Collection Strategist Librarian, Head of Collection Strategies

Salary: $65,000 - $68,000

WHITMAN COLLEGE

Located in the historic community of Walla Walla, Whitman’s vibrant and beautiful tree-lined campus is home to an intellectually diverse, dynamic, welcoming and supportive community of some 500 staff and faculty serving approximately 1,500 students from the local region and across the globe.  With exceptional students, accomplished faculty and staff, and a fiercely loyal and growing number of engaged alumni, Whitman College continues to build on its national reputation for academic excellence as one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country.  

 

Whitman College is cultivating a community built on inclusion and belonging. We recognize the value of those who can offer historically underrepresented perspectives and encourage applications from those whose background, knowledge, and insights from lived experience can add to the college’s working and learning environment. Whitman College is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer (EEO) .

POSITION PURPOSE

The Collection Strategist Librarian ensures that the College’s teaching, learning, and research needs are supported by appropriate scholarly resources. The person in the role serves as the Head of the Collection Strategies department and oversees acquisitions and collection development. Vital to this role is the ability to work positively and effectively with students, faculty, staff, and administrators in a liberal arts college, as well as adaptability in a changing work environment. This position reports to the Director of the Library.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Establish policies, procedures, priorities, and goals for the department, planning and coordinating departmental activities, workflow patterns, duties, and special projects.
• Supervise Collection Strategies staff. 
• Coordinate all collection development and management activities.
• Monitor a collection budget of approximately $1.4 million to ensure prudent and timely expenditure of funds.
• Serve as the primary contact for library materials vendors.
• Manage the Library’s approval plan with input from faculty and library staff.
• Maintain and revise the Library’s Collection Development Policy.
• Collaborate with the Cataloging Librarian on all aspects of the Library’s collections, including their development, processing, evaluation, preservation, and maintenance.
• Respond to potential donor inquiries and select materials received as gifts.
• In consultation with library staff and faculty, develop collection management, analysis, and assessment policies.
• Review licenses for electronic resources and media, consulting with library staff to advise on complex license negotiations.
• Coordinate with the Cataloging and Metadata on Services the Federal and Washington State government documents programs.
• Demonstrate knowledge and awareness of U.S. copyright law.
• Act as a functional liaison to academic departments, keeping faculty informed of Collection issues and selecting material as appropriate.
• Represent the Library at local and regional consortia on issues related to collection management.
• Ensure excellent communication and cooperation with other Library departments.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

Candidates must demonstrate their ability to safely perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation, by explaining or showing they possess the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities.

• Ability to plan, direct, and execute technical services activities, including acquisitions, serials, and cataloging.
• Ability to understand and work with complex budgets. 
• Ability to advance the college’s core values of diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism.
• Ability to lead, mentor, and motivate while cultivating an environment of creativity and innovation amongst staff. 
• Comprehensive knowledge of a library's diverse functions.
• Familiarity with current issues and trends in collection development faced by academic libraries.
• Strong planning, project management, analytical, and decision-making skills.
•  Excellent communication and organizational skills.
• Ability to leverage evolving technologies to advance library programs and initiatives.
• Capability to perform regular general maintenance of the collection.
• Knowledge or experience with and knowledge of an integrated library system (ILS).
• Knowledge or experience in collection development and management in an academic library, overseeing collections spanning a wide range of subjects.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Completion of an ALA-accredited master’s degree in library/information science.
• At least one year of substantial administrative or management experience in collections and/or technical services in an academic library, including experience in personnel supervision at various levels and budgeting.

BENEFITS 

Whitman College offers a competitive benefits program that is designed to attract qualified candidates and retain talented employees. Full-time employees enjoy the following benefits:

Medical/Dental/Vision Insurances.

Basic life, accidental death and dismemberment and long term disability insurances with the capability to elect additional voluntary coverage.

403(b) Defined Contribution Retirement Plan with a 10% matching contribution after eligibility requirements are met.

Paid Time Off: 20 accrued vacation days, 12 accrued sick days, 13 paid holidays.

Tuition Remission – Dependent Children

Employee tuition waiver for one Whitman course per semester.

Employee Assistance Program

Learn more about benefits eligibility here. 

 

DISABILITY ACCOMMODATION FOR JOB CANDIDATES

Contact Human Resources regarding requests for disability accommodation in the employment application process.

APPLICATION REVIEW

Application review will begin November 27, 2023 and continue until the position is filled.

START DATE

Early 2024.