Director of Resource Description Services

Director of Resource Description Services

Job no: 531176

Work type: Faculty - Career

Location: Eugene, OR

Categories: Education, Library, Student Life/Services, Instruction, Public Policy and Planning, Planning/Project Management, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Department: Library
Rank: Associate Librarian
Annual Basis: 12 Month
Salary: $85,000 - $110,000


Review of Applications Begins

April 3, 2023; position open until filled (revised)

Special Instructions to Applicants

To ensure consideration for the position, please include with your online application:
1. a cover letter stating your interest and qualifications for the position, and
2. current resume, which includes dates of employment.

Department Summary

The University of Oregon is one of only two Pacific Northwest members of the Association of American Universities and holds the distinction of a “very high research activity” ranking in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The UO enrolls more than 20,000 undergraduate and 3,600 graduate students representing all 50 states and nearly 100 countries. The University of Oregon is guided by a diversity framework that involves a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion for all students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members. In recent years, the university has increased the diversity of its student body while raising average GPAs and test scores for incoming students. The UO's 295-acre campus features state-of-the-art facilities in an arboretum-like setting within the traditional homelands of the Kalapuya people. The UO is located in Eugene, a vibrant city of 157,000 with a wide range of cultural and culinary offerings, a pleasant year-round climate, and a community engaged in environmental and social concerns. The campus is within easy driving distance of the Pacific Coast, the Cascade Mountains, and Portland.

About the UO Libraries:
The University of Oregon Libraries is an essential partner in the University's educational, research, and public service mission. With five locations on the Eugene campus and branches at UO Portland and at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, the Libraries offer many flexible, service- and technology-rich environments for our users' research and learning needs. The UO Libraries is committed to supporting and enhancing the diversity of the university community, to providing a culturally inclusive environment where diversity of thought and expression is valued and respected, and to disrupting systemic inequalities. With a focus on equity in service, we strive to create a powerful learning community, a welcoming space where faculty, students, and patrons of all ages and cultural and ethnic backgrounds can access the information necessary to achieve their personal and professional goals. Our mission is to actively support the student learning experience, enable the creation and stewardship of knowledge, and contribute to advancements in teaching, research, scholarship, and public service. We value intellectual freedom, user-centered service, evidence-based approaches, transparency, innovation, teamwork, diversity, and integrity.

The University of Oregon Libraries is the only Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member in Oregon. The library is a member of the Orbis Cascade Alliance, SPARC, Center for Research Libraries, DuraSpace, the Council on Library and Information Resources, Coalition for Networked Information, EDUCAUSE, and other major organizations. For more information about the UO Libraries, go to https://library.uoregon.edu/overview.

About Resource Description Services:
Resource Description Services supports original and copy cataloging for all types of materials in a variety of languages, and metadata management and authority control for MARC and non-MARC collections. The department works closely with Collection Strategies, Special Collections and University Archives, Beach Conservation Lab, Digital Scholarship Services, and others within the Libraries and UO campus to provide intellectual and physical access to collections, as well as cataloging and metadata solutions that support the management and discovery of scholarly resources. The department builds strong partnerships with external partners to lead advances in practice and to contribute expertise to regional, national, and international associations related to cataloging and metadata. For the current organization chart, go to https://library.uoregon.edu/general/about/orgchart.

Position Summary

About the Position:
Reporting to the Associate Vice Provost & University Librarian for Collections & Discovery Services, the Director of Resource Description Services is a member of the UO Libraries' Leadership Team with broad responsibilities for ensuring UO's educational mission, academic priorities, research agenda, and diverse campus community are supported at the highest level with scholarly resources. Working collaboratively with other UO Libraries leaders, this position is responsible for the overall vision, leadership, administration, and coordination of departmental business, including planning, developing, interpreting, and implementing system-wide policies and procedures for cataloging and metadata services.

The department overseen by the Director of Resource Description Services includes as many as 18 employees. Key activities in the department include: analyzing and describing library resources for the public discovery service; batch-loading records for e-resource collections; creating and ingesting metadata for Oregon Digital; ensuring the quality of data in the Libraries' public catalog and digital collections; creating and maintaining authority records to ensure consistency in name and subject access points; preparing physical materials for use; and withdrawal of material from the collection.

The successful candidate will lead the Libraries' cataloging and metadata team in creating viable procedures to ensure appropriate levels of description, access, and data stewardship for a wide variety of library resources across numerous local and shared platforms. The successful candidate will help lead the development of long-range and comprehensive plans for cataloging and metadata initiatives within the Libraries.

The most competitive candidates are well versed in approaches to and experience with change management, communication, the development of high-trust, high-performing teams, and commitment to organizational equity and inclusion. The Director of Resource Description Services can look forward to working in a supportive and collaborative environment where new ideas are rewarded, growth is expected, and success is shared. The successful candidate will work strategically with a diverse group of colleagues and facilitate a work environment that encourages knowledge of, respect for, and development of skills to engage with those of other cultures, abilities, or backgrounds.

We are aware that some people are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every qualification in the job description including the preferred qualifications. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job and recognize that a successful candidate may come from a less traditional career trajectory, such as having skills and abilities gained outside a classroom context, or an equivalent skill set. We encourage you to apply, even if you don't believe you meet every one of our preferred qualifications.

Minimum Requirements

Minimum qualifications for rank of Associate Librarian:

• Master's Degree in Library/Information Science from an ALA-accredited institution, or international equivalent.
  
• Six years post-MLIS or post-international equivalent progressively responsible library services leadership/management experience in an academic or research library, to include supervisory experience.
  
  Minimum qualifications for rank of Senior Librarian:
  
• Master's Degree in Library/Information Science from an ALA-accredited institution, or international equivalent.
  
• Twelve years post-MLIS or post-international equivalent progressively responsible library services leadership/management experience in an academic or research library, to include supervisory experience.
  
  Professional Competencies
  
  
• Knowledge of cataloging and metadata processes in an academic library setting utilizing current standards, tools, and best practices.
  
• Knowledge of contemporary trends and key issues in higher education and research libraries, cataloging, and metadata.
  
• Ability to advocate for the diverse cataloging and metadata needs of stakeholders, and long-term strategic goals.
  
• Commitment to embedding concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion across and at all levels of cataloging and metadata workflows.
  
• Success in personnel management, including the ability to lead and engage staff through the process of organizational improvement and change, and the ability to foster team commitment and trust.
  
• Strong diplomacy and negotiation skills; ability to bring key stakeholders together across differences to achieve goals.
  
• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate effectively in writing and verbally with people from different backgrounds and with diverse life experiences and learning styles.
  
• Excellent project management skills, problem-solving ability, organizational and analytical skills, with the ability to manage workload, priorities, and deadlines to achieve goals.
  
• Ability to support and enhance a diverse learning and working environment.
  
  Preferred Qualifications
  
  
• Experience managing the creation and contribution of name authority records to the PCC's NACO program.
  
• Experience cataloging rare books and special collections materials.
  
• Knowledge of cataloging and metadata services applied in a consortial implementation of Ex Libris' Alma.
  
• Advanced education or training in leadership, management, higher education, or a related field.
  
• Strategic perspective informed by knowledge of the current higher education policy environment, and experience with library and campus policy review, development, implementation, and training.
  
• Strong record of scholarly contributions to the library & information profession.
  
  University of Oregon students and employees are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19. For additional information see: https://hr.uoregon.edu/uo-covid-19-vaccination-requirement-employee-process.
  
  The University of Oregon is proud to offer a robust benefits package to eligible employees, including health insurance, retirement plans and paid time off. For more information about benefits, visit http://hr.uoregon.edu/careers/about-benefits.
  
  The University of Oregon is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution committed to cultural diversity and compliance with the ADA. The University encourages all qualified individuals to apply, and does not discriminate on the basis of any protected status, including veteran and disability status. The University is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. To request an accommodation in connection with the application process, please contact us at uocareers@uoregon.edu or 541-346-5112.
  
  UO prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression in all programs, activities and employment practices as required by Title IX, other applicable laws, and policies. Retaliation is prohibited by UO policy. Questions may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, Office of Civil Rights Compliance, or to the Office for Civil Rights. Contact information, related policies, and complaint procedures are listed on the statement of non-discrimination.
  
  In compliance with federal law, the University of Oregon prepares an annual report on campus security and fire safety programs and services. The Annual Campus Security and Fire Safety Report is available online at https://clery.uoregon.edu/annual-campus-security-and-fire-safety-report.
  
  
  
  To apply, visit https://careers.uoregon.edu/en-us/job/531176/director-of-resource-description-services
  
  
  
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