Director of South Caroliniana Library

Director of South Caroliniana Library – University Libraries

University of South Carolina seeks an experienced librarian to serve as the Director of the South Caroliniana Library. This position is responsible for administering the operations of the library; for the supervision of public services, acquisitions, and preservation; and for involvement in an active development program. The director shall promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in all library functions, including access, research, collection development, staffing and personnel development, outreach, exhibits, and events. 

Duties will include:

• Providing leadership and direction to faculty and staff to establish goals and priorities for the South Caroliniana Library and to encourage innovation consistent with its mission.
• Developing and fostering collaborative relationships with appropriate academic departments, other University Libraries units, and programs within the University to assure that the South Caroliniana Library’s diverse collections, services, and facilities are aligned with the educational, research, and public service mission of the University of South Carolina. Actively leading South Caroliniana Library faculty and staff in outreach through programming engagement with both the internal University community and with the wider public.
• Developing and maintaining relationships with patrons, sellers of materials, existing donors, and prospective donors, including the University of South Caroliniana Society and its members.
• Overseeing the development of the department’s diverse collections in consultation with departmental faculty, University Libraries administration, and donors.
• Managing budgets and endowed funds for the South Caroliniana Library.
• In consultation with department faculty and staff, planning for staffing, equipment, and space needs, and managing resources to meet established departmental goals and priorities; seeking resources to meet needs, including the pursuit of grant funding in collaboration with university faculty and staff.
• Representing the South Caroliniana Library and University Libraries in the academic community; with donors, with other collections units, and the public; within the state and region; and within the library and/or archival professions. 

Qualifications

Required:

Graduate degree or equivalent level of educational achievement in a relevant discipline, including but not limited to Library and Information Science, Museum Studies, History, Public History, or Southern Studies.

Three years’ experience in a managerial role in archives, special collections, cultural heritage institution or museum, or a related field.

Preferred:

Demonstrated administrative and managerial ability, including experience in a library, archives, or historical society comparable in focus to the South Caroliniana Library and with diverse collections of national significance. The skills necessary to analyze and articulate the library’s mission and to communicate the mission effectively within the Library, the University and the wider community. A working knowledge of the literature, history, bibliography, and archival resources of the South and of Southern history. Demonstrated knowledge of material culture preservation best practices. Knowledge of contemporary archival practices. Knowledge of changing technological issues and applications in relation to libraries and archives. Significant research, publication and/or professional participation in one or more of the fields encompassed by the library’s collections. Successful experience in donor relations and grant development, with individuals, national agencies and private foundations. 

This is a tenure-track faculty position. 

The University of South Carolina, founded in 1801, is the flagship campus of an eight-campus, fully accredited, state-system. The University is one of only 40 public universities to earn the Carnegie Foundation’s top-tier designations in research activity and community engagement. The University of South Carolina – Columbia has strong undergraduate and graduate programs and other highly regarded professional schools including medicine, law, education, engineering, social work, pharmacy, public health, arts and sciences, nursing, and business administration. About 32,000 students are enrolled with more than 8,000 students in graduate and professional programs. 

University Libraries serves the graduate and undergraduate programs of all schools and colleges, with the exceptions of the School of Law and the School of Medicine. Holdings include more than 4.9 million volumes, 20 million manuscripts, 475,000 e-books, and four distinct special collections. University Libraries is a member of the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries, the Association of Research Libraries, and the Center for Research Libraries. The City of Columbia is the state capital with a metropolitan area population of nearly 800,000. The city is a state center of financial, transportation, and industrial development, and it has a rich historical and cultural tradition. Columbia is located within easy driving distance of both mountains and coast. 

The South Caroliniana Library is one of the premier research archives and special collections in South Carolina and the Southeast region. The library’s holdings are essential to the understanding of South Carolina and Southern culture over the past 300 years. 

The University of South Carolina Libraries is committed to cultivating an educational and professional environment that is rich with cultural, social, and intellectual diversity. We believe inclusivity is critical to fostering excellence in all of our endeavors, and we promote diversity in our collections and the services that we provide, as well as in our recruiting, hiring, and retention practices. 

Minorities and women are encouraged to apply. 

UofSC is an EOE. 

USC is an EOE.