Collections Analyst and Strategist

The MIT Libraries seeks an innovative and process-driven strategic thinker to provide leadership in the generation and analysis of collections data, to contribute to a holistic collection development strategy and to serve as the strategist for the Social Sciences and Management collections. Through active engagement with publishing and scholarly communities, the Strategist will cultivate an awareness of best practices and emerging trends in these areas. Reporting to the Head of Collections Strategy and Management (CSM), the successful candidate will analyze data to inform the strategic allocation of library resources and to improve collection development and workflows. S/he will enhance the effectiveness of data collection and analysis, and will develop solutions for the ongoing assessment of information resources in all subjects and formats. The Collections Analyst and Strategist will compile and analyze data to improve understanding of user behavior and collections use, evaluate returns-on-investment in support of evidence-based collection management decisions, and contribute to the analysis of shared/consortial collections to support decision-making with partner organizations (e.g., BorrowDirect). In collaboration with other strategists, s/he will develop and implement collections policies and strategies; manage approval plans; manage designated central funds and prioritize expenditures; and select major interdisciplinary resources. As a member of the highly collaborative Social Sciences and Management Community of Practice (SSM CoP), the Collections Analyst and Strategist will engage with colleagues around significant collections issues in these areas and will coordinate collection projects. S/he will partner with selectors in enhancing collection skills and engage them in a holistic approach to collections building within the context of outreach, access, metadata creation, rights management, and curation. Resource management responsibilities include oversight of SSM CoP and gift funds, and participation in resource development and donor stewardship particularly the identification and articulation of collection needs. As Collections Strategist s/he will participate in the selection of general subject resources that serve broad aspects of the SSM community’s research needs, and will keep abreast of collection trends and publisher changes. S/he will also support library services for the Social Sciences and Management community. QUALIFICATIONS: --MLS/MLIS from an ALA-accredited institution or equivalent advanced degree in library or information science --Minimum of five years collection development experience in an academic/research/special library --Strong analytical skills, knowledge of statistical methods, and experience with statistical analysis tools --Experience producing reports, visualizing results and effectively communicating findings for diverse audiences --Training experience: providing group or one-on-one sessions or creating self-help tools --A deep understanding of the literature and information sources used in one or more Social Sciences and Management disciplines --Demonstrated awareness of national trends and developments in shared and consortial collection development and management --Experience working with vendors of scholarly research products --Demonstrated ability to lead change and implement new services and work methods --Excellent interpersonal skills and a collaborative approach to problem solving and working across organizational boundaries --Proven project managements skills --Ability to be flexible, tolerate ambiguity and to successfully manage competing deadlines --Ability to work with geographically-distributed physical collections with limited accessibility Preferred --Bachelor’s or advanced degree in the Social Sciences or Management or significant experience working with Social Science or Management collections --Demonstrated vendor negotiation skills SALARY AND BENEFITS: $60,000 minimum salary. Actual salary based on qualification and experience. MIT offers excellent benefits including a choice of health and retirement plans, a dental plan, tuition assistance and a relocation allowance. The MIT Libraries afford a flexible and collegial working environment and foster professional growth of staff with management training and travel funding for professional meetings.

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