Dorothy Foehr Huck Chair and Head of Special Collections
Penn State University Libraries
The Pennsylvania State University Libraries seek applications and nominations for the position of Dorothy Foehr Huck Chair and Head of Special Collections. The person appointed to this senior faculty position will be responsible for the vision, leadership, and administration of Special Collections throughout the University Libraries, including three curatorial units within the Eberly Family Special Collections Library at University Park and collections at the Commonwealth Campus Libraries. The incumbent will also oversee the coordination of the Special Collections Library’s processing, information technology, and public services operations and initiatives.
The Eberly Family Special Collections Library at University Park comprises three units: Historical Collections and Labor Archives, Rare Books and Manuscripts, and University Archives and Records Management, together including a total of 18 full-time faculty and staff. The Historical Collections and Labor Archives document Pennsylvania’s social, political, and economic history with special emphasis devoted to labor, business, and the evolution of nineteenth and twentieth century industrial society. Core archival research collections include documents concerning the United Steelworkers of America, the United Mine Workers of America, the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, Pennsylvania railroad records, and business ledgers documenting the early iron industry in central Pennsylvania. The unit also contains the papers of Pennsylvania political figures such as Governors William W. Scranton and Robert P. Casey, and Civil War era diaries and letter collections. The Rare Books and Manuscripts collections include over 135,000 volumes, with strengths in English and American literature; Australiana; art and architectural history; emblem books; the history of photography; works of Joseph Priestley; African-Americana and the African Diaspora; art education; utopian literature; dance history; science fiction; and German literature in English translation. Literary manuscript collections include the papers of John O’Hara, Kenneth Burke, and Arnold Bennett. The University Archives collections include business records, papers of Penn State presidents, faculty, and alumni, papers of numerous scholarly and professional associations, and records of student organizations. The University Archives oversees the University Records Management Program and Inactive Records Center, an extensive sports archives, photograph and audio-visual collections, as well as Fred Waring’s America. The archival collections contain over 16,000 cu. ft. of archival records/papers, 20,000 printed volumes, 45,000 audio-visual titles, 4,000 maps and blueprints, 600,000 photographs and numerous digital collections. More information about all special collections in the University Libraries is available online at http://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/speccolls.html.
Responsibilities: As Head of Special Collections, the Huck Chair reports to the Associate Dean for University Park Libraries. He or she provides strategic leadership and oversight for the operations of the Special Collections Library as an integral part of the University Libraries. These include collection development; reference and instructional services; promotion and outreach services; collections preservation, processing, and description; development of digital collections; budgeting and personnel management; and space planning. The Huck Chair is expected to foster a collaborative work environment across units within the Special Collections Library and to facilitate communications with other units of the University Libraries. The Huck Chair plays a major role in donor relations and development activities and in representing the Penn State Libraries at professional and related venues. As a member of the Dean’s Library Council, he or she collaborates with other administrators to advance the Libraries’ Strategic Plan (http://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/admin/stratplanjune08.html) and contributes to Libraries-wide budgeting, planning, and policy development.
Required Qualifications: Master’s degree in Library Science from an ALA-accredited program (or equivalent) or an advanced degree in archival administration or a relevant academic discipline; experience administering special collections within a major research library or public archive; knowledge and understanding of significant trends and issues in special collections, including the use of technology for preservation and delivery; knowledge of trends in scholarly communication and research methods; experience in planning programs such as lectures and exhibitions that promote special collections and their use by the Penn State community and the broader public; commitment to providing outstanding user services; excellent oral and written communications skills; strong collaborative leadership skills; strong commitment to outreach and student engagement; experience in development and donor relations; commitment to diversity; and distinguished scholarship and professional accomplishments meriting appointment at Librarian (Professor) rank.
Preferred: Leadership in digital and scholarly communications initiatives; significant record of participation in relevant professional associations; understanding of intellectual property and copyright issues pertaining to special collections and records management; extensive experience with budgeting, strategic planning, and assessment programs; success in securing and managing grants; and additional advanced subject degree(s).
Environment: Penn State, a land-grant institution, is a member of the CIC (Big 10) academic consortium. Based on Association for Research Libraries data, the Penn State University Libraries currently rank 8th for total library materials expenditures among private and public research universities in North America. In 2009 Washington Monthly, a political, inside-the-beltway publication, ranked Penn State 7th in the nation among public universities in preparing students to benefit the nation. The Libraries hold membership in ARL, OCLC, and CRL. Collections exceed 5.3 million volumes, including more than 88,000 current serial subscriptions. The University Libraries are located at University Park and 23 other locations throughout Pennsylvania, with approximately 6,000 faculty and 44,000 students at University Park, and more than 92,000 students system wide. The University Park campus is set in the State College metropolitan area, a university town located in the heart of central Pennsylvania. State College offers a vibrant community with outstanding recreational facilities, a low crime rate, and excellent public schools. The campus is within a half-day drive to Washington DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, and Pittsburgh. The University Park Airport is served by three major carriers with flights to Washington, Philadelphia, and Detroit. For more information, please www.libraries.psu.edu and www.cbicc.org.
Salary and Benefits: Based upon the University and Libraries’ standards in librarianship, research, and service, and outreach, it is anticipated that the successful candidate will be appointed at the rank of Librarian with tenure. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. Fringe benefits include liberal vacation, excellent insurance and health care coverage, state or TIAA/CREF retirement options, and educational privileges.
To apply: Send a letter of application, resume, and the names and contact information of three professional references (including email addresses) to: Search Committee, Box HDSC-LIBJ, The Pennsylvania State University, 511 Paterno Library, University Park, PA 16802. Nominations may be sent to the search committee at the above address or to the chair at lap225@psu.edu. Review of candidates will begin on November 22, 2010 and continue until the position is filled.
Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce.
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