| Job Description: |
JOB SUMMARY
The Collections Strategist Librarian is a year-round (12-month), non-tenure-track, Associate In faculty position in Library West, the Humanities & Social Sciences (H&SS) branch of the George A. Smathers Libraries. The Collections Strategist Librarian provides strategic leadership, assessment, coordination, and operational oversight for Library West's collections program. Reporting to the Chair of Library West, the position serves as the primary coordinator for collection management activities across the Humanities and Social Sciences collections and functions as a key liaison among subject specialist librarians, Collections Analytics and Services (Collections Services) staff, and Libraries-wide collection support units.
The position leads collection assessment initiatives, coordinates collection development activities, supervises the Collection Analytics and Services unit, and develops data-informed recommendations that support collection stewardship, resource allocation, and strategic planning. As a faculty librarian, the Collections Strategist Librarian also contributes to research assistance services, collection development responsibilities, outreach activities, and professional service.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Strategic Collection Leadership. Provide leadership for the planning, assessment, stewardship, and long-term management of Library West collections in the humanities and social sciences. Collaborate with Library West leadership to establish collection priorities, develop policies and best practices, and advance strategic initiatives that support the University's teaching, learning, and research mission. Monitor and evaluate trends in scholarly communication, publishing, collection management, and academic librarianship to inform planning and continuous improvement.
Collection Assessment and Resource Stewardship. Lead collection assessment activities using qualitative and quantitative methods to evaluate collection use, expenditures, holdings, growth, and space utilization. Develop reports, analyses, and recommendations that support evidence-based decision-making, strategic resource allocation, and collection planning. Lead collection management initiatives, including collection reviews, deselection projects, storage transfers, preservation planning, and space management activities.
Collection Development Coordination and Operations. Coordinate collection development and collection management activities across Library West, working closely with subject specialists, selectors, and Libraries-wide collection support units. Contribute to and inform collection budgeting, endowment and gift fund stewardship, resource forecasting, and the evaluation of library resources. Promote effective collection management practices through collaborative planning, consultation, and continuous improvement of workflows and operational processes.
Personnel Leadership and Operational Management. Provide leadership and administrative oversight for the Collections Analytics and Services unit by supervising personnel, establishing priorities, managing workloads, supporting employee development, and fostering a collaborative, accountable work environment. Manage personnel planning, staffing plans, position management, workforce forecasting, and operational decision-making to ensure effective support for Library West's collections program. Convene and facilitate collection-related working groups and serve as a key liaison among Library West, Collections Analytics and Services, and Libraries-wide partners.
Research Support, Outreach, and Professional Engagement. Contribute to Libraries-wide reference and research support services, serve as liaison to assigned academic departments or programs, and participate in instruction and outreach activities that promote the effective use of library collections and services. Engage in professional development and service activities that advance the mission of the Libraries and the profession.
|
| Required Qualifications: |
- Master's degree in Library and Information Science from an ALA-accredited program or a master's degree in a Humanities or Social Sciences discipline; and with a minimum of 8 years of progressively responsible experience in academic librarianship, including leadership in collections, assessment, personnel management, budgeting, and/or library operations.
- Strategic leadership and administrative management in academic libraries, including collection management, assessment, stewardship, evaluation, long-term planning, resource allocation, and personnel and budget management.
- Application of collection assessment methodologies and data analysis to evaluate usage, holdings, expenditures, space utilization, and resource needs in support of evidence-based collection decisions and strategic resource allocation.
- Expertise with library analytics and collection management systems, including Ex Libris Alma and Alma Analytics, and advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel or comparable data analysis tools to develop reports, analyze trends, and inform strategic decision-making.
- Coordination and leadership of collection management activities across subject specialists, selectors, acquisitions and collection services personnel, and library-wide stakeholders.
- Leadership of complex collection projects, including collection reviews, deselection initiatives, storage and transfer projects, collection maintenance initiatives, or other large-scale collection management efforts.
- Supervision, mentoring, and development of library personnel, including managing workloads, establishing priorities, supporting employee growth, and fostering collaborative and accountable work environments.
- Development, implementation, and evaluation of policies, procedures, workflows, or best practices related to collections, resource management, or library operations.
- Evidence of excellent interpersonal skills including oral and written communication
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively with faculty, students, administrators, and the general public
- Initiative, flexibility, and the ability to adapt and work creatively in a complex, rapidly changing academic environment
- Strong potential to meet the requirements for promotion outlined in the Libraries’ Faculty by-laws.
|
| Preferred: |
- Experience serving as a collection manager, subject selector, or liaison librarian supporting Humanities and/or Social Sciences disciplines.
- Experience managing collection funds, monitoring expenditures, evaluating resource investments, and contributing to budget planning and resource allocation decisions.
- Experience evaluating electronic resources, databases, approval plans, or other collection acquisition models.
- Experience providing research assistance, library instruction, liaison services, and outreach within an academic library environment.
- Experience preparing and presenting collection analyses, assessment findings, reports, or strategic recommendations to library leadership, campus partners, or professional audiences.
- Experience leading organizational change, workflow redesign, and cross-unit strategic initiatives.
- Record of professional engagement through presentations, publications, scholarship, service, leadership in professional organizations, or other contributions to the library profession.
|