Director, Department of Area Studies and Humanities Research Support (DASHRS), Yale University Library, New Haven, CT

Yale University offers exciting opportunities for achievement and growth in New Haven, Connecticut. Conveniently located between Boston and New York, New Haven is the creative capital of Connecticut with cultural resources that include two major art museums, a critically-acclaimed repertory theater, state-of-the-art concert hall, and world-renowned schools of Architecture, Art, Drama, and Music.

Position Focus: Reporting to the Associate University Librarian for Arts and Humanities, the Director provides vision and leadership for a newly created department of subject experts who support humanities and inter-disciplinary area studies programs at Yale. The Yale University Library (YUL) holds one of the most extensive humanities research collections in the United States and has the distinction of being the first American university to collect in many non-western languages. The academic programs in these areas attract a world-class group of faculty and students, for which the Department of Area Studies and Humanities Research Support (DASHRS) provides collection development and liaison and research services. The department is located in the recently renovated Sterling Memorial Library (SML) in the center of Yale’s campus and has oversight of eight reading rooms and two classrooms in SML, as well as the Classics Library in Phelps Hall.

The Director of the Department of Area Studies and Humanities Research Support is responsible for the programmatic aspects of liaison and outreach, collection development oversight and coordination, assessment, budget administration, and supervision and mentorship of 12 librarians and one assistant. S/he directs departmental teams responsible for evidence-based assessment, research support programming, the departmental web presence, training and skills development, and digital scholarship support services. 

The Director develops strong working relationships with university administrators, academic department leaders, faculty, and students. The Director communicates and collaborates with colleagues from other Yale University Library (YUL) units to develop and maintain research support and outreach programs and services. The Director also works closely with the leadership of YUL special collections repositories and the Departments of Collection Development, Technical Services, Access Services and Digital Scholarship. The Director represents the department on the Council for Research Services and Collections and the Collections Steering Committee

The Director is expected to demonstrate leadership within YUL and the University and commitment to participation in regional, national and international professional organizations. The Director must also demonstrate a strong commitment to agile, responsive, innovative public service programs in support of teaching and research in the humanities and international and area studies programs at Yale. 

• Provides leadership and vision for area studies and humanities collection development and research support and outreach programs. 
• Designs projects and brings them to conclusion in a timely manner.
• Manages liaison librarians including hiring, training, setting priorities, evaluating, and advising on staff development. 
• Engages with deans, chairs, faculty and students in support of the University’s teaching and research mission.
• Collaborates with colleagues throughout the Yale University Library and other campus units.
• Works independently with varied user groups in a complex organization and team environment.
• Collaborates with library staff engaged in development efforts. 
• Plans and implements marketing and assessment processes.
• Coordinates facilities issues involving the Classics Library and Sterling Memorial Library reading rooms and classrooms.
• Serves on Library and University committees. 
• Participates in professional activities outside of Yale and monitors developments and best practices elsewhere to encourage innovation and ensure excellence.
• May be required to assist with disaster recovery efforts. May be assigned to work at any Yale University location.
• May perform other duties as assigned.

Required Education, Skills and Experience:

• Master’s degree from an ALA-accredited library school or equivalent accredited degree. In selected instances, a post-graduate degree in museum studies or a related discipline may be substituted for a master’s degree in library science. 
• Minimum of 8 years of related professional experience. Advanced degree in area studies or the humanities is required in addition to an MLS.
• Strong commitment to responsive, innovative research support and outreach services and collection development. Demonstrated experience managing staff and supervising subject librarians. Excellent oral and written communications and analytical ability.

• Demonstrated excellent customer service skills; flexibility and a strong commitment to innovation, creativity and excellence. Demonstrated problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to provide leadership and direction in a research library. 
• Demonstrated ability in managing budgets and capital projects. 
• Strong commitment to collection building and to innovative public service programs. 
• Demonstrated excellent oral and written communications and analytical ability. 
• Demonstrated excellent customer service skills, flexibility and a strong commitment to innovation, creativity and excellence.
• Demonstrated experience designing and coordinating projects and bringing them to a timely conclusion. Demonstrated experience in research library service programs.
• Demonstrated experience working collaboratively and independently with various groups within a complex organization and rapidly changing team environment. Experience managing collection development programs.

Yale University assigns ranks to librarian positions based on a combination of professional experience and accomplishments. Librarian ranking information can be found at: http://www.library.yale.edu/about/departments/lhr/rank.html.

Preferred Education, Skills and Experience: Experience working with academic research library liaison librarian services and collections. Knowledge of and experience with academic technologies for research and teaching and with digital humanities. Ph.D. in the humanities or area studies. Experience in donor relations, deeds of gift, and/or archival processing. Knowledge of issues related to non-roman language materials.

The University and the Library
The Yale University Library, as one of the world’s leading research libraries, collects, organizes, preserves, and provides access to and services for a rich and unique record of human thought and creativity. It fosters intellectual growth and supports the teaching and research missions of Yale University and scholarly communities worldwide. A distinctive strength is its rich spectrum of resources, including around 15 million volumes and information in all media, ranging from ancient papyri to early printed books to electronic databases. The Library is engaging in numerous projects to expand access to its physical and digital collections. Housed in eighteen buildings including the Sterling Memorial Library, the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, the Center for Science and Social Science Information, and the Bass Library, it employs a dynamic and diverse staff of approximately five hundred who offer innovative and flexible services to library readers. For additional information on the Yale University Library, please visit the Library’s web site at www.library.yale.edu.

Salary and Benefits
We invite you to discover the excitement, diversity, rewards and excellence of a career at Yale University. One of the country’s great workplaces, Yale University offers exciting opportunities for meaningful accomplishment and true growth. Our benefits package is among the best anywhere, with a wide variety of insurance choices, liberal paid time off, fantastic family and educational benefits, a variety of retirement benefits, extensive recreational facilities, and much more.