Title: College Librarian & Director of Academic Commons
Department: Library and Scholarship Technology
Duration: Indefinite
Job Summary
Reporting to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College, the College Librarian & Director of Academic Commons (CLDAC) is the chief administrator of the Library and the Academic Commons. The position is a voting member of the faculty without tenure. The CLDAC furthers the College’s and Library’s commitment to equity and justice by facilitating the development of diverse and inclusive scholarly information resources, services, and programs. The CLDAC provides leadership in envisioning the ways in
which the Library and the Academic Commons support the curriculum as well as faculty and student scholarship; oversees a materials and operations budget; and leads a staff of 19 (16 FTE), including four direct reports: the Senior Director of Administration; the Director of Special Collections and College Archives; the Director of Teaching, Learning, and Research Support; and the Assistant Director of Collections, Systems, and Services.
Job Duties
- 35% - Envisions, articulates, and guides the strategic contributions of the Library to the College in advancing excellence in teaching, learning, and research. Ensures that the Library’s goals, objectives, programs, and activities are closely aligned with the College’s core values, mission, strategic plan, and the priorities of the Academic Affairs division. Serves on the Academic Affairs Leadership Forum and other College committees as appointed or required. Oversees organizational surveys, assessment, and reporting to such organizations as the Oberlin Group of Libraries and ACRL IPEDS. - (Essential)
- 20% - Provides leadership and support for all Library operations, planning, organizing, staffing, and budget control. Supports student academic success, excellence, and retention by collaborating with stakeholders, disciplines, and programs to provide resources and services to encourage student engagement in all aspects of their academic and co-curricular pursuits. - (Essential)
- 20% - Works closely with Institutional Advancement to establish and build relationships with individuals, corporations, and foundations; seeks donations, gifts-in-kind, and grants which support Library and Academic Commons resources, services, projects, and programs. Working closely with the VP for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College, the VP for Institutional Advancement and other key stakeholders, plans, raises funds for, organizes, and facilitates the development of new capital facilities improvement projects that advance The Occidental Promise. - (Essential)
- 15% - Facilitates information literacy efforts at all levels and across disciplines among faculty and students. Maintains ongoing and develops new relationships and collaborations with community partners (especially Northeast Los Angeles cultural heritage organizations), other institutions of higher education, and research-oriented organizations - (Essential)
- 10% - Oversees the Library’s and Academic Commons’ facilities, interacting closely with commons residents and visitors, and maintaining close working relationships with Campus Safety, Custodial Services, and Facilities. - (Essential)
Minimum Qualifications
MLIS from an ALA accredited program, or earned doctorate, or the equivalent in work experience, education, and training. Seven years of progressively senior leadership experience in an academic or research library.
● An exciting vision for advancing teaching, learning, and research in a liberal arts curriculum.
● Strong support for the values of a residential liberal arts college education and determination to help strengthen the academic community by developing equitable resources, services, and programs aimed at increasing diversity, inclusivity, and social justice.
● Demonstrated success in fostering a creative, collaborative, and collegial environment.
● Proven leadership abilities in creating and communicating a vision for the Library and Academic Commons, for building partnerships, and for collaborating broadly to meet the demands of a vibrant academic program and the expanding needs of students, faculty, and staff.
● Proven success with fundraising in higher education, such as securing individual gifts and receiving grants from foundations and government agencies.
● A strong understanding of new and developing trends in higher education, information technology, and scholarly communication, including Open Access, Open Educational Resources, and Artificial Intelligence.
● A track record of working with and fostering professional integrity.
● Excellent listening, spoken, and written communication skills.
● Experience with and strong interest in mentoring early career librarians.
● Energetic and innovative team leader, member, and colleague. Team player who displays flexibility for working within a constantly evolving organization where responsibilities are shared across departments and between individuals.
● Experience with sizeable budget planning and management, presentations and training, organizational development, and program assessment and evaluation.
● Ability to establish productive relationships across the campus and with peer institutions.
Preferred Qualifications
Second subject master’s degree or doctorate. Teaching experience in higher education; Evidence of scholarly achievement, such as publications or presentations; Experience with leading staff in a unionized environment; Professional service, such as committee work in national membership associations.
EXPECTED HIRING RANGE: $160,000 - $170,000/yr
If you are offered this position at Occidental College, your final base salary compensation will be determined based on factors such as skills, education, experience, and/or geographic location. In addition to those factors, Occidental complies with applicable pay equity laws and considers internal equity among current employees when developing the final offer. Please keep in mind that the range mentioned above is the base salary range for the role. Hiring at the maximum of the range would not be typical in order to allow for future and continued salary growth. We also offer a generous compensation and benefits package.
All applications, nominations and inquiries are invited. Applications should include, as two separate documents, a CV or resume and a letter of interest addressing how your experience and skills align with the role, qualifications, and qualities articulated in the leadership profile.
WittKieffer is assisting Occidental College in this search. For fullest consideration, candidate materials should be received by Tuesday, March 12, 2024.
Application materials should be submitted using WittKieffer’s candidate portal.
Nominations and inquiries can be directed to:
Jessica Herrington and Corin Edwards
OxyCollegeLibrarian@WittKieffer.com
