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Unit Head of Resource Acquisitions and Access

Employer
University of Notre Dame Hesburgh Library
Location
Notre Dame, Indiana
Salary
Salary is nationally competitive and commensurate with experience and qualifications.
Date posted
Mar 20, 2023

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Job Details

The Hesburgh Libraries at the University of Notre Dame seeks a collaborative, resourceful, and dynamic professional to serve as the Unit Head for Resource Acquisition and Access (RAA). The unit is responsible for the acquisition of rare and special materials, monographs (print and electronic), media, gifts, approval plans, and accounts payable. Reporting to the Director of the Collection Strategy and Acquisitions Program (CSA), the Unit Head provides leadership, operational management, and vision for the four team members of the RAA Unit. The incumbent serves as a member of the CSA's leadership team along with the Program Director, Unit Head of Continuing and Electronic Resources, and three Scholarly Resource Assessment Librarians. The incumbent will be expected to advance administrative data practices to improve collection assessment, prepare for a systems migration, and support staff through these upcoming changes while maintaining excellent service levels in a high-volume environment.

Acquisitions relies on partnerships with colleagues across the Libraries and University, and with vendors and donors; the RAA Unit Head is responsible for building and fostering strong relationships while ensuring adherence to university procurement guidelines and best practices within the libraries. The RAA Unit Head is expected to provide solutions to situations that involve complex problem-solving involving numerous stakeholders.

The incumbent will work with the Director of the Collection Strategy, other program managers, and stakeholders to develop a unified strategy, set goals, establish best practices, and implement optimal workflows related to acquisitions, collection assessment, collection management, inventory control, and accounts payable. The Unit Head provides leadership, supports professional growth and development, and fosters an inclusive environment for the team. The RAA Unit Head upholds the shared values of the program, which include a commitment to innovation, team-based operations, project management, and continuous improvement.  

Librarians are non-tenured members of the University faculty and engage in professional service, contribution to the profession, and University and community service.

Responsibilities:

●    Serves as a member of the CSA program’s leadership team (25%)

  • Supports goal setting in alignment with the Hesburgh Libraries’ new strategic framework and program-level project planning.
  • Monitors trends and best practices related to acquisitions, collection management, collection assessment; recommends new technology, services, and positions to keep pace with evolving services.
  • Assists program leadership and finance team with annual budget development and review.
  • Assists with the planning and implementation of collection development and management projects.

●    Manages the daily operations of acquisitions, receipt, accounts payable, and collections control (35%)

  • Establishes unit-level goals, holds regular meetings, assesses the unit’s performance, and provides training, coaching, and improvement plans.
  • Communicates on a regular basis with the Director of the CSA program regarding team needs, issues, and updates.
  • Works with unit members to enhance processes, workflows, and documentation
  • Coordinates with Continuing and Electronic Resources, Metadata Services, Specialized Collections, User Services, and Branch Libraries on cross-unit processes, policies, and service agreements where cataloging, acquisitions, and collection management intersect.

●    Is the responsible party for the following areas related to acquisitions and collections (25%)

  • Monitors expenditures and fund balances; reconciles budget in library and university systems.
  • Works with vendors to manage accounts, integrate services, and troubleshoot.
  • Reviews and negotiates deeds of gifts and provides support for inquiries related to the interpretation of terms.
  • Works with curators and archivists to acquire rare and unique materials in accordance with best practices and ethical standards for these materials.
  • Coordinates logistics for acquiring significant collections, both domestically and internationally.
  • Manages library approval plans in conjunction with the program director and subject librarians.
  • Serves as the liaison between the unit and subject librarians on unit-related matters

●    Other professional contributions (15%)

  • Engages in professional development, scholarship, and professional service.
  • Serves on libraries and university committees, task forces, and teams as appropriate. 

Salary and Benefits
Faculty appointment, salary, and rank are nationally competitive with peer Association of Research Libraries (ARL) members and commensurate with experience and qualifications. Per the University’s Academic Articles, librarians at Hesburgh Libraries qualify for non-tenure library faculty appointments.  Candidates may learn more about library faculty status through the University’s “Academic Articles” and the Hesburgh Libraries’ information circular “Criteria for Library Faculty Appointment and Promotion”. Both documents are available in the “Library Faculty Positions” section of Hesburgh Libraries’ Employment Opportunities web page, at https://www.library.nd.edu/employment/

In addition, the University of Notre Dame offers an outstanding benefits package. Candidates can view summaries of benefits at Human Resources’ Benefits Summaries web page, at hhttps://hr.nd.edu/employment/benefit-summaries/. For this role, view the summary entitled “Regular Faculty {Full-Time}.”

Finally, the University of Notre Dame supports the needs of dual career couples and has a Dual Career Assistance Program to assist relocating spouses and significant others with their job search. Candidates can view summaries of this program at Human Resources’ Dual Career Assistance Program web page, at https://hr.nd.edu/employment/dual-career-assistance-program/

Environment
The University of Notre Dame is a highly selective global Catholic doctoral research university with very high research activity whose idyllic campus is located in northern Indiana’s Michiana region, and about 90 miles east from Chicago. For more information about the University of Notre Dame, please visit the University of Notre Dame homepage at http://nd.edu/.

The Hesburgh Libraries at the University of Notre Dame advances institutional priorities by utilizing a talent process that maximizes professional and personal potential, implementing innovative services that further intellectual inquiry, and facilitating access to knowledge across a wide range of scholarly resources in numerous disciplines and formats.

As the primary library system on Notre Dame's campus, Hesburgh Libraries is a dynamic organization that features the flagship Hesburgh Library. Hesburgh Library, along with the Main Building and the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, is one of three iconic buildings that define the skyline of the Notre Dame campus. It also features the world-famous Word of Life mural (affectionately known as “Touchdown Jesus”).

The Hesburgh Library building houses the Navari Family Center for Digital Scholarship, the Medieval Institute Library, Rare Books & Special Collections, University Archives, and the Visual Resources Center. The Hesburgh Libraries organization also includes three specialty libraries located across the Notre Dame campus (Architecture Library, Business Library, and Music Library).

In 2022, the Hesburgh Libraries developed a new mission, vision, and strategic framework [pdf] designed to help advance Notre Dame's aspirations to become one of the world's leading research universities while prioritizing human and professional flourishing. Within this new framework, each member of the library community plays a key role in advancing strategic goals and objectives, sustaining critical operations, and defining shared values.

The Hesburgh Libraries organization employs nearly 200 people, including more than 50 library faculty members, and has been a longstanding member of several organizations, including Association of Research Libraries (ARL), Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR), Coalition for Networked Information (CNI), Northeast Research Libraries Consortium (NERL), HathiTrust, and the OCLC Research Library Partnership.

Additional information about Hesburgh Libraries can be found on the libraries’ website https://www.library.nd.edu/employment/. For additional information about working at the University of Notre Dame and various benefits available to employees, please visit http://hr.nd.edu/why-nd


Qualifications:

●    MLS degree from an ALA-accredited program or non-U.S. equivalent, or equivalent terminal degree completed prior to the candidate's starting date of employment.
●    Familiarity with current and emerging trends related to acquisition practices; awareness of standards and practices that improve collection assessment efforts and inventory management.
●    Experience with library collections systems, online vendor interfaces, and collection data processes related to acquisitions.
●    Ability to take a leadership role in group activities.
●    Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

●    Experience in a supervisory role.
●    Demonstrated ability to set priorities in a time-sensitive environment.

Diversity and Inclusion
We expect that the successful candidates will increase the diversity of voices within research libraries, higher education, and cultural heritage institutions. Through their materials, applicants should clearly demonstrate how they have embodied, fostered, or implemented an equitable culture that considers diversity to be a competitive advantage.

While the University of Notre Dame welcomes and actively seeks Catholic intellectuals, what the University asks of all its scholars and students is not a particular creedal affiliation, but a respect for the objectives of Notre Dame, and a willingness to enter into the conversation that gives it life and character. Therefore, the university insists upon academic freedom that makes open discussion and inquiry possible.

The University of Notre Dame is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to building a culturally diverse workplace. Moreover, Notre Dame prohibits discrimination against veterans or disabled qualified individuals, and requires affirmative action by covered contractors to employ and advance veterans and qualified individuals with disabilities in compliance with 41 CFR 60-741.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-300.5(a).

Application Instructions
This position posting and application instructions can be found on the Interfolio website: http://apply.interfolio.com/122647

Review of applications will begin immediately, and the application period ends on May 1, 2023.

Interested candidates should assemble four (4) items, in the following sequential order, in a single, unlocked Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) file:

(1) A formal letter of application (3 pages maximum), addressed to:

Michelle Savoie 
Personnel Specialist
Hesburgh Libraries
University of Notre Dame
284 Hesburgh Library
Notre Dame, IN 46556

(2) A résumé or curriculum vitae (15 pages maximum);

(3) Final, accepted, or complete draft publication or comparable non-confidential writing sample (10 pages maximum); and

(4) The name, title, institution, and email address of five (5) professional references. At least one of these references must have been your direct supervisor within the past three years. (Hesburgh Libraries search representatives will begin contacting professional references once selected candidates accept an invitation for a campus visit.)

Please name the submitted Acrobat file as follows:
hesburghlibraries_UnitHeadRAA_lastnamefirstinitial

(Example: hesburghlibrariesUnitHeadRAA_savoiem)

Failure to comply with these directions may disqualify your application from being considered or delay review of your materials.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The University of Notre Dame seeks to attract, develop, and retain the highest quality faculty, staff, and administration.  The University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to building a culturally diverse workplace.  We strongly encourage applications from female and minority candidates and those candidates attracted to a university with a Catholic identity.  Moreover, Notre Dame prohibits discrimination against veterans or disabled qualified individuals, and requires affirmative action by covered contractors to employ and advance veterans and qualified individuals with disabilities in compliance with 41 CFR 60-741.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-300.5(a).

Background Check 
This appointment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check.  Applicants will be asked to identify all felony convictions and/or pending felony charges.  Felony convictions do not automatically bar an individual from employment.  Each case will be examined separately to determine the appropriateness of employment in the particular position.  Failure to be forthcoming or dishonesty with respect to felony disclosures can result in the disqualification of a candidate.  The full procedure can be viewed at https://facultyhandbook.nd.edu/?id=link-73597.

Company

University of Notre Dame Hesburgh Library

The University of Notre Dame is a highly selective national Catholic teaching and research university in northern Indiana about ninety miles from Chicago. Approximately 8,200 undergraduates and 3,100 graduate students pursue a broad range of studies. For more information about the University of Notre Dame, please visit the University of Notre Dame homepage at http://nd.edu/. The Hesburgh Libraries (http://library.nd.edu) hold about 3.5 million volumes and provide access to more than 23,000 serials. The Libraries have 124 staff and 50 librarians. The Libraries are a member of the Academic Libraries of Indiana (ALI), ARL, NERL and other consortia. The University of Notre Dame is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer strongly committed to diversity. We value qualified candidates who can bring a variety of backgrounds to our community.

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