Special Collections Director

Description

Join Champlain College as the Special Collections Director and play a pivotal role in managing and curating our esteemed Special Collections. As the Director, you will lead the vision, planning, and execution of all aspects of our Special Collections housed within the Champlain College Library. The Special Collections Director manages all aspects of the Champlain College Library's Special Collections. This position is responsible for overall vision and planning, instruction, collections development, and exhibitions, and oversees intellectual control, preservation, and reference. The Special Collections Director centers the principles of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in all aspects of their work and works collaboratively across the Library and the wider College campus. This position reports to the Library Director. This position presents an exciting opportunity to shape the future of our Special Collections and contribute to the rich academic environment at Champlain College.

Champlain College's Special Collections illuminate the history of the College and its environs, including the City of Burlington, Vermont, and the Lake Champlain Valley Region. Comprised of both analog and digital content, Special Collections includes the Champlain College Archives and the Local History Collection. Special Collections offers an active primary source instruction program and receives hundreds of reference queries annually. Additionally, a wide variety of stakeholders engage with its holdings through an annual Local History Event and permanent and temporary exhibitions in campus buildings, at campus events, and online. 

Key responsibilities include: 

• Implement and further develop vision, plans, and priorities for a thriving Special Collections
  • Develop and implement strategic plans, policies, procedures, and workflows.
  • Manage the Special Collections budget.
• Lead and further develop the Special Collections instructional program.
• Oversee collections development for Special Collections
  • Lead the College's oral history program, with a particular emphasis on documenting diverse voices and communities.
  • Liaise with College stakeholders to document institutional history.
  • Liaise with community stakeholders to document local history, with a particular emphasis on social justice topics.
• Lead campus and community outreach for Special Collections content and programs
  • Research, curate, and install exhibitions on campus and online.
  • Plan and contribute to special events, focusing on an annual Local History event.
• Oversee intellectual control and preservation
  • Catalog, arrange and describe materials to achieve intellectual control and discoverability.
  • Manage the collections database, digital preservation and web archiving systems, and digitization program.
  • Preserve, rehouse, and/or reformat analog and digital materials. Manage storage areas, monitor environmental conditions, and work with external vendors as needed. 
• Oversee reference and facilitate access to resources for academic classes and faculty and student projects.
• Supervise Special Collections student employees and interns hired to support collections management, reference, exhibitions, events, and special projects.
• Serve on and actively collaborate within the Library Management Team. As a member of the Library Management Team, exercise discretion and maintain confidentiality. Represent the Management Team, the Library, and the College professionally and appropriately. 
• Engage in, and demonstrate flexibility, teamwork and positive, open communication. Assist in additional areas of Library duties as required.