Head of Library Collection Development and Acquisitions
The Wesleyan University Library serves as an engaged partner in the academic life of the university and beyond, and a steward for its wide-ranging collections.
The dedicated staff of the Wesleyan University Library think expansively and work collaboratively to assess and transform services. Our collective goal is to establish a responsive, creative, and agile organization in service to a 21st-century liberal arts university.
Reporting to the Associate University Librarian for Discovery and Access, the Head of Collection Development and Acquisitions is responsible for providing leadership and vision for the ongoing development and evaluation of the Library’s general collections, alongside engaging in and overseeing the day-to-day acquisition of library resources.
This position will work with librarians and campus stakeholders to ensure that the Library’s general collections best meet the needs of Wesleyan University’s unique liberal arts curriculum and research environment, continuously evolving and responding to both local needs and the changing scholarly publishing environment.
Responsibilities include:
- Provide leadership in the development and implementation of a collections strategy and related policies and practices with the goal of developing a library collection that meets the evolving needs of Wesleyan University’s teaching and research curriculum.
- Supervise the library acquisitions assistant. make hiring decisions, provide coaching, training and mentoring including managing performance.
- Engage with Wesleyan faculty and researchers, library subject liaisons, and others to identify and investigate potential resource acquisitions, communicate about resource-related decision points, and develop strategic partnerships to support collection development.
- Communicate with vendors to explore, negotiate the acquisition of new resources, and establish and maintain relationships with vendors of continuing resources.
- Manage and participate in the library’s resource acquisitions workflow, including the ordering and receiving of items, processing of invoices, collaborating with Access Services staff to shelve and house items appropriately, and overseeing the acquisition of gifts and donations to the general collections
- Collaborate with colleagues in Discovery & Access to implement shared workflows across the resource lifecycle, with an emphasis on streamlining the acquisition of materials for course reserves and resource sharing.
- Represent Wesleyan University Library in consortial collections-related activities with the Boston Library Consortium, Center for Research Libraries, Eastern Academic Scholars’ Trust, and other collective opportunities as they arise
- Monitor trends in the broader library resources community and scholarly publishing sphere.
- Conduct collections-related data analysis, setup recurring reports as-needed to inform collections decisions and workflows, and ensure that orders, invoices, and other acquisitions-related data types in the library services platform are coded to enable efficient reporting and analytics
- Serve as a member of the Library Collections Committee
- Provide liaison support in one subject area based on experience and expertise
- Other duties as assigned
This position is required to work on campus.
(Relocation assistance to CT is available for those who qualify).
Special Instructions to Applicant:
Position is open until filled. For full consideration please apply by May 17, 2023 when first review of applications will begin.
Please use your cover letter as an opportunity both to expand upon your qualifications for the position and to describe the ways in which your experiences will contribute to the libraries approach to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice.
You can see more about the library’s DEIJ work here: https://www.wesleyan.edu/libr/values.html
Additional Information
Wesleyan University requires proof of COVID-19vaccination and booster (if eligible under CDC guidelines) or an approved exemption prior to first day of employment.
Benefits
Wesleyan offers a broad range of employee benefits and development opportunities, including comprehensive group insurance plans, wellness programs and incentives, generous paid time off and retirement plans. We also offer flexible work schedules, employee and dependent tuition programs, as well as access to Wesleyan’s BLS & GLSprograms for those who qualify (tuition is waived for up to 2 courses a term; some fees and taxes may apply).
Quick Link
https://careers.wesleyan.edu/postings/9584
Supplemental Questions
Optional & Required Documents
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Position: |
Head of Library Collection Development and Acquisitions |
| Organization: |
Wesleyan University |
| Location: |
Middletown, CT
United States
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| Salary: |
$61,300- $72,300 |
| Posting Start Date: |
5/4/2023 |
| Date Posted: |
5/4/2023 |
| Requirements |
Minimum Qualifications:
Masters degree and a minimum of four years of progressively responsible experience in library collections and acquisitions, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and expertise.
Experience in library acquisitions or knowledge of emerging trends in academic publishing and/or scholarly communication
Experience using the acquisitions module of an integrated library system/library services platform, or equivalent experience with purchasing/procurement systems
Demonstrated negotiating skills
Experience with direct or indirect supervision
Demonstrated data analysis skills
Demonstrated time management, task prioritization, and organizational skills.
Effective communication and interpersonal skills
Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team-based environment
Demonstrated experience in leading project teams
Demonstrated commitment to work within a diverse environment and interact collegially with individuals of different backgrounds
Strong user-service orientation and desire to work with constituents in a library and academic environment
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience using campus financial systems for paying invoices and tracking payments
Familiarity with the Alma library services platform
Experience working with faculty
Working knowledge of one or more Western European language in addition to English
Demonstrated ability to create and utilize data-informed collection analysis and/or familiarity with
Tableau or other data-visualization platforms
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| Status: |
This listing expires on: 7/3/2023 |
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