Head of Acquisitions Clemson University Libraries

ELUNA Content Working Group; Clemson, Northern (SC, KY); Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Clemson Libraries seeks a collaborative, dynamic, and collegial Head of Acquisitions to provide leadership and expertise for a department that manages the acquisition, analysis and maintenance of library subscriptions, and the purchase of library monographs.

This position oversees a $9.5 million collections budget and directs procurement, assessment, and management of print and electronic resources, including open access, streaming resources, and continuing resources.

Qualifications

• ALA-accredited graduate degree in librarianship or a relevant field.
• Minimum of 3 years professional acquisitions/electronic resources in an academic library.
• Previous management/supervisory experience.
• Experience with strategic collection development and budgeting.
• Strong oral and written communication and creative problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Leads, plans, and oversees acquisitions operations for materials in all formats acquired for University Libraries.
• Manages and coordinates operations for the Acquisitions team, approximately 8 staff.
• Directs expenditure of the Libraries’ $9.5 million collections budget, including gifts and endowments; supervises day-to-day acquisitions processes.
• Develops fund allocations for collection development areas.
• Chairs the Collections Strategies Cross-Functional Team; collaborates with Metadata Services, User Services and Teaching and Learning to refine workflows.
• In collaboration with the eCollections Access and Licensing Librarian, leads procurement, assessment, and management of electronic resources, including contract negotiations, renewals, and workflows.
• Provides oversight and strategic direction for subscription renewal assessment.
• Develops policies and procedures related to collection development and acquisitions.

Skills

Leadership

Budgeting

Communication

Creative problem solving

Strategic collection development

Vendor negotiation

Open access knowledge

Education

ALA-accredited graduate degree in librarianship

Tools

Ex Libris Alma

Primo VE

Job description

Clemson Libraries seeks a collaborative, dynamic, and collegial Head of Acquisitions to provide leadership and expertise for a department that manages the acquisition, analysis and maintenance of library subscriptions, and the purchase of library monographs.

This position provides oversight for a collections budget of $9.5 million and leads efforts related to the procurement, assessment, and management of print and electronic resources, including individual and package subscriptions, e-books, demand driven acquisitions, open access resources, streaming resources, and continuing resources.

Responsibilities

• Leads, plans, and oversees acquisitions operations and processes for materials in all formats acquired for University Libraries.
• Manages and coordinates operations for the Acquisitions team, composed of approximately 8 faculty and staff.
• Directs the efficient, appropriate, and timely expenditure of the Libraries’ $9.5 million collections budget, which includes both targeted and untargeted gifts and endowments. Supervises day-to-day acquisitions processes.
• Develops fund allocations for collection development areas.
• Chairs the Collections Strategies Cross-Functional Team. Collaborates with colleagues in Metadata Services, User Services and Teaching and Learning to establish and refine interdepartmental workflows.
• In collaboration with the eCollections Access and Licensing Librarian, leads efforts related to the procurement, assessment, and management of electronic resources, including contract negotiations, renewals, and e-resource workflows.
• Provides oversight and strategic direction for individual subscription renewal assessment.
• Develops policies and procedures related to collection development and acquisitions.

Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities

Develops a focused program of high-quality research and creative accomplishments, consistent with professional responsibilities and the Libraries’ mission and goals.

Service

Actively participates and demonstrates leadership in professional responsibilities that serve the Libraries, university, profession, and community.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• An ALA-accredited graduate degree in librarianship or a relevant accredited graduate degree in another scholarly field as deemed appropriate by the Libraries.
• A minimum of 3 years of professional experience in acquisitions, electronic resources, or collection development in an academic library or a large, multi-branch public library.
• Previous management/supervisory experience.
• Experience with strategic collection development and/or budgeting.
• Demonstrated skills in oral and written communication and creative problem-solving.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to foster an environment of collegiality, respect, trust, and teamwork.
• Experience with reviewing and negotiating license agreements pertaining to electronic resources.
• Experience with assessment of print and electronic resources (usage reports, overlap reports, cost per use, etc.).
• Experience working with publishers and/or vendors of electronic resources.
• Experience in coordination or management of library services platform functions in a consortial environment, including experience with Ex Libris’ Alma and Primo VE.
• Knowledge of current, evolving, and innovative models of collection development, including open access and scholarly communications.
• Ability to present budgetary and open access information to a variety of audiences, including non-library campus partners.

Tagged as: Alma