Northwestern University Libraries Librarian Faculty Position Position: Marie A. Quinlan Director of Preservation Reports to: Associate University Librarian for Collections Strategies
SUMMARY: Northwestern University Libraries seek an experienced, collaborative, and creative Director of Preservation to provide vision and leadership for the preservation and conservation of the Libraries' collections across formats, facilities, and functional areas. As head of a preservation program that spans the care of general circulating collections and the conservation of rare non-circulating materials, the Director is responsible for ensuring immediate and long-term access to a wide variety of resources in a manner that both safeguards materials and promotes their use. In addition to overseeing the work of the Preservation department, the Director has a vital role in setting overall preservation policy for the Libraries, addressing print and analog formats as well as the preservation of digital assets. A recently renovated conservation lab provides an optimal environment for specialized treatments of distinctive materials, and a planned major building renovation creates further opportu nities for the Director to help shape how collections are housed and made available. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: Administers staff, budgets, services, and operations of the Preservation workgroup, overseeing collections care and conservation, including shelf preparation, binding, reformatting, mass de-acidification, disaster preparedness and recovery, and other preservation functions for circulating and non-circulating materials in all physical formats. Establishes policies, plans workflows, and sets priorities for Preservation, working collaboratively and responsively with Preservation staff, the Associate University Librarian for Collections Strategies, the Director of Distinctive Collections, and other key partners from across the Libraries. Directly supervises 2 FTE managers and coordinates directly and indirectly a total of 11 FTE staff, plus student assistants. Maintains and promotes awareness and understanding of developments and trends in the field of preservation. Participates in and supports outreach and educational initiatives, including overseeing a post-graduate conservation fellowship program. Sets standards and practices for the internal and external exhibition of materials and coordinates lending of materials to other institutions for exhibition. Contributes to the development and advancement of the Libraries' overall collections strategies by articulating and pursuing a comprehensive approach to the preservation of all library resources, including the preservation of digitized collections and born-digital resources. Serves as a member of the Operations Team, the Leadership Team, and other Libraries and University Committees. Represents the Libraries and the University through conference participation and other activities relevant to the profession and Northwestern. QUALIFICATIONS: Graduate degree in librarianship or related field. Progressively responsible experience in the preservation of library and cultural heritage resources. Expertise in a broad range of preservation standards and practices for materials in all formats. Successful project-management experience, including coordinating work across functional areas and reporting lines, consulting closely with curators and other subject specialists, and incorporating services and expertise from vendors and other external organizations. Capability to manage budgets, staff, and other resources responsibly and in accordance with priorities of the Libraries and University. Record of professional engagement and contribution, such as research, publication, and involvement in pertinent professional and scholarly organizations. Excellent oral and written communication skills. Leadership and management skills necessary to: Encourage, mentor, and support staff; model self-leadership. Use shared leadership to harness the energy, resourcefulness, and creativity of everyone in the organization to build sustainable services and solutions in a continually changing environment. Demonstrate commitment to lifelong learning and building an organization where staff members continually expand their own capabilities. Solicit, respond appropriately, and act on feedback from others Use vision, understanding, clarity, flexibility, and agility to actively design and manage for the future. Work well with a diverse set of individuals and different work styles. Communicate effectively and demonstrate strong interpersonal skills. Use systems thinking; focus on the whole. Collaborate across the library, with other university departments, and with other research libraries, partners and organizations. Understand the value of library content and services to the user community, while also ensuring alignment of work with university goals and policies. COMPETENCIES: Ability to work in collaborative team-based environment Excellent communication skills Adaptable, ability to adjust to changing environment Customer-focused ENVIRONMENT: Northwestern University is a highly selective private university with campuses in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois and in Doha, Qatar. One of the leading private research libraries in the United States, Northwestern University Library serves the educational and information needs of the NU community as well as scholars around the world. Its collection contains more than 5 million volumes, a full array of digital resources, and collections of distinction in Africana, transportation, and 20th-century and contemporary music. Northwestern is a member of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and the Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA). See more information about University Libraries at: http://www.library.northwestern.edu. TO APPLY: Send PDF-formatted file containing letter of application, resume or vita, and names of three references to the attention of Jan Hayes, Director of Organizational Development, to [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>. Applications received by March 24, 2017 will receive first consideration. Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer of all protected classes including veterans and individuals with disabilities. ****** Unsubscribe by sending a message to [email protected] Archives through August 2016 at http://cool.conservation-us.org/byform/mailing-lists/cdl/ Archives from September 2016 onward at https://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/
