Job opportunity: Head of Archives & Special Collections – Upstate Health Sciences Library (Syracuse, NY)
The Upstate Health Sciences Library (HSL) at Upstate Medical University seeks a collaborative individual to bring leadership, vision, and support to the Archives and Special Collections (ASC) team.
This job is for you if you enjoy:
- Cultivating, empowering, and celebrating your team.
- Promotion and discovery of the Archives and Special Collections.
- Working and building relationships with faculty, students, donors, colleagues, researchers, and community members.
- Adapting to an ever-changing environment.
On the job you will:
- Supervise two full-time tenure track faculty, facilitating their professional growth.
- Identify departmental goals and objectives and provide leadership in fulfilling them.
- Engage with faculty, staff, students, and external researchers of Archives & Special Collections on consultations and outreach activities in support of scholarship and research that uses the archival, special, and digital collections held by the Library.
- Develop and communicate policies and procedures for the department.
- Maintain Archives policies and procedures in Confluence .
- Monitor and plan for the systems architecture of the ASC department in consultation with the Digital Initiatives Archivist.
- Coordinate assessment and evaluation of departmental operations and services in the context of library and university mission, values, and goals.
- Set priorities for cataloging rare books and print collections.
- Develop and administer an annual lectureship in the History of the Health Sciences, including speaker selection and facilitation of research using our rare books holdings.
- Maintain the department budget.
- Handle space planning and allocation for ASC.
- Facilitate donor relations for ASC.
- Maintain the Upstate Portrait Collection.
- Serve on the library, faculty, and university-wide committees.
At the HSL, we:
- Provide the resources and support you need to succeed on the job.
- Offer a competitive salary and a respectful, inclusive work environment.
- Are committed to your professional development, supporting training opportunities, and travel to national and regional meetings.
- Accommodate a healthy work/life balance.
Required Qualifications :
- MSLS/MLIS from an ALA-accredited program or related field. Commensurate degree from a Non-US university welcomed.
- A clear vision for archives and special collections departments in an academic setting.
- Experience working in an academic archive or special collections department.
- Supervisory experience.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
Preferred Qualifications
- Demonstrated knowledge of collection development for archives, rare books, and special collections; of archival principles and preservation techniques; and of contemporary and emerging digital and archival standards.
- Experience using current archival technologies, including a content management system (ArchivesSpace) for user services, collection discovery, and preservation in both physical and on-line environments
- Demonstrated knowledge of cataloging metadata standards and principles to include: DCRM, AACR2, MARC21, LCSH, MeSH, and integrated library systems like OCLC.
- Experience with Alma/Primo and/or OCLC connexion.
- Understanding of descriptive bibliography and book history.
- Demonstrated project management experience.
- Experience managing a budget.
- Space planning experience.
- Record of engagement with donors and demonstrated commitment to future donor development.
- Record of engagement with professional groups and activities and/or contributions to professional or scholarly literature.
- Reading ability in Latin, French, and/or German.
Salary & Benefits:
Salary is commensurate with experience.
Summary of benefits
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The HSL’s mission:
Through its exemplary customer services, the Upstate Health Sciences Library ensures the discoverability and accessibility of the information resources needed to promote a healthy community. Our vision: The Upstate Health Sciences Library will excel at developing and providing innovative and sustainable solutions to meet information needs. We will be our communities’ vital partner in discovery.
More about working at Upstate Medical University
The University seeks to create a work environment and organizational culture that reflect the society and community in which it is located and a climate for the success of every employee by appreciating the uniqueness that each one brings to the workplace. The Library encourages all candidates to supply statements demonstrating their commitment to diversity and inclusion as part of their application.