Assoc. Chief Librarian for Spec. Coll. and Director, Thomas Fisher Rare Book Lib
University of Toronto Job Location: Ontario Date Created: 01-21-2016
POSITION: Associate Chief Librarian for Special Collections and Director, Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library
DEPARTMENT: University of Toronto Libraries
DATE REQUIRED: As soon as possible About the University of Toronto Libraries The University of Toronto Libraries (UTL) system is the largest academic library in Canada and is ranked third among peer institutions in North America, behind just Harvard and Yale. The system consists of 44 libraries located on three university campuses: St. George, Mississauga, and Scarborough. This array of college libraries, special collections, and specialized libraries and information centres supports the teaching and research requirements of 215 graduate programs, over 60 professional programs, and more than 700 undergraduate degree programs. More than 150,000 new print volumes are acquired each year. The Libraries data centre houses more than 200 servers with a storage capacity of 1.5 petabytes. The opportunity The University of Toronto Library system seeks a visionary, knowledgeable, innovative and experienced library leader to serve in this key position. Reporting to the Chief Librarian of the University of Toronto Libraries, the Associate Chief Librarian for Special Collections and Director, Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library has leadership management, policy, planning and implementation responsibilities for rare books, archives, and media collections in the Central Library, and collaborates with the special collections communities in the University of Toronto to serve the research and instructional mission of the University. As a member of the Chief Librarian’s Executive Leadership Council, s/he also plays a key role in advancing the overall strategic goals of the Libraries.
RESPONSIBILITIES: Provides leadership to a dynamic division of more than 35 skilled employees in three departments: Rare books and special collections, University of Toronto Archives and Records Management Services, and the Media Commons including media archives. Fosters a culture of innovation, engagement and collaboration, and promotes continuous professional growth and learning at all staff levels. Advocates for the needs of the libraries in the portfolio to decision-making bodies within the Libraries, at the University and outside the institution. Formulates and implements divisional strategic plans in coordination with library and university-wide planning, and assesses and continuously improves service quality in the division. Prepares statistical, operational and budget reports as required. Leads a user-centered approach to the acquisition, processing and accessibility of special collections in traditional, digital and emerging formats. Collaborates with department heads in the three departments to build excellent research collections that meet the needs of faculty, students and the broader community both today and in the future, and that enhance the reputation of excellence of the University. Facilitates use of the collections in university-wide research and teaching at the graduate and undergraduate level. Promotes use of the collections in traditional and new methods of academic research, and through the exhibition program, and social media in broader outreach to the general public. Collaborates with libraries across the University of Toronto to build and promote use of special collections. Works with facilities administrators to manage the space planning and capital needs of the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library and the Media Commons housed in the Robarts Library. Actively builds relationships with collectors and encourages and facilitates gift-in-kind donations of print, archives and media collections. Builds collaborative relationships with researchers, faculty, students, donors and collectors and other communities of interest, with the shared goal of enhancing, preserving and promoting the Library’s world-renowned collections. Works closely with the Library Advancement team to build a robust program to engage, cultivate, and steward donors and other supporters. Manages endowments, and other types of gift and trust funds in accordance with donor and institutional expectations. Serves as a member of the Chief Librarian’s Executive Leadership Council and participates on other administrative and senior management committees as required. Represents the Library on issues relevant to the portfolio and supports a leadership role for the University of Toronto Libraries nationally and internationally.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: A graduate degree in library, archival or information science from an ALA accredited institution or equivalent. Expertise in at least one area of the portfolio, with the capacity to thoroughly understand the information and service needs in all areas of responsibility. A person of professional prominence in the fields of rare books, archives, media collections, or digital special collections and in their use in research, teaching and outreach. Demonstrated leadership abilities. Experience effectively managing and mentoring in changing environments. Capacity to thrive in an environment of change and to nurture that capacity in others. Demonstrated planning, decision making and problem solving skills. Flexible and able to manage multiple competing priorities in a timely fashion. Knowledge of best practices and emerging developments in special collections. Demonstrated understanding of the evolving scholarly communications environment and awareness of emerging technologies in support of digital research. Proven experience engaging stakeholders, including faculty, donors, library staff, students and other groups, in positive collaborative relationships. Experience developing successful user-centered programs and services such as exhibitions and digitization projects. Excellent speaking, writing and interpersonal skills.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: An advanced subject degree in a relevant subject area. At least five to seven years of direct management experience. Relevant research experience and expertise. Experience in collegial work environments and experience working in a unionized environment. Successful record of fund-raising and cultivating donor relations. Expertise in the legal and financial aspects of gift-in-kind donations. Experience with planning capital projects and library renovations. Experience with curation and preservation of born digital materials and records. Familiarity with the antiquarian book trade and a record of successful collection building.
MINIMUM SALARY: Salary and rank based on experience and qualifications. The successful candidate must qualify for appointment at the Librarian III or Librarian IV rank.
ADMINISTRATIVE TERM: This position has a renewable administrative term of up to seven years.
NOTE: This is a permanent status stream position. Librarians at the University of Toronto are members of the University of Toronto Faculty Association.
TO APPLY: Applications will include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and contact information for three references of which at least two have supervised your work. Please send a single electronic file (MS Word or pdf) with a file name convention of [Surname, FirstName.ACLSpecialCollections]. Send applications to Darlene Chow, Manager of Library Human Resources at utlhr@utoronto.ca; or to Room 1140, 130 St. George Street, University of Toronto Libraries, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A5; or by fax to (416) 946-5543 by February 23, 2016. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. The University of Toronto Libraries thanks all applicants but will only contact applicants selected for an interview. University of Toronto Library System: http://onesearch.library.utoronto.ca/ University of Toronto: http://www.hrandequity.utoronto.ca/site3.aspx Policies for librarians: http://www.hrandequity.utoronto.ca/faculty-librarians.htm
