Head, Access Services

Mission or Goal of Unit:

The VCU Libraries transforms our communities by enriching scholarship, learning, creative endeavors, and clinical care through inclusive and equitable teaching, collections, and leadership.

Chief Purpose of this position:

The Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries invites applications and nominations for the position of Head, Access Services. This position will lead James Branch Cabell Library’s information and access services, and manage interlibrary loan, paging, and delivery of materials for all VCU Libraries locations. The successful candidate will define standards for excellence for these heavily used services and other services in the Research and Learning division, and ensure optimum use and development of library learning spaces at Cabell Library. They will join a culturally and academically diverse faculty of the highest caliber.



Position Responsibilities:

Reporting to the Associate Dean for Research and Learning, the Head of Access Services will be responsible for all operations of the new Access Services department, which will be formally established upon the head’s hire. Access Services will be formed by merging two current departments: Information Services & Learning Spaces and Resource Sharing & Delivery. The Head will be responsible for all functional areas in the new Access Services department, including interlibrary loan, paging, and document delivery; Cabell Library’s frontline services; and the management and evolution of Cabell Library’s learning spaces. The Head will develop an organizational structure that best supports the department’s scope of work in close collaboration with members of the department and other key collaborators .




The Head of Access Services will lead Cabell Library’s frontline services including the Information Desk, chat, text, and email, responding to users’ research assistance, circulation, and general information needs. The Information Desk and these associated services are available any time Cabell Library is open, field tens of thousands of inquiries annually, and play a key role in creating a welcoming environment for research and learning. The Head also supervises interlibrary loan and delivery of materials for three VCU Libraries locations in Richmond. In addition, the successful candidate will be responsible for the assessment and development of learning spaces at Cabell Library. The Head of Access Services is expected to serve as a leader in inclusive service excellence for the entire Research and Learning division.




The Head, Access Services will:

• Provide leadership and direction for frontline services at Cabell Library, including the Information Desk, chat, text, and email to ensure excellence in information services, research services, and circulation of materials.
  
  
• Provide leadership and direction for interlibrary loan, paging, and document delivery services for VCU Libraries, including management of document retrieval at all VCU Libraries locations: Cabell Library, the Health Sciences Library, 500 Academic Centre (satellite collections storage facility on VCU’s Monroe Park Campus), and a future off-site storage location that is currently in the planning stages.
  
  
• Build relationships and engage with consortial partners to shape the future of interlibrary lending and borrowing.
  
  

• Directly or indirectly supervise the work of approximately 18 full-time employees and numerous student and hourly employees. Hire, train, and evaluate employees. Project and manage the department's student/hourly employee budget.
  
  
• Coordinate Cabell Library’s tiered levels of research assistance and referrals in collaboration with other key departments.
  
  
• Define standards of service excellence for the Research and Learning division in order to create a seamless, inclusive, and accessible patron experience at Cabell Library.
  
  
• Lead the ongoing development and planning of Cabell Library’s learning spaces to effectively meet user needs, working in close consultation with other VCU Libraries departments.
  
  
• Develop assessment processes to evaluate and improve the quality and effectiveness of all services in the Access Services department.
  
  
• Provide leadership in the development of new, innovative, and user-centered services and spaces.
  
  

This position is an essential member of the Research and Learning division’s leadership team and is expected to play an integral role in the success of division-wide operations and collaborative initiatives. As a member of VCU Libraries Management Council, the position will work with department head colleagues to advance the strategic initiatives of the libraries.

The Head, Access Services is expected to be active professionally and to contribute to developments in the field. Faculty with VCU Libraries are evaluated and promoted on the basis of job performance, scholarship, and service.

Required Qualifications:

• ALA-accredited graduate degree or an accredited graduate degree in another appropriate discipline.
• Demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse faculty, staff, and student environment or commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU.
• Supervisory experience.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Supervisory experience in an academic library or similar setting.
  
  
• Experience creating and managing productive, inclusive, and welcoming service environments.
  
  
• Understanding of and experience with developing accessible library spaces that promote student and faculty academic success.
  
  
• E xperience providing information or research services in an academic research library.
  
  
• Experience with access services, interlibrary loan, or document delivery processes and software systems.
  
  
• Experience assessing the use of and planning for the development of learning spaces.
  
  
• Demonstrated understanding of the evolving nature of higher education and library users’ changing needs.
  
  
• Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
  
  
• Experience at urban research institutions, HBCU, or minority serving institutions.
  
  

Candidates need not meet preferred qualifications to be fully considered. We value many individual and unique skills that would strengthen the VCU Libraries and our teams.

Salary

Salary commensurate with experience, not less than $80,000 annually. This is a full-time, non-tenured faculty position. Relocation assistance and professional development allowance provided. Full-time faculty benefits apply, including 24 vacation days annually and choice of retirement and annuity plans. For more information about benefits, see https://hr.vcu.edu/current-employees/benefits/faculty-benefits/ .

Interviews

Initial interviews will be conducted virtually. We anticipate inviting finalists to campus.

Learn about the position in an online information session
We are hosting information sessions for interested applicants in advance of the February 21, 2022 review date.

Please consider joining one of these sessions to learn more about the position, meet the supervisor

( Laura Gariepy, Associate Dean for Research and Learning ), ask questions, and get answers.

Join one of our info sessions on Zoom:

Wednesday, February 2, 2022 | 2:00 - 2:45 pm ET

Thursday, February 3, 2022 | 7:00 - 7:45 pm ET

Tuesday, February 8, 2022 | 11:00 - 11:45 am ET

The attendee list for each Zoom session will be hidden and those asking questions may do so anonymously. Live captioning will be provided. To attend a session, please complete the following confidential form to receive a Zoom link.

Questions? Please contact Laura Gariepy, Associate Dean for Research and Learning at lwgariepy@vcu.edu .

Virginia Commonwealth University and VCU Libraries

As one of only 71 public universities with academic medical centers to be designated by the Carnegie Foundation as “Community Engaged” with “Very High Research Activity,” Virginia Commonwealth University ranks among Virginia’s largest research universities, enrolling over 29,000 students. Located in the heart of Richmond , VCU offers 42 doctoral, 68 masters, 3 professional, and 68 baccalaureate degree programs. Thirty-four of VCU's graduate and p rofessional programs are ranked by U.S. News & World Report as among the best in the nation, with 29 programs ranking in the top 50 and sculpture and nurse anesthesia ranked number one. Over 2,500 faculty comprise the University's teaching force. Research strengths at the University include health and life sciences, education, engineering, social work, behavioral sciences, public affairs, advertising and design, and the fine arts. Sponsored research funding totals over $360 million, placing VCU among the top 100 research institutions in the United States.

Libraries at Virginia Commonwealth University, including the James Branch Cabell Library on the Monroe Park Campus and the Health Sciences Library on the MCV Campus, employ over 65 professionals and 80 staff with annual expenditures exceeding $22 million. VCU also operates academic programs in Doha, Qatar, supported by a library there, and in various locations throughout the U.S. and the world. The VCU Libraries is a member of the Association of Research Libraries, the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries, Center for Research Libraries, Coalition for Networked Information, National Digital Stewardship Alliance, Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition, and the Virtual Library of Virginia (VIVA), a statewide networking consortium for shared access to electronic and print resources, as well as a Resource Library in the Network of the National Library of Medicine, among others. The VCU Libraries uses the following packages for its system architecture: Alma, Primo, Islandora, Digital Commons, ArchivesSpace, ILLiad, and Omeka.

The Monroe Park Campus of VCU is located in Richmond's Fan District, a large, residential neighborhood of townhouses, shops, and cafes. The campus is home to most of the University’s undergraduate and many of its graduate programs, including the School of the Arts, the Colleges of Humanities and Sciences, and Engineering and the Schools of Business, Education, and Social Work. The School of Social Work also offers the Masters of Social Work at the Northern Virginia Campus in Alexandria, Virginia. In addition, VCU’s Qatar campus in the Middle East offers degree programs through the School of the Arts.

The MCV Campus, located in historic Court End near state and local government and financial centers, is home to the VCU Schools of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy; VCU College of Health Professions; the Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research; and VCU Health. VCU Health includes VCU Medical Center, a Magnet Recognized hospital with 812 inpatient beds, outpatient clinics, a Level 1 trauma center, and over 800 physicians in 200 speciality areas, many of national and international renown, as well as the Children’s Hospital at VCU and Massey Cancer Center, Virginia's first NCI-designated cancer center. In addition to multidisciplinary centers for cancer, cardiology, neurosurgery, and transplantation, VCU Health offers virtually every form of contemporary medical service.

For more information about VCU Libraries, please visit our home page at http://www.library.vcu.edu /. Review of applications will begin February 21, 2022 and will continue until the position is filled. To apply submit a cover letter, resume/CV, and the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of three references. Applicants are requested to submit a Statement of Contributions to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion providing your career aspirations and contributions toward promoting diversity, equity and inclusion.

Virginia Commonwealth University is an urban research institution with a richly diverse university community and commitment to multicultural opportunities. Virginia Commonwealth University is an equal opportunity affirmative action university providing access to education and employment without regard to age, race, color, national origin, gender, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, political affiliation or disability.

Position Type: Teaching & Research Faculty
Full time equivalent: 100%
Tenure: Ineligible
Rank: Open
Months: 12
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Salary:

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