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Senior Library Assessment Specialist

Senior Library Assessment Specialist

Harvard University Job Location: Massachusetts Date Created: 09-20-2013

Senior Library Assessment Specialist Position summary: As a member of the Harvard Library Financial management team, and reporting to the Director, Financial Planning and Analysis, the Organizational Performance Reporting and Assessment Librarian will maintain and develop the library's organizational performance system; provide supporting assessment advice and analysis to inform strategic decisions; enhance the library's assessment systems and ability to collect useful data; and support librarians in how to find and use assessment data. This role will collaborate with staff across a wide range of functions and disciplines in order to better coordinate the collection and creation of data as it relates to the performance goals of the Harvard Library. Success attributes include strong analytical skills; a firm understanding of library roles and work processes; agility and aptitude for information systems; the ability to visualize and organize data in new ways; accountability for results; and strong intrapersonal and listening skills. The role works closely with the shared services -Access Services; Information and Technical Services; Preservation and Digital Imaging and University Archives - and with librarians across the broader library system. Specific components of the role include: • Maintain and develop the library’s organizational performance system -In consultation with Harvard Leadership design, develop and maintain systems to measure library progress as it relates to library strategic initiatives and operational efficiency -Improve methods used to measure key metrics, to enhance specificity and accuracy -Develop and monitor annual baselines for key metrics and monitor progress along them -Lead the preparation of quarterly organizational performance updates and associated reporting -Communicate and explain findings to library senior leadership • Provide supporting assessment advice and analysis to inform strategic decisions -Work collaboratively with Harvard library leadership to discover their information needs and to identify, prioritize, design and implement new reporting tools and solutions -Analyze statistical and bibliographic information in support of evolving needs in collection management, collection usage and space -Provide consultation and technical assistance to Harvard library leadership with use and interpretation of data -Respond to requests for data and/or reports on a variety of issues related to the library collections reporting and statistics, including ad hoc analyses and special requests -Lead in data collection and aggregation across partnerships with other institutions (Including Borrow Direct Partners) to aggregate data and business intelligence to help improve and expand alliances -Lead the data collection efforts for national surveys (ARL statistics) and the preparation of data for annual HL reports • Enhance the Library’s assessment systems and ability to collect useful data -Develop structures for collecting, storing and presenting or sharing data in consultation with appropriate IT and Library colleagues -Design, develop, troubleshoot, document, and analyze reports for Harvard library -Maintain internal sites to distribute reports, associated documentation and explanatory materials -Provide consultation to Harvard library leadership on developing assessment surveys and user studies Basic Qualifications • Support librarians in how to find and use assessment data -Facilitate data-driven decision making throughout the Harvard Library by committing to make data as accessible and transparent as possible; teaching / mentoring librarians how to access, querey, manipulate, and visualize data -Develop reporting mechanisms to enable managers and staff to run and analyze data in support of data driven decision making • MLS, MBA; and/or advanced degree in statistics or information sciences, or equivalent education or related work experience • 8 plus years experience working in library assessment and reporting, financial/ statistical analysis, financial reporting and/or libraries Strong knowledge of Excel and of database tools (e.g., Microsoft Access) Additional Qualifications • Working knowledge of libraries, both within Harvard and more general industry trends • Experience building reports and queries with Business Intelligence / Analytics tools (Cognos Bl, Microsoft) • Knowledge of Integrated Library Systems, such as Aleph, is highly desired • Knowledge of statistical software packages (e.g. SPSS, R, STATA) • Knowledge of database tools such as Quickbase and content management systems • Ability to present complicated information in easily comprehensible formats, e.g., data visualization, appropriate use of charts, etc. • Proven ability to deliver quality analysis in a fast-paced environment • Excellent analytic, written and verbal communication skills • Ability to work in ambiguous environment: to define objectives, set tasks, build relationships, and achieve outcomes • Exceptional numeric skills: able to use numbers to explore issues and express logic, able to translate numeric results into underlying issues and organizational implications • Self organized, flexible and able to manage multiple challenging projects simultaneously in a fast-paced work setting • Excellent interpersonal skills: ability to work well within a large and complex organization; ability to build strong relationships with people at all different levels. Collaborative working style with excellent consultative, project management, problem solving and presentation skills. The Harvard Library Setting a fresh course for the future of the Harvard Library, the University seeks to build a flagship research library that is positioned to excel in the rapidly evolving 21st-century information environment. The recommendation following an extensive 18-month library review was that Harvard restructure the organization, governance, and funding structures of the University library system to better serve the changing needs of the University. The Harvard Library will drive excellence and innovation in teaching, learning and scholarship by attracting and developing a community of talented professionals who actively shape the development and cultivation of knowledge and pedagogy at Harvard and within the broader scholarship community. The new Harvard Library structure will: • Maximize strategic capacity in the library system as a whole • Harmonize management and library business processes • Facilitate enhancements in collections and services • Create a culture of continuous improvement and innovation in library operations and management • Preserve appropriate local autonomy in collecting priorities and patron service levels • Enhance accountability of the libraries to the Deans and the University The University Founded in 1636, Harvard University is preeminent among the world's research universities. Harvard has grown from nine students with a single master to an enrollment of more than 6,600 undergraduate students, over 14,000 graduate students, and an additional 2,000 part-time students. Over 16,000 people work at Harvard, including approximately 2,100 faculty members. An additional 10,000 individuals have faculty appointments in Harvard-affiliated teaching hospitals. Designated a university in 1780, Harvard includes 12 colleges and schools. The Faculty of Arts and Sciences—comprising Harvard College, the School of Engineering and Applied Science, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and the Division of Continuing Education—is the oldest and largest of the Harvard faculties. The University's world-renowned graduate and professional schools include Harvard Business School, Harvard Divinity School, Harvard Graduate School of Design, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard Law School, Harvard Medical School (including the School of Dental Medicine), Harvard School of Public Health, Kennedy School of Government and Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. In the course of 375 years, Harvard's Library has grown from a single collection of 400 volumes to a 73-unit library system whose holdings include nearly 17 million volumes, more than 21 million digital files, 10 million microforms, 8 million photographs, and an estimated 400 million manuscript items. For additional information visit the Harvard Library web site at:http://lib.harvard.edu/about-us

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