Assistant Library Director II

Wayne State University Library System

Assistant Library Director II for Resource Acquisitions

Resource & Collections Strategy Services

This position will lead and coordinate the identification, negotiation, acquisition, renewal, and payment of all library information resources. The Assistant Library Director II manages the acquisition lifecycle for all formats of materials, oversees Interlibrary Loan, and holds ultimate responsibility to manage e-resources, including maintaining access and communicating changes with the broader university.  Working collaboratively with the Subject Liaisons, the Collection Development Team, and the Libraries Business Affairs Office, the Assistant Library Director II will create and manage a collections budget of approximately $10 million dollars.  The successful candidate will supervise 4 FTE support staff members.  The Assistant Library Director II demonstrates a strong commitment to customer service and a forward-thinking approach to resource acquisition and management.  This position plays a key role in relationships with vendors, the University Office of General Counsel, consortia, subject liaisons, and the University Libraries' Business Office.  This position reports to the Director for Resource & Collections Strategy Services.  The full breadth of the position’s responsibilities remains flexible and adaptable to new and emerging staffing models, schedules, and technologies.

This position supports the Wayne State University mission to create and advance knowledge, prepare a diverse student body to thrive, and positively impact local and global communities. Wayne State students, staff, and faculty strive to overcome historical and divisive biases in our society.  This position embraces an environment of inclusion that moves beyond simple tolerance to recognizing the richness in individual identities of people and diverse perspectives.

Essential Functions:

Oversee and manage materials budget of approximately $10 million dollars;

Supervise four (4) support staff members in both Acquisitions and Interlibrary Loan;

Negotiate pricing, licensing, and access terms for electronic resources with vendors; serve as primary contact for collection-related products, services, and user requests for materials;

Provide leadership and direct oversight for trialing, licensing, acquisition, registration, activation, and troubleshooting of all commercial content in digital form;

Chair the Collection Development Team;

Collaborate with the AD for Discovery Services and Resource & Collections Strategy team members to ensure timely access to electronic resources via the local catalog, A-Z lists, link resolver, Summon, etc;

Collaborate with Coordinator for Assessment to identify value in subscription packages;

Oversee ordering, receiving, and processing of invoices for tangible materials in the collections;

Collaborate with the Office of Business Affairs in the annual audit of library material expenditures and year-end roll-over;

Coordinate annual renewal processes for print and electronic journals; and

Implement the University Libraries’ goals and objectives as they pertain to the acquisition of library materials. In particular, support the University Libraries’ commitment to providing collections that support the curriculum, research, and scholarship.

Qualifications: 

MLIS from an ALA-accredited institution;

Minimum 3 years of experience acquiring, licensing, and managing the lifecycle of scholarly e-resources;

Demonstrated ability to successfully negotiate the acquisition and licensing of scholarly resources;

Demonstrated ability to manage a portfolio of scholarly e-resources in a complex publishing environment;

Knowledge of current issues in acquiring, licensing, and managing scholarly resources. 

Proven record of collaborative problem solving and facilitating cross-organizational cooperation in service of user needs;

Demonstrated ability to set priorities, exercise flexibility in meeting objectives, and effectively manage multiple projects and assignments;

Excellent organizational, analytical and communication skills;

Excellent interpersonal skills, including ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues; and

Exceptional attention to detail and high degree of accuracy. 

Preferred Qualifications:

5+ years of progressively responsible acquisitions and licensing experience in an academic library;

Experience with Proquest Intota ERM;

Supervising in a unionized environment;

Experience with the Innovative Millennium acquisition module and

Experience with the Atlas Illiad Interlibrary Loan system.

Application Procedure:

Nominations or questions regarding this position may be directed via email to Search Committee Chair, Myson Hawthorne at Mike_Hawthorne@wayne.edu. For consideration, please submit electronically a complete resume and letter of interest including contact information for at least 3 professional references to posting #042906 on Wayne State University’s ONLINE HIRING SYSTEM at https://jobs.wayne.edu.