Librarian, Collections Development, Redwood Library & Athenaeum, Newport, RI

Posted April 30, 2018

The Redwood Library seeks an energetic, professionally-engaged, and user-centered Collection Development Librarian to join a small, highly-collaborative library team. Reporting to the Director of Library Services, this entry-level or early-career position coordinates the ordering of print and digital resources, assesses outdated and obsolete material for deaccessioning, evaluates donations, and plans the general collection budget.  They will respond to patron questions on general collections as well as contributing to wider public service and social media duties shared among the staff.

The library has recently redesigned its organizational structure and refocused its commitment to collection management and community outreach. As part of this the incoming Collection Development Librarian will work closely with the Director of Library Services and the Technical Services Librarian to design a wide-ranging assessment of legacy collections. The Collection Development Librarian will have wide latitude to implement this project plan, which will include a strong component of active weeding based upon principles in the collection management plan. Working with and supervising the Technical Services Librarian, the Collection Development Librarian will oversee the processing and rehousing of undercataloged materials. They will also hire, train, and manage project staff and interns as available.

Responsibilities:

1. Designs and implements collection development policies in consultation with library staff and with, and as staff liaison, to the Library Committee.
2. Oversees the selection, acquisition, and informational dissemination of new books and materials while tracking all invoices within the parameters of the book funds and overall book collections budget.
3. Provides an ongoing and through evaluation of the circulating and reference library collection in terms of material quality, content, and condition, recommending subjects for further acquisition or de-accessioning within the mission and collection development policies of the Redwood.
4. Regularly receives reference and information requests via telephone, mail, e-mail, or personal contact and provides research or referrals using appropriate printed and non-printed sources.
5. Oversees the organization, location and shelving of the collection, book shifts and moving of materials, including systematic review of the circulating and general reference shelving to assure good order is maintained.
6. Oversees budget recommendations for the acquisition and collection development of the circulating and general reference library.
7. Coordinates donations of collections in conjunction with the Special Collections Librarian and/or the Library Committee.
8. Oversees and coordinates semi-annual (currently 2 per year) book sales and bookstore inventory.
9. Supervises 2 FTE (Technical Services Librarian and Technical Services Library Assistant) and one part-time Library Project Assistant; may supervise project staff and interns.
10. Oversees technical services, which includes serials, acquisitions, cataloging, processing, maintenance of library materials, discarding of books and materials.
11. Represents the Redwood in local, regional and national library organizations; maintains professional
12. Performs other related duties as assigned.

 

Requirements:

1. MLIS from and ALA-accredited institution.
2. Current knowledge of general library practices and procedures.
3. Specific knowledge in the areas of print and electronic collection development and reference services.
4. Ability to communicate effectively in oral and written form.
5. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and Google Productivity Products.
6. Ability to supervise the work of others.
7. Ability to lift up to 50 lbs.

 

Recommended:

1. 1-year experience providing reference and/or collections-focused service in a public or academic library.
2. Experience managing budgets.
3. Willingness to engage in regional and national professional organizations.
4. Working knowledge of 18^th and 19^th century American history and fine arts. 

 

Salary: Commensurate with qualifications and experience; benefits package is competitive.

Procedures: Please send a cover letter, vita, and list of references to [email protected] with the Subject, “Collection Development Librarian.”

Application Deadline: Review of applications will begin June 4, 2018. The posting will remain open until the position is filled.

Earliest Start Date: July 1, 2018

The Redwood is a historically-significant membership library Newport, Rhode Island. The oldest library in the country in continuous use and still in its original building, it is now both a National Historic Landmark and an actively lending 21^st-century library. Founded in 1747 on the principle of “having nothing in view but the good of mankind,” its mission continues over 270 years later.  The Redwood serves both its members and the general public, providing traditional library services as well as special programs, exhibitions and events.

Newport, Rhode Island, is a lovely historic coastal town in Rhode Island. As one of the first settlements in the Colony, it is notable for the density of Colonial homes in its historic district and the records of its liberal intellectual and religious history, as embodied in the Redwood Library, the Touro Synagogue, and the Newport Historical Society. Its Gilded Age history is told, in part, by magnificent mansions lining Bellevue Ave. A bustling tourist sector in the Summer supports a thriving restaurant and music culture throughout the year. Located 40 minutes south of Providence, the city is easily accessible from the Island and vice versa.