Director of Collection Development and Acquisitions, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT

Posted July 20, 2020

Description:

The University of Vermont seeks a director of Collection Development and Acquisitions to lead the University Libraries’ collections program. This position supervises five FTE (one faculty and four staff); reports to the dean of libraries; and works closely with other directors, the Faculty Library Advisory Committee, and subject liaisons residing in UVM’s three library buildings: Howe Library, the Dana Medical Library, and the Silver Special Collections Library.

This is an exciting opportunity to lead major changes. Immediate priorities include reviewing and merging collections budgets, committees, and decision-making procedures; building and chairing a team to oversee collection development and acquisitions across the UVM libraries; developing a unified, print-management strategy; building consensus around major, upcoming decisions regarding big-deal packages; attending to the professional development of direct reports and creating plans for continuous learning; and cultivating within the Collection Development and Acquisitions unit an atmosphere of collegiality.

This director will work with all library directors to ensure that the work of collection development, acquisitions and the associated cataloging of resources is seamless and integrated with the Libraries’ mission. The director of collection development and acquisitions and the director of cataloging/metadata will examine processes for managing serials, discovery systems, and automated and manual acquisitions procedures, consulting closely with colleagues to change workflows as appropriate. Close work with the University Purchasing and Contracts office is important. And cultivating relationships with faculty across the institution is key, both through work with the Faculty Library Advisory Committee and through relationships with specific colleges and schools.

Competitive candidates will demonstrate a wide and deep background in the theory and practice of building collections—physical and virtual, autonomous and consortial, established and experimental. They will understand well the crisis afoot in academic publishing and the financial and ethical challenges this presents. We seek candidates well versed in and committed to open-access publishing initiatives and to new models for publishing and disseminating information in a manner consonant with the commitments of UVM, i.e., a land-grant institution committed to the general welfare and public good.

Candidates should be skilled at gathering and interpreting data to inform collection development policies and practices. They should be fluent in data-mining initiatives and the world of institutional and disciplinary repositories. Broad knowledge of the scholarly communication landscape—including current and potential changes to that landscape—is key.

We seek both a leader and a manager—somebody who can help craft a vision for the department and work collaboratively with colleagues to implement that vision. Those who have supervised, worked with, and reported to the candidate should speak highly of the candidate’s leadership, emotional intelligence, organizational skills, and ability to inspire trust and enthusiasm. Candidates should also bring a record of working with campus partners. Strong interpersonal skills and a commitment to teamwork are essential.

Librarians at the University of Vermont hold faculty appointments without tenure. As such librarians are expected to perform in three areas Educational Mission (Librarianship); Scholarly and Creative Activity; and Service. Rank at time of initial hire and promotions are based upon performance in all three areas.

How to Apply:

The orginal job posting with full description can be found here. Apply using the job portal there. A cover letter/letter of application and curriculum vitae are required.