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Head of Collections and Resource Description, The University of Utah, (Salt Lake City, UT)

Posted October 2, 2024

Compensation:
Salary will be dependent on qualifications and rank appointment. The budgeted salary range is $75,000-$120,000. Our excellent benefits include a 14.2% retirement contribution to TIAA-CREF/Fidelity, medical and dental coverage, and generous paid sick and vacation time.

Position Summary:

Are you interested in managing a $9.5M collections portfolio and resource description services? The Collections and Scholarly Communication Division at the J. Willard Marriott Library seeks a process-oriented, customer-focused, analytical, and fiscally responsible individual to lead the Collections and Resource Description unit. The Head of Collections & Resource Description manages the library’s vast portfolio of information resources. This position collaborates across the Libraries and with content providers and stakeholders to acquire, manage, describe, and ensure access to information resources in supporting the teaching and research mission of the University of Utah. Additionally, the position provides administrative leadership for collection management for the Utah Academic Library Consortium (UALC). The UALC is a statewide consortium of public and private institutions across Utah engaged in cooperative resource purchasing and sharing. Additionally, the J. Willard Marriott Library participates as a member of the Center for Research Libraries and the Greater Western Library Alliance, a consortium of research libraries in the Western and Central United States. As the University embarks upon new strategic directions, this is an exciting time at the University of Utah.

Relocation to the Salt Lake City, Utah area is required and will be financially supported by house hunting and moving allowances. This position is currently designed as a hybrid of on-campus and remote work. The telecommuting arrangement will be based on the position’s needs and authorized at the Associate Dean’s discretion.

Primary Responsibilities:

Leads a team of 10 librarians and staff in the Library’s selection, acquisition, licensing, description, budgeting, and assessment of information resources. Manages the unit’s operations and activities, including establishing priorities, improving processes, delivering training and coaching, and evaluating performance.

  • Collaborates with content providers, library liaisons, consortia, and stakeholders to build and manage the library’s information resources portfolio by implementing efficient and responsive acquisition and collection strategies based on user needs, evidence, institutional priorities, and trends in scholarly communication.
  • Provides administrative leadership services for collections to the Utah Academic Library Consortium, including negotiating licenses with content providers, ensuring access to resources, and conducting collection assessment. (A new UALC Collections Coordinator we plan to hire in 2025 will assume many of these duties and enable the Head to focus more on strategy than on operational activities.)

The responsibilities, qualifications, and preferences listed in this posting are intended to give applicants an understanding of the role we are seeking to fill and the types of skills, experience, and education that may have prepared someone to be effective in this role. We do not expect any candidate to be a perfect match for this list or to perform duties with equal proficiency on day one. In your CV and cover letter, please highlight the most relevant qualifications you would bring to this position based on the posting, and tell us how your background, perspective, and experience will help us fulfill our mission and meet our goals.

We welcome applications from qualified candidates of all backgrounds, including those who may not have followed a traditional career path. We are especially interested in identifying and interviewing candidates with experience and expertise that will contribute to advancing our mission to provide everyone with access to information resources and educational opportunities. As a member of the Dean’s Cabinet—the primary coordination body for library operations—you will have a voice in decisions about policies, programs, and services across the library. The library is currently undergoing a strategic planning process as well as a comprehensive space study, with the Dean’s Cabinet playing a vital role. Our strategic plan will ultimately align with the University’s evolving Strategy 2030 (https://strategy.utah.edu). Creating a culture of assessment is an emerging priority for the library, evidenced by the recent creation of a full time Assessment Analyst position. At the core of the Marriott Library is a responsive and adaptive service culture, which our emphasis on assessment will strengthen. We are attuned to the evolving needs of our students and faculty; in Spring 2024, for instance, we invited all members of the University of Utah community to submit specific, big-ticket, one-time purchase suggestions to enhance Marriott Library’s research and teaching collections. We engage and support the campus research community through endeavors such as our Patent and Trademark Research Center’s upcoming 40th anniversary celebration/lecture and our NEH-funded Summer Institute focusing on responsible AI. Recognizing student success as the U’s top priority, we have invested in making course materials and technology more accessible, and developing resources to support groups with specific needs such as first generation students and students with childcare responsibilities.

Required Qualifications:

  • ALA-accredited MLS/MLIS or equivalent.
  • Experience negotiating with content providers and evaluating licenses to ensure licenses meet users’ needs while minimizing the University’s risks.
  • Experience collaborating with stakeholders to understand their needs and determining optimal strategies for acquiring, managing, describing, and analyzing collections portfolios.
  • Strong supervisory experience, including experience with training, process improvement, coaching, and performance management.
  • Experience with library services platforms, i.e., Alma-Primo
  • Experience with budget development and management, collection analysis, and assessment.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Knowledge of current trends, best practices, standards, and new technologies in collection development and resource description.
  • Experience working with library consortiums.

How to Apply:

Apply on the University of Utah job site.

This faculty search is being managed in partnership with Summit Search Solutions, Inc. To learn more about the position or share a nomination, please contact Lyndi Hewitt at [email protected] or by phone at 615-423-0525. You may also contact Melanie Hawks, Marriott Library Assistant Dean for Organizational Development, at [email protected]. Additional information about the application process can be found at https://lib.utah.edu/faculty-faq.php.


All candidates are required to submit a curriculum vitae, a cover letter describing the strengths you would bring to the role/organization, and contact information for five professional references. Reference letters are not requested.

Required Documents

  1. Cover Letter
  2. Curriculum Vitae
  3. List of References

Optional Documents

  1. Appropriate discharge document (such as a DD-214 – Member Copy 4) – Veteran Only – Call 801.581.2169
  2. Addendum to the University of Utah – Veteran Only – Call 801.581.2169 after submission

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