT Libraries are redefining the role of the 21st century library – making collections more accessible than ever before, and shaping the future of scholarly research. Library staff, at all levels, contribute to this spirit of innovation and to the mission of promoting learning, discovery and the advancement of knowledge at MIT and beyond.

The Libraries maintain memberships and affiliations in ArchivesSpace, arXiv, Association of Research Libraries, the BorrowDirect, Boston Library Consortium, DDI Alliance, DuraSpace, HathiTrust, CLIR/Digital Library Federation, Coalition of Networked Information, Coalition of Open Access Policy Institutions, EDUCAUSE, National Digital Stewardship Alliance, NISO, North East Research Libraries, OCLC Research Library Partnership, and ORCID. The Libraries utilize Ex Libris’ Aleph for its integrated library system and have deployed EBSCO’s Discovery Service. DSpace@MIT, a digital repository developed over the past ten years by the MIT Libraries, serves to capture, preserve and communicate the intellectual output of MIT’s faculty and research community. Other MIT repositories include: Dome, a second DSpace instance, providing access to a sizable image collection and other digital collections owned by the MIT Libraries; the MIT Geodata Repository for a diverse collection of GIS Data; and MIT’s DataVerse for licensed social science datasets.

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