Director of Sciences User Engagement

Director of Sciences User Engagement (Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library and Sciences and Engineering Library)

Department: User Engagement

Rank and Salary: Associate Librarian - Librarian ($67,528 - $118,160)

Position Availability: Immediately

Application deadline for first consideration: March 30, 2023

 

 

The UCLA Library seeks a dynamic, team-oriented leader to oversee research and teaching support efforts in the health, life, and physical sciences. This includes managing three library locations, fostering strong relationships with professional schools, and serving as an advocate for science research practices and needs in library decision-making. The position is one of three directors in the User Engagement division and works closely with their peers in a collaborative leadership environment.

 

 

 

Position Duties

 

Reporting to the Associate University Librarian for User Engagement, the incumbent is responsible for the following duties:

 

 

 

• Lead planning and management of all aspects of the Sciences User Engagement (SUE) division, including coordination of the liaison, research support, instruction, and collection development programs, as well as spaces and other facilities projects.   Manage the division budget (~$8M) including collections, operations, student staffing, endowments, and other initiatives. Establish vision, priorities, and guidelines for the ongoing work of the division. Use data and assessment to support evidence-based changes to collections and services, including development of new services, as appropriate. Manage hiring, supervision, training, coaching, performance reviews, and professional guidance for 9 FTE librarians and 1 FTE instructional designer. Write job descriptions and lead recruitment efforts for the division, in alignment with best practices for equity, diversity, and inclusion. Analyze and develop recommendations related to staffing, equipment, and training. Collaborate with Unified Access Services to plan and execute facilities projects and upgrades. Build collaborative relationships across UCLA Library to execute excellent public services. Advocate for resources and staffing to support research and teaching in the sciences. Establish and sustain relationships with campus stakeholders such as the Center for Education Innovation and Learning in the Sciences (CEILS) and the leadership and faculty of the professional schools (Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Public Health, Engineering, etc.) to ensure strong services engagement and ongoing partnerships. Collaborate with peers to establish and adhere to best practices in management, talent development, and public services delivery. Foster a creative, inclusive, team-oriented environment. Serve as a member of the Library’s Management Council and the User Engagement Leadership Council. Work closely with Library Development to identify and steward donors, collections, and endowed gift funds

 

Required Qualifications

 

• ALA-accredited Master’s Degree in Library or Information Science required at the time of hire; OR Master’s degree (or other advanced degree) in Information Sciences or related field at the time of hire and work experience in a library setting.

• Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in providing and managing more than one area of academic library services and a record of progressively increasing responsibilities. Excellent oral and written communications and interpersonal skills. Demonstrated leadership and analytical skills, creative and innovative problem-solving skills, and a strong commitment to service excellence. Experience managing budgets. Supervisory experience. Evidence of initiative and flexibility. Capacity to thrive in the exciting, ambiguous, future-oriented environment of a world-class research institution and to respond effectively to changing needs and priorities. Experience in sciences or health sciences librarianship.

 

 

Applicants with all the above basic qualifications and any of the following preferred qualifications or professional experiences are strongly encouraged to apply: 1) Advanced degree in a field related to the primary responsibilities; 2) Record of teaching, scholarship, and active leadership (elective, appointive, significant committee positions) in professional organizations; 3) Experience in donor relations and stewardship; 4) Experience or evidence of contributions to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility.

 

 

General Information

Professional librarians at UCLA are academic appointees.  This is a non-represented position.  Within the UC System, most librarians are represented by an exclusive bargaining agent, University Council – American Federation of Teachers (UC-AFT).  As academic appointees, librarians are entitled to appropriate professional leave, two days per month of vacation leave, one day per month of sick leave, and all other benefits granted to non-faculty academic personnel.  UC has an excellent retirement system and sponsors a variety of group health, dental, vision, and life insurance plans in addition to other benefits.  Relocation assistance may be provided.

 

Appointees to the librarian series at UC shall have professional backgrounds that demonstrate a high degree of creativity, teamwork, and flexibility.  Such background will normally include a professional degree from an ALA-accredited library and information science graduate program.  In addition to professional competence and quality of service within the library in the primary job, advancement in the librarian series requires professional involvement and contributions outside of the library, and/or university and community service, and/or scholarly activities.  Candidates must show evidence or promise of such contributions.

 

Application Procedures

Anyone wishing to be considered for this position should apply here: https://recruit.apo.ucla.edu/JPF08249

 

Applications must include:

• a cover letter describing qualifications and experience;
• a current resume/vitae detailing education and relevant experience; and
• the names and contact information for three professional references, including a current or previous supervisor. A Statement of Contributions to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) - Equity, diversity, and inclusion are key components of The University of California’s commitment to excellence. Thus, teaching, research, professional, and public service contributions that promote equity, diversity, and inclusion are encouraged and given due recognition in the evaluation of each candidate’s qualifications. Please provide an EDI statement addressing your understanding of the barriers facing marginalized communities, and your awareness of and commitment to promoting an inclusionary library and campus environment. Describe your past, and/or future contributions to equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism. Candidates are invited to review the following: UCLA EDI statement (https://equity.ucla.edu/edi-ucla/) Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Statement FAQs (https://ucla.app.box.com/v/edi-statement-faqs) UCLA Library ARI and EDI efforts: https://www.library.ucla.edu/about-ucla-library/anti-racism-initiative

 

UCLA welcomes and encourages diversity and seeks applications and nominations from women and minorities.  UCLA seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce as a reflection of our commitment to serve the people of California, to maintain the excellence of the university, and to offer our students richly varied disciplines, perspectives, and ways of knowing and learning.

 

 

Description of Unit

As a part of User Engagement, the Sciences division (SUE) unites librarians and staff from three library locations. The division supports research, teaching, and clinical care in a wide variety of settings and at all levels, including specialized collections and services for health, physical, life, and applied sciences and engineering, as well as undergraduate support for all disciplines. The team consists of 9 FTE librarians and 1 FTE instructional designer, all of whom contribute to cross-departmental functional teams and services focusing on anti-racism, collections, outreach, research, and teaching and learning to further the UCLA Library's strategic goals. SUE staff build and maintain relationships with their academic departments and other campus partners and strive to provide an excellent user experience for all Library visitors.

 

 

 

The Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library serves UCLA's health and life sciences communities, which include upper division undergraduate students, graduate students, residents, fellows, faculty, and staff from the four professional health sciences schools (Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry, Public Health) and the Division of Life Sciences, as well as the health and life sciences information needs of the UCLA community as a whole. The collections are broad in scope and designed to support the teaching, research, and patient-care needs of its primary clientele. The total collection includes more than 600,000 print volumes and provides access to thousands of electronic resources including journals, databases, and other materials.

 

 

 

The Science & Engineering Library (SEL) provides collections and services in support of the research and educational programs of the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Sciences: Bioengineering, Computer Science, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering; and the Division of Physical Sciences in the College of Letters and Science: Departments of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Earth, Planetary & Space Sciences, Mathematics, Physics and Astronomy, and Statistics; and related centers/groups/institutes. The Science and Engineering Library (SEL) comprises two locations: SEL/Boelter (main location) in 8270 Boelter Hall and SEL/Geology in 4697 Geology Building. The SEL collections include more than a half a million print volumes, subscriptions to over 5,000 print or electronic journals, over 55,000 e-books, and a large collection of online technical reports.

 

 

 

Description of Institution and Library

As one of the world's great public research universities, UCLA integrates education, research, and public service so that each enriches and extends the others. From its beautiful neighborhood campus in a uniquely diverse and vibrant city on the Pacific Rim, teaching and research extend beyond the classroom, office, and lab through active engagement with communities, organizations, projects, and partnerships throughout the region and around the world.

 

UCLA’s diverse community of scholars encompasses nearly 30,000 undergraduates pursuing 125 majors, 13,000 graduate students in fifty-nine research programs, and 4,000 faculty members including Nobel Laureates; Rhodes Scholars; MacArthur Fellows; winners of the Fields Medal, National Medal of Science, Pritzker Prize, and Pulitzer Prize; and recipients of Oscars, Emmys, Tonys, and Golden Globes. UCLA ranks tenth in the Times of London Higher Education World Reputation Rankings, twelfth in the Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and fifth in the U.S. by Washington Monthly. The National Research Council ranks forty of its graduate and doctoral research programs among its top ten.

 

To enable these accomplished students, faculty, and staff to create, disseminate, and apply knowledge for the benefit of global society, the UCLA Library is re-envisioning how it is acquired, synthesized, and shared across academic audiences and with the public.  It was among the first academic libraries to develop subject-specialist librarians and to launch a program to enhance students’ research skills. Its Special Collections pioneered the acquisition by public institutions of rare and unique books, children’s literature, pulp and detective fiction, works by or about women and minorities, screenplays, architectural plans, and Los Angeles-related materials and today leads the way in collecting archival resources in digital format such as emails and manuscripts.  It has launched innovative data management services and an affordable course materials initiative that have served as models for other libraries.

 

The Library serves UCLA students, faculty, and staff whenever and wherever they need its resources and expertise. Reconfigured, high-tech spaces and services in its ten campus libraries enable users and librarians to explore and work with print and digital materials collaboratively or individually, pursue new lines of inquiry, and develop new pedagogical approaches as well as novel forms of scholarship.  More than 3.5 million people visit annually, while an additional 3.4 million visitors enter online through its virtual front doors.

 

Whether on campus or online, the Library forms the intellectual heart of UCLA, a hub for cutting-edge discovery, scholarship, and instruction.

 

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status.  For the complete University of California policy on discrimination, harassment, and affirmative action see:  University of California – Policy Discrimination, Harassment, and Affirmative Action in the Workplace at https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/DiscHarassAffirmAction

 

Under federal law, the University of California may employ only individuals who are legally authorized to work in the United States as established by providing documents specified in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.  Employment is contingent upon completion of satisfactory background investigation.

 

Visit the Jobs @ UCLA Library website at:  https://www.library.ucla.edu/about/jobs/