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Collection Development and Acquisitions Librarian, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), Worcester MA

Posted June 10, 2024

The George C. Gordon Library at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute is seeking candidates to work collaboratively with colleagues across all library departments to manage the development, acquisition and licensing of digital and print resources that support learning, teaching, and research in our community of 7000 undergraduate and graduate students and over 500 research and teaching faculty.

The Gordon Library works closely across WPI’s unique project-based and interdisciplinary undergraduate and graduate curriculum, providing our 50+ departments and programs with exceptionally strong digital research collections.

This position is part of our Scholarly Communication and Open Strategies department, a team committed to collaborative, user-centered, and progressive directions and charged with managing a deep and responsive portfolio of digital resources as well as print and shared print collections.

Job Description: Working collaboratively with colleagues across all library departments, manages the assessment, selection and deselection, and licensing of digital and print resources by formulating, articulating, and managing policies and procedures to develop, shape and balance the Library’s collections to support learning, teaching, and research.

Job Responsibilities:

  1. Manage collections assessment and development
  • Analyze institutional data, bibliographic data, usage statistics, interlibrary loan data, and other metrics.
  • Utilize collection development and assessment tools, such as Alma Analytics, Greenglass, Gold Rush, etc.
  • Establish and monitor title selection plans, such as PDA (Patron Driven Acquisitions), DDA (Demand-Driven Acquisitions), etc.
  • Monitor pricing and usage of ejournal packages and databases.
  • Respond to requests for information resources made by faculty, student and staff.
  1. Oversee collection management and acquisitions procedures and activities
  • Implement and utilize title selection and acquisition tools and software.
  • Select and deselect information resources for the general collection, based on current and proposed academic curricula and discipline needs and practices
  • Manage and participate in the library’s resource acquisitions workflow, including ordering and receiving items and processing invoices.
  • Document and train others as needed in use of vendor and library systems to acquire or deselect information resources.
  • Participate in shared print initiatives (e.g. EAST).
  1. Collaborate with library Research and Instruction team and other library colleagues regularly to ensure WPI community is receiving appropriate level of support for their academic work
  • Meet regularly to discuss the library resource needs of faculty, students and other library users.
  • Participate in gathering and analyzing community feedback from surveys, interviews, focus groups.
  1. Develop planning and budgetary recommendations for the library’s collections
  • Allocate and expend the budget in the Alma library management system and Workday.
  • Monitor and ensure efficient expenditure of the budget in consultation with the University Librarian, Associate Library Director and others.
  1. Negotiate pricing and licensing terms for library e-resources
  • In collaboration with the Associate Director, maintain working relationships with library vendors, publishers, and consortia to obtain best possible pricing and terms of use.
  • Administer digital licensing procedures and renewals in the Alma library management system.
  • Coordinate electronic resource trials.
  • Monitor trends in the broader library resources community and scholarly publishing sphere, such as Open Access.
  1. Administer the Library’s gift in kind program for materials
  • Identify and pursue potential gift opportunities.
  • Select donations for the collection and send unwanted donations to appropriate vendors or organizations for resale, archiving or recycling.
  • Refer archival and special collections gift and donation offers to the University Archivist.
  1. Support institutional compliance with accreditation and external agencies
  • Provide data for reports and analyses related to collections development and maintenance as required by university offices and external agencies, including ACRL (Association of College & Research Libraries), IPEDs (Integrated Postsecondary Education. Data Systems) and accreditation bodies.
  1. Participate in Library, professional, and community engagement        
  • Participate in providing direct services to library users and customers, or providing informed referrals.
  • Participate in collaborative library programs and activities including outreach events, strategic and annual planning, and collaborations with university community offices and student groups.
  • Participate in and contribute to WPI committees, initiatives, and goals contributing to WPI and library strategic initiatives.
  • Engage in and contribute to the profession through continuing learning, service, research, presentations, or professional communications.

Required qualifications and experience:

  1. Master’s degree in Library and Information Science
  2. Minimum of two to three years of experience in library collection development
  3. Knowledge of current issues and trends in library collections development, information delivery and access, electronic and digital resources and related copyright and licensing issues
  4. Familiarity with current print and electronic acquisitions trends, as well as academic library metadata practices
  5. Demonstrated operational experience with an online integrated library system (ILS)
  6. Demonstrated excellent collaboration skills and communication, including written and oral communications
  7. Evidence of strong skills in:
  • decision making
  • problem solving
  • independent action
  • analytical and critical thinking
  • project/program or service management
  • general office technical skills

Preferred qualifications and experience:

  1. ExLibris Alma Library Management certified administrator is preferred
  2. Familiarity with research and teaching in the STEM fields through education or prior work experience
  3. Professional experience in an academic library
  4. Familiarity with open access publishing models

Salary: Anticipated hiring range:  $68,000-$74,000; offered salary will be based on qualifications and experience.

Location: Worcester, MA (some remote work is possible)

To apply: 

Application review will begin July 12 , with an anticipated start date in September. To view the full posting and to apply, please visit WPI’s Careers website.  The position will remain open until filled. 
 

For more information: We invite you to visit these websites to learn more about the Gordon Library and its collections, WPI, and working at WPI in the Worcester Massachusetts community:

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