Assistant Librarian - Assistant Head of Research Materials Procurement - (LIB000044)

The UH Libraries’ Research Materials Procurement (RMP) department manages the Libraries’ materials budget, the purchasing of all physical and electronic resources, and Interlibrary Loan, resource sharing, and document delivery services. Reporting to the Head of RMP, the Assistant Head of RMP will directly oversee the resource sharing, document delivery, and monographic ordering functions, with responsibility for providing excellent customer service to patrons. The person in this position will be responsible for leading the Interlibrary Loan and monographic acquisitions unit, monitoring resource sharing agreements and internal processes, customizing and troubleshooting the OCLC ILLiad system, and processing difficult or complex ILL requests. As a leader in the department, this position is also responsible for leading a team of staff and students, including direct supervision of two full-time staff members and indirect supervision of at least three staff members and multiple students. In the absence of the Head of RMP, this person will be responsible for the daily management of the staff and department.

The successful candidate will have opportunities to work in a team-based environment and collaborate across the libraries to set priorities and ensure alignment with UH Libraries and university goals. Responsibilities will include tracking trends in resource sharing, open access publishing, and alternative acquisition and access models to maximize access to resources. A key element will include building effective relationships and communication with vendors, consortia partners, and UH System campus libraries. The position will also require collaboration and communication with subject liaisons about purchases and services to patrons, providing relevant data as needed, and serving on cross-departmental teams such as the Libraries’ Collection Strategies and Management Committee (CSMC) and Data-driven Resource Evaluation and Assessment Metrics (DREAM) Team. The successful candidate will be encouraged and supported to develop skills in the areas of copyright and intellectual property in libraries, license agreements, and print and electronic serials acquisition and management.

The Assistant Head of RMP is a librarian position. Librarians hold academic rank pursuant to the University of Houston Librarians’ Bylaws Document. They are expected to develop a record of service, scholarship, and professional development. The UH Libraries support the ongoing professional development of librarians and our goal is to recruit librarians committed to continuous learning.

Library Information: UH Libraries is a member of the Association of Research Libraries, the Greater Western Library Alliance, HathiTrust, the Council on Library and Information Resources, the Digital Library Federation, and the Texas Digital Library. The campus libraries provide access to over 3.1 million volumes. The University Libraries’ total staff is 160 FTE, including 62 professionals. Additional information about UH Libraries is available at: http://libraries.uh.edu .

The UH Libraries’ Strategic Plan 2017-21 focuses on quality collections, research productivity, student success, and transforming library spaces. The complete document is available at: http://libraries.uh.edu/strategic-plan/ . The Libraries’ Strategic Plan supports an ambitious set of goals adopted by the University and furthers the drive for flagship status: http://www.uh.edu/about/mission/ . We seek to recruit librarians who can relate their work to these strategies and understand their role in advancing these strategic imperatives.

University of Houston Libraries respects, appreciates, and encourages diversity. Our organization serves one of the most diverse campuses in the nation and seeks to recruit and retain a similar community of library professionals. We welcome candidates whose experience in libraries, research, or community service has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to excellence in diversity and inclusion.

General Information: The University of Houston campus comprises 14 colleges offering close to 80 degree programs with an enrollment of more than 45,000 students, 7,200 of whom are enrolled in graduate studies.

Houston, the fourth largest city in the United States, offers all the cultural and recreational opportunities of a great city and is within easy reach of the Gulf of Mexico. It enjoys a reasonable cost of living. For additional information, including information about Houston's flourishing arts scene and entertainment offerings, please see: http://www.visithoustontexas.com/ . For information about housing and living in Houston see: http://www.houston.org/living/index.html .

Visit the UH Libraries Employment page for more information: http://libraries.uh.edu/about/employment/ . Potential applicants seeking further information should contact Christina Gola, Director of Human Resources and Organizational Development, at 713-743-9761 or chgola@uh.edu.

The University of Houston is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Additionally, the university prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

Qualifications :

Master’s degree from an ALA-accredited program; a bility to work strategically in a complex, team environment; e xperience working with interlibrary loan operations and systems, such as ILLiad, OCLC Worldshare, or RAPID; f amiliarity with copyright and intellectual property best practices as it relates to resource sharing and open access.

Preferred:

Demonstrated knowledge of, or experience with, monographic acquisition and ordering platforms, preferably GOBI; s upervisory experience.

Notes to Applicant: Official transcripts are required for a librarian appointment and will be requested upon selection of final candidate. All positions at the University of Houston are security sensitive; appointment to this position is contingent on the results of a completed criminal history records investigation.