Director (Library Collections), Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA
Posted June 2, 2022
Description:
As a member of the senior leadership team in Library & Technology Services (LTS), the Director of Library Collections is the lead advocate for the library collections and participates in the development of strategic priorities and initiatives for library collections to support the needs of the Wellesley College community.
The Director of Library Collections will have an exciting opportunity to lead the development of a plan for the “Library of the Future” that is consistent with the College’s strategic plan. In collaboration with the Library Collections staff, the Director will formulate clear plans for “Digital Collections”, “Digital Archives” and “Rethinking Library Spaces” which will be the most important foundational aspects of the “Library of the Future”.
The Director of Library Collections is responsible for the effective deployment of staff and financial resources to provide the best service to the College community and participates in LTS operational budget planning and development. The Director supervises Library Collections staff who provide high-level instruction as well as partner with instructional librarians and other staff in Research and Instructional Support (RIS) to teach students and faculty, as well as provide direct support through student and faculty consultations. In addition, the library collections staff and RIS staff provide library resources that properly meet the changing needs of teaching, learning and research.
The Director of Library Collections is responsible for managing a significant collections budget, a large portion of which comes from restricted income from endowments. The Director will have opportunities to be creative in the management of the collections budget in ways that align it with future initiatives.
The Director of Library Collections manages professional staff responsible for the acquisition, description, maintenance, preservation and interpretation of library resources, including Special Collections and the official records of the College and materials pertaining to its history in the Archives. The Director will monitor the changing patterns of scholarly communication and develop strategies to incorporate and respond to emerging trends in the creation and delivery of information resources. The Director is responsible for ensuring equitable access to the collections resources and services, as well as the library facilities.
The Director of Library Collections will engage in strong outreach efforts both within the College, and represent the College in Oberlin Group as well as other national organizations to engage in dialogue about library issues and collaborate in major projects for the benefit of the College. They will also represent the College in various consortia (e.g., Boston Library Consortium, EAST) and in appropriate professional organizations.
Wellesley’s Library and Technology Services is a merged Library/IT organization. The College has had a merged organization since 1993.
Primary Position Responsibilities:
- As Director of the Library Collections group, bears responsibility for all matters relating to library collections and attendant services including reference and instruction in art, music, special collections, and archives, as well as the library service desks.
- Represents Library & Technology Services in college-wide fora where library services and collections are discussed (ACLTP, Academic Council, Student Government, Friends of the Library Steering Committee) as well as in external organizations such as the Boston Library Consortium and the Oberlin Group of Libraries.
- Works closely with the faculty and students and with other groups within LTS, to ensure the integrated delivery of services and scholarly resources. Specifically, collaborates strongly with the Director of Research & Instructional Support in the integration of collections and delivery of services in all library locations.
- Oversees the selection and disposition of information resources (print, media, digital) in support of the College’s present and future curricular and research needs. Plans for and oversees the making discoverable and the preservation of Wellesley’s unique and distinctive collections. Manages the College’s participation in shared resource and open access initiatives such as the Eastern Academic Scholar’s Trust, HathiTrust, Knowledge Unlatched, and Direct2Open.
- Develops and manages the library’s operational and information resources budget, including the appropriate allocation of endowed fund income. Maintains relationships with the Development Office and with donors; provides reports regarding the use of endowed funds as requested.
- Advises the CIO & Associate Provost on issues, policy and matters relating to the library collections, spaces and services.
Supervises:
College Archivist, Curator of Special Collections, Assistant Director for Scholarly Resource Services, Assistant Director for Discovery Services, Public Services Manager.
Education Required:
- Master’s degree in Library and Information Science
Experience Required:
- 8-10 years experience working in an academic library or information services organization
- 5 or more years in a leadership role or management position
Skills and Abilities Required:
- Broad understanding of the mission of a liberal arts college and the central role of Library & Technology Services in achieving it
- Significant experience in the management of information resources, preferably in an academic library, including knowledge and understanding of the organization of information resources.
- Deep knowledge on the influence of emerging technologies on collections and access methodologies.
- Deep knowledge of scholarly publishing
- Understanding of the importance and use of primary sources in academic research and teaching at the undergraduate level.
- Substantial knowledge of specific subject disciplines, their literatures and their methods of scholarly discourse
- Working knowledge of at least one foreign language
- Excellent written and oral communication and presentation skills
- Experience in strategic plan development.
- Experience with budget and financial management
How to Apply:
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