Associate University Librarian for Collections and Content Strategy

Introduction

The University of Minnesota Libraries seeks strategic leadership for the position of Associate University Librarian for Collections and Content Strategy. This is an exciting opportunity to join a new leadership team at the University of Minnesota Libraries. Reporting to the University Librarian and Dean of Libraries, the Associate University Librarian (AUL) is a member of the Libraries’ senior leadership team and plays a lead role in fostering collaborative strategies to shape a robust and sustainable environment for scholarly content.

About the University of Minnesota

The flagship of the University of Minnesota System, the Twin Cities campus is Minnesota’s only land-grant university and one of the most prestigious public research universities in the nation. Founded in 1851 near Saint Anthony Falls on the banks of the Mississippi River, the U of M is one of only five universities in the nation with an engineering school, medical school, law school, veterinary medicine school, and agricultural school all on one campus.

The University of Minnesota is embarking on a new strategic plan. Inspired by the State of Minnesota, MPact 2025 reflects our deepened commitment to research, teaching, and service, open access to opportunity, and forward-thinking innovation to advance the University’s land-grant mission and impact the world.

About the Libraries

The University of Minnesota Libraries develops and supports innovative services, collections, and partnerships that engage 50,000 students, 4,000 faculty, and 16,000 staff in the pursuit of knowledge. As the state’s only research library, it reaches well beyond campus borders to develop and deliver high-demand services and programs to 5.6 million Minnesota residents, 485,000 alumni, and a global community of scholars. The Libraries includes three service areas: Content & Collection Strategy, Research, and Student Success, supported by an administrative unit.

As outlined in our strategic plan, inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility are the guiding principles for every aspect of work in the University Libraries, knowing that this is an ongoing journey. As individuals, and as a whole, we commit to actions that reject racism and advance social justice. Our commitment to IDEA is demonstrated in part by our community outreach, which includes the Mapping Prejudice project, Umbra Search: African American History, and the Tretter Transgender Oral History Project.

Located in the heart of Minneapolis and St. Paul, the University Libraries has a significant presence on the Twin Cities campus, including libraries on the west and east banks of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, and in St. Paul.

Context

The Libraries strategic plan includes an expansive and holistic approach to developing and sustaining content strategy to advance scholarship and learning, in support of MPact 2025, the University’s strategic plan. The Collections and Content Strategy unit embraces a broad portfolio and the full spectrum of responsibilities around the development, acquisition, management, preservation, and dissemination of content resources as well as scholarly communications, and cataloging/metadata/ library enterprise systems. In addition to developing local collections strategy, the Libraries plays a consulting and operational role for content services and enterprise systems on campus and works collaboratively with other institutions to develop services at scale. The AUL ensures coordinated policy and balanced investments around this fundamental research library role.

The AUL contributes to organizational planning, resource development, and policy. The individual in this position operates in a highly interrelated and collaborative environment and works with the AUL for Research and the AUL for Student Success to sponsor and coordinate cross-unit planning and implementation of strategic initiatives. The AUL for Collections and Content Strategy represents the organization in relevant consortial and collaborative venues to develop collective strategy for multi-institutional program development.

Administrative leadership responsibilities encompass Libraries’ functions for acquisition and e-resource management, resource sharing, collection development, collection management and preservation, copyright and scholarly communications, cataloging and metadata and library data management, information retrieval, and transactional services. The AUL sets priorities for positioning Libraries’ collections and content expertise to ensure highly functional access and to enable sustainable models for long-term support of local and distributed content.

The AUL for Collections and Content Strategy works across the Libraries to develop collection strategy policies and protocols and to engage discipline liaisons, functional specialists, access and technology personnel, and collection management staff to ensure a coherent and responsive environment for access. The AUL for Collections and Content Strategy contributes to the strategic development of local, regional, and national strategies in preservation, digitization, and access and supports coordination of relevant licensing and collection management strategies for the University’s system campus libraries. In shaping Libraries’ programs to contribute digital content to the broader scholarly community, the AUL plays a critical role in campus outreach to assess needs, develop capacities, and structure models for funding and rights.

With collections of about 8 million volumes, the University of Minnesota Libraries is recognized for rich historical and special collections, innovative technologies, and model programs in support of research and student success. The Libraries’ strategic plan positions the organization as a critical institutional asset and advances collaborative models for creating and supporting knowledge resources for the campus and global communities.

The Libraries’ outreach beyond the University is strengthened by unparalleled infrastructure for resource sharing, information access, content licensing, digitization, and digital preservation within the state and region provided by the state-supported Minitex consortia, a nationally recognized leader in resource sharing and programs.

The Libraries is a member of a variety of groups within the Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA), HathiTrust, the National Digital Stewardship Alliance, Council of Library and Information Resources/Digital Library Federation, DuraSpace, and the Center for Research Libraries.

Responsibilities

The AUL for Collections and Content Strategy is responsible for the overall leadership and management of the Collections and Content Strategy unit. The AUL will:

Provide leadership, direction, and planning in support of Libraries’ units associated with collections: Content Acquisition and Delivery, Metadata and Digitization Services, Collection Strategy and eResource Management, Collection Management and Preservation, Copyright and Scholarly Communications, and Libraries Enterprise Systems.
Collaborate across Libraries’ units and coordinate processes related to development and management of collections strategy.
Oversee the unit’s financial resources, developing strategies for a balanced portfolio of investments across functions and between local and collaborative efforts. Administer and provide policy around collection endowments.
Establish policies around Libraries content strategy: acquisitions/licensing, collection management, preservation, withdrawal, discoverable access, end-user discovery, and access.
Develop and support Libraries’ staff in the unit; foster programs of knowledge development across the organization relevant to content, collection, and access issues.
As a member of the University Libraries' senior leadership team, participate in strategic planning, development of new initiatives, financial planning, policy development, and governance.
Work with external organizations to develop coalitions and partnerships that ensure enduring access to content and collection resources, wherever held.
Contribute to the profession through engagement with appropriate organizations and societies.

Qualifications

Required

ALA accredited Masters in Library/Information Science or equivalent advanced degree. Thirteen years of experience within a research library (or related) environment, including administrative experience. Demonstrated knowledge and application of emergent library roles and issues. Strong facility with technology and its application. Evidence of effective human and financial resource management strategies. Record of effective program development and collaboration. Demonstrated ability to support, respect, and commit to embracing diverse backgrounds, values, and points of view in order to build an environment that fosters an inclusive community. Record of leadership and professional contributions.

Preferred

Leadership experience within an organization of comparable scope and complexity. Demonstrated experience with data-driven decision making. Experience in publisher and vendor negotiations and collaborations. Experience in collaborating with other organizations. Record of successful grant application and management.

Salary and benefits

This is a full-time, 12-month, administrative appointment.

Salary commensurate with skills and experience. The salary range for this position is $120,000 to $150,000. The University of Minnesota offers excellent benefits and a substantial moving allowance. Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check.

To apply

Review of applications begins immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Submit a letter of application, resume, and the names, addresses, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of three current professional references at https://z.umn.edu/ulib420. Click on External Applicants. Enter 342336 in the “Search Jobs” box. Please identify your cover letter UL420.