Head of Acquisitions
Hiring range: Associate Librarian V – Librarian II
$63,468- $79,536 per annum, based upon qualifications
This is a full time appointment available starting September 2014.
The University of California, Berkeley seeks a dynamic, user-focused, creative librarian with demonstrated management and acquisitions experience to orchestrate the acquisition and delivery of a robust digital and print collection to the Library’s research, teaching, and student community.
The Environment
The UC Berkeley Library is an internationally renowned research and teaching facility at one of the nation’s premier public universities. In a highly diverse and intellectually rich environment, Berkeley serves a campus community of 25,500 undergraduate students, 10,300 graduate students, and a faculty of 1,500. The Library comprises 20 campus libraries – including the Doe/Moffitt Libraries, the Bancroft Library, the C. V. Starr East Asian Library and subject specialty libraries. With a collection of more than 11 million volumes and a collections budget of over $15 million, the Library offers extensive collections in all formats and robust services to connect users with those collections and build their related research skills.
Responsibilities
Reporting to the Associate University Librarian (AUL) & Director for Collections, the Head of Acquisitions (Head) provides leadership for all acquisitions activities with a view to ensuring timely access to materials. The Acquisitions Department consists of five units: Ordering & Receiving, Electronic Resources, Periodicals Receiving, Gifts & De-acquisitions, and Exchange. There are 13-15 FTE career staff and about 12 students in the department. The unit leaders report directly to the Head and supervise the staff and students in their functional areas.
The Head of Acquisitions works collaboratively with library colleagues to holistically assess the collection to identify its strengths and weaknesses, evaluate approval and other purchase and exchange plans, analyze operating procedures and make recommendations to improve efficiency, and identify and develop expenditure and usage data to support choices and approaches for local and UC-wide collection development. S/he will develop training workshops on acquisitions processes for subject selectors and other staff, and provide oversight for the gathering and maintenance of various statistics.
Working with the AUL & Director for Collections and others, the Head will take the lead in creating and managing the collections budget. This process includes: budget analysis and projections; annual allocations to individual funds and for collaborative purchases; communication with selectors to ensure on-track spending; reconciliation of expenditures; executing fiscal close; and reconciling collections expenditures with the campus financial system.
The UC Berkeley Library participates in consortial agreements with libraries of the University of California system and a significant portion of digital acquisitions are purchased through the California Digital Library. Other collaborative collection agreements are in effect with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Stanford University. The Head of Acquisitions ensures that departmental activities support these and any future collaborations.
The Head is a contributing member on the fund coordinators group that provides oversight of various collections funds, as well as on the Collection Services Council that develops collection policies and strategies for the benefit of the library overall. S/he will also join relevant local and UC-wide groups. The Head of Acquisitions will collaborate with the Head of Catalog & Metadata Services to ensure a seamless workflow as materials move through the entire range of technical processes.
UC Berkeley librarians are expected to participate in library-wide planning and governance, and work effectively in a shared decision-making environment. Advancement in the librarian series is based in part on professional contributions beyond the primary assignment; the successful candidate will show evidence or promise of such contributions to the Library, campus, UC System, and profession.
Qualifications
Minimum Basic Qualification:
- MLS or equivalent degree from an ALA-accredited institution.
Additional Required Qualifications:
- Two years experience managing serial, monograph, and electronic resource acquisitions across all formats
- Two years managerial and supervisory experience
- Two years experience with budget planning and expenditure analysis
- Excellent analytical, communication, organizational, problem solving, and project management skills
- Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain excellent relationships with selectors, vendors, and content providers
Additional Preferred Qualifications
- Knowledge of the national and international publisher and vendor marketplace for scholarly research materials
- Excellent understanding of acquisitions technology, including integrated library systems, vendor databases, and open url resolvers in local and consortial environments
- Demonstrated commitment to work in a collaborative environment and the ability to work effectively with diverse staff, to work independently and as a team member
- Capacity to thrive in an environment of change and respond effectively to shifting needs and priorities
- Demonstrated ability to develop and deliver training workshops to staff and librarians
- Knowledge of trends and issues with e-resources including familiarity with copyright, fair use, and other intellectual property issues
- Experience in consortial purchasing
- Experience with current and emerging information systems in the acquisition domain (e.g. electronic resources management systems, ingesting vendor records, etc.)
In conformance with University of California policy, continuing employment will be contingent upon completion of satisfactory background investigation.
The Library at the University of California, Berkeley is committed to the support and encouragement of a multicultural environment and seeks candidates who can make positive and imaginative contributions in a context of ethnic and cultural diversity.
As a management position, this librarian position is not represented by a bargaining unit and is covered by the UC Academic Personnel Manual (APM).
Librarians are entitled to appropriate professional development leave, two days per month vacation leave, one day per month sick leave, and all other benefits granted non-faculty academic personnel. The University has an excellent retirement system and sponsors a variety of group health, dental, vision, and life insurance plans in addition to other benefits.
DEADLINE:Consideration will be given to applications received by August 1, 2014. All completed applications received by this date will be given full consideration; this recruitment will remain open until filled.
Submit applications online at https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/apply/JPF00436. Applications must include a cover letter detailing a statement of qualifications, curriculum vitae noting degrees and relevant work experience, and the names and contact information of three references who are knowledgeable about the applicant’s qualifications for this position.
The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see: http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct.
Send inquiries to:
Susan E. Wong
Director, Library Human Resources
Library Human Resources Department
110 Doe Library
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA 94720-6000
Phone:(510) 642-3778
Email: librec@library.berkeley.edu
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