[LIBJOBS] Head, Acquisitons, Iowa City, USA

Please post. Thanks.

 

Leo Agnew

HR Director

UI Libraries

THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA LIBRARIES

IOWA CITY, IOWA

 

Position Vacancy

 

Head, Acquisitions

Specialist/Expert Librarian (PLB2-4A/PLB3-5A)

 

Position Description: The University of Iowa Libraries seeks an experienced, self-motivated, and transformative leader to guide the acquisitions functions for the University of Iowa Libraries.  The librarian will formulate and execute strategic initiatives for the Acquisitions Department to manage a diverse portfolio of services. The University of Iowa Libraries has significant investments in journal packages, approval plans, e-books, and a DDA program.  Reporting to the Associate University Librarian (AUL) for Collections, the Head of Acquisitions provides leadership for all acquisitions activities to ensure excellent customer service and timely access to information resources. The Acquisitions Department is responsible for the acquisition of print materials including purchasing for special collections, electronic resources, brief record creation, gift processing, and collection assessment projects.  The department includes ten merit staff and one librarian.  The unit leaders for monographs, serials, gifts, and electronic resources management report directly to the Head and supervise the staff in their functional areas. 

Working collaboratively with the AUL for Collections and the Libraries Business Office, the Head will take the lead in creating and managing a collections budget of over $15 million dollars.  The Head will be expected to provide budget projections, reconcile collection expenditures, execute fiscal close, and communicate with selectors to ensure timely expenditure of funds.

The University of Iowa Libraries participates in consortial agreements with the Big Ten Academic Alliance and NERL.  These consortial partnerships are important and provide access to mission critical resources to support the University. The Head of Acquisitions ensures that departmental activities support these collaborations and others as they develop. 

The University of Iowa Libraries: The University of Iowa Libraries system consists of the Main Library, the Hardin Library for the Health Sciences and a number of branch libraries.   The Libraries has more than 5 million volumes including thousands of electronic resources and coordinates the development and maintenance of the University’s locally-created open access digital resources including the Iowa Digital Library, featuring close to a million digitized texts, images, and audio and video recordings, as well as Iowa Research Online, our institutional repository. Our Special Collections include over 200,000 rare books, ranging in age from the 15^th century to newly created artists’ books.

 

Library systems are built on a mix of open source, locally developed, hosted services, and vended applications primarily from Ex Libris, OCLC, and Microsoft. The University of Iowa is a member of the Big Ten Academic Alliance, ARL, OCLC, CRL, SPARC, CNI, CLIR, LOCKSS, CLOCKSS, and Portico. The Libraries provides a program of support for professional development activities and its staff members are actively engaged in national cooperative efforts.

 

Specific Duties and responsibilities include:

·         Provide dynamic leadership that encourages collaboration and innovation in the Acquisitions Department and other departmental units in UI Libraries;

·         Actively represent the concerns of the Acquisitions Unit in library planning initiatives and strategic planning;

·         Encourage and mentor staff;

·         Manage all phases of activity of the Acquisitions Department, including ordering, claiming, and electronic resource management;

·         Formulate, revise, implement and maintain operating procedures;

·         Coordinate workflow within the unit, and with other units in the Library and the University Procurement Office;

·         Works closely with the AUL for Collections and Libraries Budget Office to ensure oversight and management of collection fund expenditures and reports budget trends;

·         Serves on the Collection Management Team;

·         Stay abreast of  national  and international publishing community to support the information needs of University of Iowa faculty, staff and students;

·         Oversees and maintains consistent acquisitions data for a broad range of areas;

·         Actively manages approval plans, DDA, and gifts program;

·         Represent the Library at appropriate selected professional meetings and conferences;

·         Perform other duties as assigned.

 

Required Education & Experience:

·                     MLS from an American Library Association-accredited institution;

·                     Two or more years of professional experience is required for appointment at the Specialist Librarian level; 4 or more years for the Expert Librarian level;

·                     Minimum of two years professional library experience in a research, academic, or special library, including two years of acquisitions operations;

·                     Two years managerial and supervisory experience;

·                     Experience in collection development or acquisitions work;

·                     Demonstrated knowledge of approval plans and monographic and serials acquisitions;

·                     Working knowledge of budgeting and accounting practices;

·                     Familiarity with state guidelines governing acquisitions practices and procedures;

·                     Experience conducting RFP processes;

·                     Ability to develop and maintain productive relationships with publishers, vendors, and faculty;

·                     Experience with consortial agreements;

·                     Demonstrated knowledge of e-resources lifecycle and familiarity with intellectual property issues;

·                     Experience negotiating license agreements;

·                     Excellent analytical, writing, interpersonal, and supervisory skills;

·                     Ability to work independently, delegate duties, and work collaboratively in a complex academic setting;

·                     Experience with an integrated library system and acquisitions technology;

·                     Demonstrated ability to manage change and encourage innovation;

·                     Demonstrated commitment to diversity in the workplace or community;

·                     Demonstrated interest in professional development that will enhance the candidate’s value to the Libraries, the University, the profession, or the scholarly community.

Desired Qualifications

·                     Three years or more working in a research library with a strong commitment to consortia engagement;

·                     Project management experience;

·                     Ability to build consensus among differing constituencies;

·                     Demonstrated ability to successfully lead and implement change;

·                     Familiarity with concepts, trends and assessment methods related to collection management, e-book programs, and complex journal packages.

Salary and appointment: Start date is negotiable. Appointment will be made at the Specialist Librarian (II) or Expert (III) Librarian level, depending on experience and qualifications of successful candidate. Salary ranges: Specialist Librarian $50,000 - $64,000; Expert Librarian $55,000 - $81,000. The University of Iowa offers an attractive package of benefits including 24 days of paid vacation per year, your choice between two retirement plans and two University of Iowa health insurance plans, dental insurance, pre-tax child and health care spending accounts, and additional options.

Application Procedure: To apply for this position, please visit the University of Iowa Jobs@UIOWA website at https://jobs.uiowa.edu/pands/view/69977. Extended posting until position filled. References will be requested at a later date for finalists.

 

Universal Competencies:

·         Collaboration and Embracing Diversity

Ability to work with a variety of individuals and groups in a constructive and civil manner while appreciating the unique contribution of individuals from varied cultures, race, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

·         Positive Impact/Achieving Results

Ability to utilize existing resources and learning to achieve or exceed desired outcomes of current and future organizational goals/needs. Able to demonstrate ethical behavior in diverse situations while producing results.

·         Service Excellence/Customer Focus

Ability to meet or exceed customer service needs and expectations and provide excellent service in a direct or indirect manner. Ability to effectively transmit and interpret information through appropriate communication with internal and external customers.

 

The University of Iowa is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment free from discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, religion, associational preference, status as a qualified individual with a disability, or status as a protected veteran.

 

The University of Iowa Libraries: The University of Iowa Libraries system consists of the Main Library, the Hardin Library for the Health Sciences and a number of branch libraries. The Libraries has more than 5 million volumes including thousands of electronic resources and coordinates the development and maintenance of the University’s locally-created open access digital resources including the Iowa Digital Library, featuring close to a million digitized texts, images, and audio and video recordings, as well as Iowa Research Online, our institutional repository. Our Special Collections include over 200,000 rare books, ranging in age from the 15^th century to newly created artists’ books.

 

Library systems are built on a mix of open source, locally developed, hosted services, and vended applications primarily from Ex Libris, OCLC, and Microsoft. The University of Iowa is a member of the Big Ten Academic Alliance, ARL, OCLC, CRL, SPARC, CNI, CLIR, LOCKSS, CLOCKSS, and Portico. The Libraries provides a program of support for professional development activities and its staff members are actively engaged in national cooperative efforts.

 

The UI Libraries is a charter member of the newly formed ACRL Diversity Alliance.

 

The University and Iowa City: A major research and teaching institution, the University of Iowa offers internationally recognized programs in a diverse array of academic, medical, and artistic disciplines, from otolaryngology to fiction writing, printmaking to space science, hydraulic engineering to dance. The University consists of a faculty of 2,000 and a permanent staff of 13,000 serving 30,500 students, more than 40% of whom are from out of state and close to 10,000 of whom are registered in graduate and professional degree programs. Approximately 9% of the University’s faculty and staff and 10% of its student body are members of minority groups, and 8% of the students are from foreign countries.

 

The University of Iowa is home to the Writers’ Workshop, the oldest graduate creative writing program in the country, and the blueprint for many of the creative writing programs that now thrive on campuses worldwide. It is also home to the International Writing Program where, since 1967, over a thousand writers from more than 120 countries have participated. The University has recently instituted a program in creative writing in Spanish. In 2008, UNESCO designated Iowa City as a world City of Literature.

 

Iowa City is a community of some 71,000 people (more than 150,000 live in the surrounding area) with excellent educational, recreational, and cultural advantages. It is consistently cited in the national media as a city with an excellent quality of life. The city is readily accessible via interstate highways and a major airport is only 30 minutes away. The community is growing in its diversity; within the Iowa City Community School District, 35.4% of the students are minority, with 19.8% identifying as Black, 8.4% as Hispanic, 6.7% as Asian/Pacific Islander, and .3% as Native American during the 2014/15 school year.

 

For more information about the University of Iowa Libraries, please see http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/

 

For more information about the University of Iowa and community, please see https://jobs.uiowa.edu/why_ui/index.php