Director, Rare Books & Special Collections

McGill University

POSITION POSTING

Director, Rare Books & Special Collections

Deadline to apply: May 23, 2024, 11:59pm
Assistant Librarian or Associate Librarian (tenure track)
Duration: three years, with possibility of renewal
Salary: commensurate with experience
Posting number: JR0000052830
The McGill Libraries seeks applications for a strategic, visionary, and collaborative leader for the role of Director, Rare Books and Special Collections (RBSC). Rare Books and Special Collections houses many thousands of items ranging from published works to objects and is especially renowned for its holdings related to Canadiana, the history of printing, natural history, Enlightenment philosophy, and architecture. This is an exciting opportunity for a forward-looking leader in the field of special collections to provide organizational leadership and to collaboratively design new and innovative services that demonstrate the importance of McGill Libraries’ outstanding collections to the scholarly community.

THE McGILL LIBRARIES

Located in Montréal, one of the world’s great multicultural and multilingual cities, McGill University is internationally recognized for its excellence as a leading institution of higher education and research. For over 200 years, through the work of dedicated people, McGill has been breaking ground in diverse fields and contributing solutions to some of the world’s most significant issues. McGill is also the most internationally diverse research-intensive university in Canada, with over 32% of its students coming to McGill from more than 150 countries. The University systematically appears on the annual list of the best employers in Montreal.

The McGill Libraries is committed to delivering high-quality, innovative information products, services and programs that focus on client needs and support the University’s strategic mission and directions. The Libraries proactively supports the teaching, learning and research needs of faculty and students to fulfill McGill’s strategic mission of excellence as a research-intensive, student-centred university.
The McGill Libraries has the largest collection in Quebec and is one of Canada’s largest academic libraries with over six million monograph titles and 150,000 e-journals and databases. The Library is a member of the Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL), the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), the Partenariat des bibliothèques universitaires du Québec (PBUQ), the Center for Research Libraries (CRL), and the HathiTrust Digital Library.

INFORMATION FOR PROSPECTIVE STAFF
Information about the University and the McGill Libraries can be found on the University’s web site. As a tenure stream appointee, the successful candidate is expected to satisfy the requirements in the Regulations Relating to the Employment of Librarian Staff

DUTY STATEMENT

Position Summary

The Director, Rare Books and Special Collections (RBSC) has leadership, management, policy and planning responsibilities for rare books, manuscripts, research archives, and special collections. Reporting to the Trenholme Dean of Libraries, the Director is responsible for developing and implementing a vision for RBSC that anticipates and addresses emerging trends in acquisition, curation, access, digitization and preservation in an increasingly diverse and complex environment. The Director has responsibility for building scholarly and diverse collections, developing programs as well as innovative and responsible services meeting users’ growing needs. The strategic plan, its programs and realizations will consolidate and grow the reputation of McGill Libraries’ RBSC as a prominent and unique centre for meaningful scholarly activities. The Director is a member of the academic staff, as such the position includes conducting research and teaching activities both within the library and in collaboration with faculty.

Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
• Provide leadership and vision for RBSC that aligns with the McGill Libraries’ strategic plan and priorities, and the overarching McGill University vision and strategic directions.
• Set strategic directions and priorities for RBSC’s services and projects with a particular focus on needs as expressed by faculty, researchers, students, and other users, including class-based projects and instructional activities, reference, exhibitions, speaker events and publications.
• Lead, inspire and supervise a team composed of 7 librarian positions and 2 support staff positions, including prioritizing projects and activities, establishing workloads according to available resources, and conducting assessment for continuous improvement.
• Lead a user-centered approach to the acquisition (purchase and donation), processing, and accessibility of collections in manuscript, print, and digital formats.
• Work collaboratively with other units in the McGill Libraries with rare and special holdings to ensure excellence in the delivery of programs and services.
• Develop and nurture strategic relationships with various external stakeholders, including potential donors and Friends of the Libraries to investigate and acquire new acquisitions; coordinate these activities with the Dean, the Development and Alumni Associate and University Advancement.
• Ensure proper stewardship and quality of services through the creation, revision, and implementation of policies and procedures.
• Work with facilities administrators to manage the use of storage spaces and other departmental spaces and manage space planning and capital needs for the department.
• Ensure environmental conditions and collection security protocols are observed and take responsibility for the preservation program.
• Manage budget for RBSC acquisitions, grant funded projects, and other initiatives.
• Participate in grant application activities and collaborate, internally and with external partners on the delivery of funded projects.
• Collaborate with colleagues in other cultural institutions in the Montreal area and beyond on events, exhibitions, and preservation initiatives.
• Represent McGill Libraries through public speaking and programs.
• Play a leading role in the field through research, scholarly publications, presentations, projects, and active participation in relevant professional associations.
• As a member of the Library Management Group, actively participate in strategic planning, development of projects, and support institutional goals and growth.
• Lead and participate in projects, working groups, and committees related to areas of responsibility.
• Pursue professional engagement through training, participation, and leadership opportunities in professional forums to connect the McGill Libraries with best practices and emergent services in higher education administration and library service development.
• Promotes and fosters a supportive environment built on appreciation, recognition, learning. and professional growth. Creates a supportive and positive environment where everyone is able to listen, contribute and engage with colleagues and ideas, and provide and receive timely, constructive feedback.
• Contributes to creating an environment that embraces curiosity, ideas, creativity, and innovation and provides opportunities and flexibility to explore new initiatives.

Reporting relationship

The position reports to the Trenholme Dean of Libraries.

SELECTION CRITERIA
Required qualifications and experience:

• A degree from an accredited Master’s level program in library and information studies.
• A minimum of five years of experience working with readers and rare books and special collections materials in a research library.
• A minimum of three years of relevant managerial and administrative experience, with proven management skills, preferably in a unionized environment.
• Thorough knowledge, expertise and experience in managing, collecting, organizing, digitizing, and preserving rare books and special collections.
• Demonstrated leadership experience and strong interpersonal skills.
• Proven experience and expertise in building rare books and special collections with deep knowledge of the rare book and manuscript market.
• Experience in planning and implementing new services and programs.
• Expertise in applying new and emerging information and library technologies to special collections, and experience with digitization programs and initiatives.
• Excellent project management, change management, and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated experience working collaboratively with faculty and other members of the university community in the planning and delivery of activities such as ceremonies, scholarly events (symposia, lectures, etc.), advancement events or exhibitions.
• Demonstrated commitment to the values of equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility.
• Demonstrated commitment to ongoing learning and professional growth.
• Outstanding oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to exercise a high level of diplomacy, tact, and discretion when working with information of a confidential or sensitive nature and in dealing with various levels of senior administration and external agencies.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to function effectively as a member of a senior management team working within a collegial environment and experience in building and managing relationships at all levels of the organization.

Desired qualifications and experience:

• An advanced degree in a relevant discipline.
• Additional language skills. Knowledge of French is an asset. McGill University is an English-language university where day to day duties may require English communication both verbally and in writing.
• Relevant research experience and demonstrated record of scholarly activity.
• Demonstrated success in fundraising, including grant writing, gifts-in-kind, and donor relations.


APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Applications should address the above selection criteria, be accompanied by a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, and the names and addresses of three referees.
To apply, please visit:
https://mcgill.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/mcgill_careers/details/Director--Rare-Books---Special-Collections--Associate-Librarian-_JR0000052830

External Candidates: Applicants who are not current McGill employees must apply via external postings on Workday. Use the filters on the left-hand side to focus your search. The website will direct you to create a Workday account. Please note you must use a personal email address when creating this account. Do not use @mail.mcgill.ca or @mcgill.ca email addresses. Please refer to the job aid: Applying at McGill Guide for External Candidates
COMMITMENT TO EQUITY AND DIVERSITY
McGill University is committed to equity and diversity within its community and values academic rigour and excellence. We welcome and encourage applications from racialized persons/visible minorities, women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to engage productively with diverse communities.
At McGill, research that reflects diverse intellectual traditions, methodologies, and modes of dissemination and translation is valued and encouraged. Candidates are invited to demonstrate their research impact both within and across academic disciplines and in other sectors, such as government, communities, or industry.

McGill further recognizes and fairly considers the impact of leaves (e.g., family care or health-related) that may contribute to career interruptions or slowdowns. Candidates are encouraged to signal any leave that affected productivity, or that may have had an effect on their career path. This information will be considered to ensure the equitable assessment of the candidate’s record.

McGill implements an employment equity program and encourages members of designated equity groups to self-identify. It further seeks to ensure the equitable treatment and full inclusion of persons with disabilities by striving for the implementation of universal design principles transversally, across all facets of the University community, and through accommodation policies and procedures. Persons with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodations for any part of the application process may contact, in confidence, this email or phone at 514-398-2477.

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply; however, in accordance with Canadian immigration requirements, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.