Head of Printed Acquisitions

Description

Yale University offers exciting opportunities for achievement and growth in New Haven, Connecticut.  Conveniently located between Boston and New York, New Haven is the creative capital of Connecticut with cultural resources that include two major art museums, a critically-acclaimed repertory theater, state-of-the-art concert hall, and world-renowned schools of Architecture, Art, Drama, and Music.

Position Focus:  Reporting to the Head of Technical Services, the Head of Printed Acquisitions establishes the vision, sets priorities, and leads curatorial support work relating to acquiring published materials. The Head creates and implements policies and procedures; manages, trains, and directly supervises Unit staff; manages process and workflow change, fosters a team approach to the work, collaborates extensively with curators, catalogers, and other staff, and establishes and maintains relationships with publishers and vendors. The Head works with IT staff to maintain and develop systems to support the Unit’s work. The ideal candidate has a strong background in special collections acquisitions and cataloging, solid supervisory experience, an aptitude for managing high-performing staff, and the ability to lead within a complex and dynamic organization. The ideal candidate is open-minded yet decisive, transparent yet diplomatic, flexible yet driven, willing to rethink and remake practices and policies yet determined to uphold the integrity of the library’s purposes, achievements, and values.

The Printed Acquisitions Unit supports Beinecke’s robust acquisition program for published materials. The Unit consists of the Unit Head, six Acquisitions Assistants, one Cataloging Assistant, two Binding Assistants, and students. The Unit works closely with seven curators: pre-order searching, verifying gifts and purchases, creating accession records, maintaining databases, processing physical items, providing access to newly acquired materials, and dispersing materials beyond the scope of the collections. The Unit collaborates with the cataloging unit to establish access to published materials. Collections range from incunabula to contemporary publications and include books and periodicals, maps, CD’s, DVD’s, music, prints, games, and realia.

The Head participates in the Technical Services Management Group to develop strategies, policies, and procedures. The Head manages projects such as transfers of collection materials from the Yale Library circulating collections and participates in University Library committees and task forces, especially as related to the needs of special collections. The Head participates in regional, national and international professional activities both to contribute to the profession as a whole and to grow individually as a professional librarian.

The Beinecke Library Rare Book and Manuscript Library is Yale University’s principal repository for literary archives, early manuscripts, and rare books. One of the preeminent rare book and manuscript libraries in North America, the Beinecke Library’s collections are internationally known and heavily used by Yale faculty and students as well as scholars from around the world. Its current renovation of public and teaching spaces derives from that commitment. For additional information on the Beinecke Library, please visit the Library’s website at http://beinecke.library.yale.edu.

Required Education, Skills and Experience:
• Master’s degree from an ALA-accredited library school or equivalent accredited degree, and a minimum of 2 years of professional experience.
• Demonstrated ability to provide leadership and direction in a research library. Demonstrated ability and achievement in managing staff.
• Demonstrated ability with integrated library system and electronic resource management. Demonstrated knowledge of cataloging using AACR2/RDA, DCRM, and MARC. Demonstrated knowledge of bibliographic databases and library management systems.
• Demonstrated ability acquiring a variety of library materials in all formats.
• Demonstrated excellent oral and written communications and analytical ability. Demonstrated technical aptitude with strong analytical skills and excellent attention to detail.
• Demonstrated excellent customer service skills, flexibility and a strong commitment to innovation, creativity and excellence.
• Demonstrated problem solving skills, experience coordinating projects, and the ability to bring projects to fruition.
• Demonstrated experience working collaboratively and independently with various groups within a complex organization and rapidly changing team environment.
• Demonstrated knowledge of American or European history or literature.  Demonstrated knowledge of the antiquarian book trade.

Yale University assigns ranks to librarian positions based on a combination of professional experience and accomplishments. Librarian ranking information can be found at: http://www.library.yale.edu/about/departments/lhr/rank.html.

Preferred Education, Skills and Experience:  Minimum of five years of professional experience.
Experience cataloging rare or special collections materials. Strong bibliographic knowledge of ancient or modern European languages. Experience working in a rare book and special collections library.

The University and the Library
The Yale University Library, as one of the world's leading research libraries, collects, organizes, preserves, and provides access to and services for a rich and unique record of human thought and creativity. It fosters intellectual growth and supports the teaching and research missions of Yale University and scholarly communities worldwide. A distinctive strength is its rich spectrum of resources, including around 12.8 million volumes and information in all media, ranging from ancient papyri to early printed books to electronic databases. The Library is engaging in numerous projects to expand access to its physical and digital collections. Housed in eighteen buildings including the Sterling Memorial Library, the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, the Center for Science and Social Science Information, and the Bass Library, it employs a dynamic and diverse staff of approximately five hundred who offer innovative and flexible services to library readers.  For additional information on the Yale University Library, please visit the Library's web site at www.library.yale.edu.

Salary and Benefits
We invite you to discover the excitement, diversity, rewards and excellence of a career at Yale University. One of the country's great workplaces, Yale University offers exciting opportunities for meaningful accomplishment and true growth. Our benefits package is among the best anywhere, with a wide variety of insurance choices, liberal paid time off, fantastic family and educational benefits, a variety of retirement benefits, extensive recreational facilities, and much more.

How to Apply
Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.  Applications, consisting of a cover letter, resume, and the names and contact information of three professional references should be submitted by applying online at http://www.yale.edu/jobs. The STARS req. ID for this position is 36771BR.

Yale University considers applicants for employment without regard to, and does not discriminate on the basis of an individual’s sex, race, color, religion, age, disability, status as a veteran, or national or ethnic origin; nor does Yale discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.