Community Collections Manager

Description

The Center for Research Libraries (CRL) seeks a Community Collections Manager to provide facilitated leadership to CRL’s Area Materials and Global Resources Programs (https://www.crl.edu/collaborations/global-resources-programs), which preserve — and make accessible to researchers — important documentation from all world regions through born digital collecting, microfilming, digitization, description, and other means. The Community Collections Manager will support and encourage collaboration with international, national, local, and diaspora communities to form sustainable, forward-thinking, and non-extractive partnerships that advance cultural heritage community aspirations and increase equity for the communities they serve. 

As a member of the Collections, Technology, and Partnerships Directorate (CT&P), the Community Collections Manager joins a team whose functional responsibility spans digital collections, international collections, and distinctive collections. A key member of the Directorate, the Community Collections Manager works with colleagues who share a commitment to the potential of interdisciplinary and interprofessional collaboration.  

CRL commits to the cultivation of open and equitable access to knowledge on a global level, and works against historic, systemic inequities by: advancing open and equitable access to knowledge through partnerships that span open knowledge policy, infrastructure, and analytics; engaging in collections work grounded in anti-racist and post-custodial frameworks that support communities historically under-engaged by the organization; supporting collections as data development that enables expanded form of scholarly and professional engagement with the scholarly record; and by committing to the responsible operationalization of technology. Learn more about us, and our work, here: https://www.crl.edu/about.  

Responsibilities: 

Reporting to the Head of Collections, the Community Collections Manager will: 

• Approach internal and external work with a commitment to CRL’s First Principles: diversity, equity, and inclusion; intellectual freedom; public good; and responsible stewardship 
• Provide facilitated leadership to CRL’s Area Materials and Global Resources Programs, which preserve — and make accessible to researchers — important documentation from all world regions through born-digital collecting, microfilming, digitization, description, and other means 
• Collaborate, in concert with members of CRL’s Area Materials and Global Resources Programs, with international, national, local, and diaspora communities to form sustainable, forward-thinking, non-extractive partnerships 
• Coordinate and guide complex, multi-institutional partnerships in such aspects as membership management, communications and outreach, and programmatic and financial management and reporting 
• Work with Metadata & Discovery Enhancement, Systems Development, and Access Initiatives to implement workflows and policies that support access to, and new forms of scholarly engagement with, Area Materials and Global Resources Programs collections 
• Promote use of new and existing collections built by Area Materials and Global Resources Programs, and encourage responsible computational engagement with collected material 
• Provide support for the efficient and timely completion of project objectives and initiatives 
• Present, write, and share about their work with larger cultural heritage communities 

Requirements: 
A Master’s Degree in Library Science is encouraged for this role, but not required. Applicants who have experience working in the cultural heritage sector — galleries, libraries, archives, museums, and related non-profits — are also encouraged to apply. Strong candidates will also: 

• Illustrate their ability to facilitate collaborative, multi-faceted work across multiple stakeholders, institutions, and disciplines 
• Have experience working with and acquiring born-digital material, and a proven record of accomplishment in one or more of the following areas: collection development and management, digital curation, digital conversion and reformatting, managing digitization workflows, and / or web archiving 
• Demonstrate an understanding in best and emerging practices in research library collection development 
• Have knowledge of, an and interest in further exploring, efforts that encourage responsible computational engagement with cultural heritage collections, like Collections as Data, or Computing Cultural Heritage in the Cloud 
• Value collaboration and new ideas, and seek feedback from colleagues across the organization on a regular basis 
• Communicate verbally and in writing with internal and external stakeholders, and articulate their ability to explain complex concepts to a range of audiences 
• Participate in the larger cultural heritage community through presentations, publications, training, grants, and / or committee work 
• Be able to speak, write in, and read one or more non-English languages 

Compensation and benefits: 
This is a full-time, permanent position with a salary range of $70,000 — $80,000. The Community Collections Manager may work remotely, or on site at our facility in Chicago, Illinois (Hyde Park). CRL offers competitive benefits including health, dental, disability insurance, sick leave, and vacation time. Employees will receive funding for professional development activities. 

Application process: 
Expertise in each requirement listed above is not expected — instead, we encourage applications from those who demonstrate a mix of expertise in some areas, and a commitment to learning and experimentation in the others. Skills and relevant experience outlined in your application may be paid or unpaid, and can include internships, volunteer work, and practicums. We understand that experience, education and learning, and creativity take many forms, and expect that qualified applicants may bring additional skills to this position that we’ve not considered or listed here. If this role interests you, we encourage you to apply!  

To be considered for this position, please submit a cover letter and resume to resumes@crl.edu. Please include ‘Community Collections Manager’ in the subject line. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, and the position will remain open until the role is filled. Anticipated start date for this position will be no earlier than December 1, 2021. Questions about the role should be sent to Samantha Abrams, CRL’s Head of Collections, at sabrams@crl.edu.  

Diversity, equity, and inclusion: 

CRL enthusiastically embraces the empathy, courage, self-reflection and respect of a multi-cultural, diverse and inclusive workplace, and those who strive to incorporate those values in their work and interactions. CRL is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. CRL is committed to actively promoting the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion as key components for serving our members and advancing our global mission. As such, CRL complies with all applicable federal, state and local laws regarding recruitment, hiring and employment and is dedicated to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at CRL are based on organization needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, physical, mental or sensory disability, HIV Status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, past or present military service, family medical history or genetic information, family or parental status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. CRL will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics.