Job Posting: Director of Collection Development and Acquisitions, Burlington, VT
The University of Vermont Libraries is hiring for a Director of Collection Development and Acquisitions. To apply: https://www.uvmjobs.com/postings/41209
Director of Collection Development & Acquisitions
The University of Vermont seeks a director of Collection Development and Acquisitions to lead the University Libraries’ collections program. This position supervises five FTE (one faculty and four staff); reports to the dean of libraries; and works closely with other directors, the Faculty Library Advisory Committee, and subject liaisons residing in UVM’s three library buildings: Howe Library, the Dana Medical Library, and the Silver Special Collections Library.
This is an exciting opportunity to lead major changes. Immediate priorities include reviewing and merging collections budgets, committees, and decision-making procedures; building and chairing a team to oversee collection development and acquisitions across the UVM libraries; developing a unified, print-management strategy; building consensus around major, upcoming decisions regarding big-deal packages; attending to the professional development of direct reports and creating plans for continuous learning; and cultivating within the Collection Development and Acquisitions unit an atmosphere of collegiality.
This director will work with all library directors to ensure that the work of collection development, acquisitions and the associated cataloging of resources is seamless and integrated with the Libraries’ mission. The director of collection development and acquisitions and the director of cataloging/metadata will examine processes for managing serials, discovery systems, and automated and manual acquisitions procedures, consulting closely with colleagues to change workflows as appropriate. Close work with the University Purchasing and Contracts office is important. And cultivating relationships with faculty across the institution is key, both through work with the Faculty Library Advisory Committee and through relationships with specific colleges and schools.
Competitive candidates will demonstrate a wide and deep background in the theory and practice of building collections—physical and virtual, autonomous and consortial, established and experimental. They will understand well the crisis afoot in academic publishing and the financial and ethical challenges this presents. We seek candidates well versed in and committed to open-access publishing initiatives and to new models for publishing and disseminating information in a manner consonant with the commitments of UVM, i.e., a land-grant institution committed to the general welfare and public good.
Candidates should be skilled at gathering and interpreting data to inform collection development policies and practices. They should be fluent in data-mining initiatives and the world of institutional and disciplinary repositories. Broad knowledge of the scholarly communication landscape—including current and potential changes to that landscape—is key.
We seek both a leader and a manager—somebody who can help craft a vision for the department and work collaboratively with colleagues to implement that vision. Those who have supervised, worked with, and reported to the candidate should speak highly of the candidate’s leadership, emotional intelligence, organizational skills, and ability to inspire trust and enthusiasm. Candidates should also bring a record of working with campus partners.
Strong interpersonal skills and a commitment to teamwork are essential.
Librarians at the University of Vermont hold faculty appointments without tenure. As such librarians are expected to perform in three areas Educational Mission (Librarianship); Scholarly and Creative Activity; and Service. Rank at time of initial hire and promotions are based upon performance in all three areas.
Responsibilities:
- Oversees and makes decisions regarding collections budgets and the acquisition and disposal of print and electronic materials. Leads and manages the selection, acquisition, assessment and disposition of resources in all formats. Oversees user-focused collections, including the approval plan and patron-driven and evidence-based acquisitions. Leads the cross-libraries Collections Team in designing and implementing collection development strategies and prioritizing renewals and requests for new resources.
- Develops and oversees a print-management strategy for the libraries.
- Explores opportunities for crafting cooperative collection-development and collection-management strategies with other libraries, both locally and nationally.
- Oversees functions relating to acquisitions, licensing, and the compilation and reporting of collection and usage statistics.
- Provides empathetic leadership. Creates and fosters strong relationships with colleagues in Collection Development and Acquisitions, the Libraries as a whole, the university and external partners and organizations.
- Cultivates a personal research agenda and engages in service.
Required Qualifications:
- Master’s degree from an ALA-accredited Library/Information Science program or equivalent degree.
- A minimum of five years’ experience in an academic library, with three or more years at a supervisory level.
- Established record of leadership and management.
- Demonstrated effectiveness in project management, including the selection, analysis, and disposal of materials.
- Experience with acquisitions operations such as approval plans, patron-driven acquisitions, or evidence-based acquisitions.
- Experience with collection management methodologies and collection analysis tools
- Ability to work well both independently and collaboratively with colleagues, faculty and staff.
- Fluency in developments in the scholarly publishing landscape.
- Professional experience in establishing and maintaining effective relationships with vendors, consortia, and publishers.
- Familiarity with collection development of various types of collections, including special collections and medical collections.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Creative and scholarly work and service commitment commensurate with appointment to the level of Library Associate Professor or above.
Desired Qualifications:
- Experience with
- digital rights management
- digital preservation
- link resolvers
- discovery systems
- medical and health sciences collections
- special collections
We seek candidates who will contribute to the Libraries’ evolving Inclusive Excellence Plan, a plan that embrace’s UVM’s Our Common Ground, the ACRL Diversity Standards, and fundamental principles of intellectual freedom embodied in UVM’s statement on Academic Freedom, the ACRL Statement on Academic Freedom, and the AAUP Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure. The Libraries have committed themselves to building collections that serve an increasingly diverse curriculum, to affirming all persons and supporting all intellectually rigorous thought and traditions, to building the most diverse recruitment pools possible, to creating mentorship opportunities for colleagues, and to making our services and spaces accessible and welcoming to all.
We encourage applicants to include in their cover letter information about their commitment to diversity and how they will further this goal. For more information on diversity at the University of Vermont, see http://www.uvm.edu/president/
Salary and Application Information: Salary is commensurate with rank and experience. Generous benefits package includes: TIAA/CREF (or alternative plan), managed health care plan, and 22 days of annual leave.
To apply online, please visit our website at: http://www.uvmjobs.com. Candidates are required to submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae and contact information for three references. The search will remain open until the position is filled. For best consideration, complete applications should be received no later than August 31, 2020.
Campus Profile: The University of Vermont (UVM), established in 1791, is a top public research university. Often referred to as a Public Ivy, UVM is the largest institution of higher education in the state, with over 12,600 degree students enrolled in nine schools and colleges, including a medical school. UVM is known as a small, premier research institution, combining the faculty-student relationships found at small liberal arts colleges with the resources of a major research institution. UVM Libraries, comprised of Howe Library, Dana Medical Library, and Silver Special Collections Library, deliver distinctive and outstanding service to the campus community, the State of Vermont, and the University of Vermont Medical Center through excellence in instruction, innovation in research and scholarship, and dedication to public service. UVM Libraries use Primo as its discovery search interface, ScholarWorks @ UVM as the institutional repository and offer unique digital collections via the Center for Digital Initiatives.
UVM is located in Burlington, Vermont, which has consistently been named a top city to live in. Uniquely situated near both Lake Champlain and the Green Mountains, the surrounding area offers easy access to a variety of outdoor activities year-round. Burlington enjoys excellent school systems, a dynamic and stimulating cultural scene, and a vibrant and diverse social life. It is also within a short distance of several major metropolitan areas, including Montreal, Boston, and New York City.
The University of Vermont is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other category legally protected by federal or state law. The University encourages applications from all individuals who will contribute to the diversity and excellence of the institution.