Collection Librarian for Social Sciences, University of Georgia Libraries, (Athens, GA)

Posted May 28, 2026

Job Description:

The University of Georgia Libraries seeks a forward-thinking and collaborative Collection Librarian for Social Sciences to support the strategic development and stewardship of scholarly resources. As one of three disciplinary collection librarians reporting to the Collection Strategies Coordinator, this position contributes to a shared collection strategy, coordinating collection development and management across social sciences disciplines in support of the University’s research, teaching, and learning mission. The role contributes to major resource decision-making, budget allocation, and strategic shifts by advising on collection-related needs, priorities, issues, and trends in the disciplinary areas they represent, as well as team-level projects and initiatives that cut across disciplines.

The Collection Librarian for Social Sciences evaluates and selects resources across formats and acquisition models, assesses collection use and impact, and identifies gaps and emerging needs to ensure alignment with institutional priorities and evolving research and teaching demands. They collaborate closely with colleagues across Collections, Academic Engagement, and other Libraries and campus units to support decision-making and advance sustainable collection strategies.

This role also contributes to initiatives related to open scholarship, shared print, and consortial collection development, and plays a key role in aligning UGA Libraries collection strategy with campus priorities and broader trends in scholarly communication and access.

UGA librarians are non-tenured faculty members. UGA offers an attractive benefits program including a choice of health and retirement plans, dental plan, vision plan, tuition remission, paid relocation, 21 days annual leave, 12 days sick leave, and 13 paid holidays.

Minimum Qualifications: An ALA-accredited Master’s in Library and Information Science or relevant terminal degree.

Relevant/Preferred Education, Experience, Licensure, and/or Certification: 1 or more years of work experience in an academic or research library.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and/or Competencies:

Excellent analytical and communication skills
Understanding of major principles and issues in research library collection development and management
Familiarity with Integrated Library Management Systems, such as ExLibris Alma
Familiarity with data/metadata formats and standards used in libraries, such as COUNTER or MARC
Working knowledge of social sciences research and resources.
Familiarity with APIs for scholarly resources, scripting and/or query languages such as SQL
Familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite, especially Excel and Power BI and Microsoft productivity tools
Familiarity with assessment data in higher education, such as IPEDS, and resources for institutional research
Ability to successfully navigate issues relating to copyright, fair use, and rights management.
Understanding of trends in open access to scholarly materials and publishing services
Knowledge of collaborative and consortial models for collection building

Duties and Responsibilities:

Develop and manage collections across assigned social science disciplines using data-informed approaches to selection, acquisition, and retention. Evaluate and monitor resources across format ensuring that available funds are effectively utilized to provide timely access to research and learning content aligned with disciplinary needs, user demand, and institutional priorities.
Analyze collection usage, expenditures, and trends to inform social science resource allocation and strategy. Create reports and other tools to communicate the value and impact of collections. Support assessment for accreditation, program review, and institutional reporting in the social sciences.
Review and evaluate physical collections in assigned subject areas to support space planning, shared print initiatives, and other strategic collection management projects. Participate in retention, deselection, and transfer decisions in alignment with institutional and consortial commitments.
In partnership with the Collection Strategy team, develop and maintain collection development policy to assess the quality, relevance, and use of existing content, identify collection gaps, emerging research, and instructional needs, and take strategic action to acquire, retain, or adjust content as appropriate.
Communicate and collaborate with Academic Engagement HASS (Humanities & Social Sciences) librarians to support informed decision-making and coordination of collection-related activities. Identify and acquire materials that reflect faculty, student, and researcher needs, ensuring collections support teaching, learning, and research priorities.
Collaborate with members of Collections and colleagues across the Libraries and campus to guide strategic support for open scholarship, publishing, and access. Evaluates opportunities and makes recommendations to strengthen open research in the social sciences.
Manage and refine workflows for content selection and acquisition in collaboration with Collections teams (Acquisitions, Electronic & Continuing Resources, Accounting).
Participate in Libraries and campus committees and outreach activities to further the mission of UGA and the Libraries. Participate in and contribute to professional library and scholarly organizations. Keep current with developments in librarianship, particularly as relates to collection development, Open Access trends, scholarly communication, and digital scholarship. Share knowledge gained from professional engagement with local and national audiences via personal presentation, publication, conference participation, and other venues as appropriate.

How to Apply

Please apply through the University of Georgia’s Human Resources website.

Applicants should attach a 1-2 page letter of interest, a complete CV, and the names, titles, and contact information of three professional references. The University of Georgia Libraries wish to emphasize that preferred qualifications are not required and we are committed to helping our future colleagues develop preferred knowledge, skills and abilities. Applicants are encouraged to communicate the ways in which their work meets required or preferred qualifications in ways that may not be obvious. Candidates are encouraged to submit their materials by June 28, 2026, however, the position will remain open until filled.