Chair, Cataloging and Discovery Services @ UF libraries

Posted by Leila Gibradze on

The George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, seek applications and nominations for the position of Chair for Cataloging and Discovery Services. The department provides descriptions for and access to materials and resources held at the University of Florida in all formats and subjects, including unique and cultural heritage collections. The department collaboratively supports the digital publishing and data curation programs of the Smathers Libraries.

Reporting to the Associate Dean for Discovery, Digital Services and Shared Collections, the Chair for Cataloging and Discovery Services is a year-round (12-month) tenure track library faculty position which provides leadership, strategic vision and direction for fully integrating emerging cataloging and metadata standards and linked data technologies into academic library cataloging practices. The Chair leads the department in implementing best practices and coordinates ongoing development of departmental staff. The Chair collaborates with departmental colleagues to achieve the department’s goals, establish policies and procedures to escalate discoverability of collections in all material formats in accordance with library-wide priorities and support the Smathers Libraries’ commitment to cooperative cataloging programs. These initiatives require consultation throughout the department and the Libraries and considerable delegation of responsibilities to project groups. Additionally, this position is a key member of the Libraries’ management team, ensuring organizational effectiveness, efficiency, and development of policies for library operations that are attentive to users’ experience.

The department is actively engaged in national and international standards development. The successful candidate will be a forward thinking leader who is knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the progressive nature of librarianship, the format of library collections, and the role of cataloging and metadata in extending discovery for library users, as exemplified by the Smathers Libraries’ innovative machine-assisted indexing project. The Cataloging and Discovery Services Department is active in the national and international cooperative cataloging initiatives of the Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC) — BIBCO, NACO, SACO, and CONSER. The expectation is that continued strong participation in these programs by the department will serve to help shape, transform, and advance the purpose of cataloging and discovery.

The Chair will include individuals of diverse backgrounds, experiences, races, ethnicities, genders, and perspectives in work activities to support all students and faculty and foster excellence in a diverse and global society. This position will pursue professional development opportunities, including research, publication, and professional service activities in order to meet library-wide criteria for tenure and promotion.

 

RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Leads cataloging and discovery services operations by setting well-articulated goals in congruence with the Libraries’ strategic objectives; coordinates communications related to department activities; regularly measures outputs through monthly statistical reports; and routinely evaluates needed resources.
  • Directs the work of the units comprising the department of 10 personnel, including evaluating the department’s operational effectiveness through periodic reports, annual performance evaluations, staff development, and solicits feedback from key personnel who work with the department.
  • Fosters a collaborative approach to achieving the department’s goals, establishing policies and procedures to integrate and enhance discoverability of the collections in all material formats in accordance with library priorities and supporting the Smathers Libraries’ commitment to cooperative cataloging programs. These initiatives require consultation throughout the department and the Libraries and considerable delegation of responsibilities to project groups.
  • Provides leadership in cataloging and metadata standards and services, promotes emerging digital information environments, and effective access to materials.
  • Leads the department in system implementations, and works with other departments throughout the Libraries to ensure that Cataloging and Discovery Services is meeting demonstrated user needs.
  • Leads the department’s support of digitization projects. Ensures that workflows and projects produce appropriate metadata schemes, creates and revises metadata for digital products, derives metadata from authoritative bibliographic tools and sources, across a broad range of material (manuscripts, photographs, ephemera, maps, datasets, prints and drawings, rare books, and archival material) to support the Libraries’ digitization initiatives.
  • Coordinates agreements with representatives of the cooperative cataloging programs in which the Smathers Libraries participates, including assuming primary responsibility for assessing performance and representing Smathers Libraries in negotiating terms and conditions of commitments.
  • Researches, analyzes and integrates cataloging trends in information management.
  • Maintains active involvement in appropriate professional and subject related organizations. Professional activity and leadership is expected in identifying and discussing cataloging issues with colleagues throughout the world.
  • Performs scholarly research and provides service at the institutional and professional levels as related to assignment and in accordance with tenure and promotion criteria.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required:

  • Master’s degree in Library or Information Science from an ALA-accredited program or other relevant advanced degree.
  • Appointment at the Assistant University Librarian rank requires a minimum of four years of experience in an academic research library; and appointment at the Associate University Librarian rank requires a minimum of eight years of direct experience in an academic research library.
  • Demonstrated leadership role in an information environment.
  • Strong management portfolio with experience leading change, supervising and promoting collaboration, and fostering staff professional development and growth.
  • Expertise in national metadata content standards (e.g., RDA, AACR2, DACS, etc.), expertise in MARC and non-MARC encoding/structural standards (e.g. MODS, XML, EAD, etc.), or expertise in integration of emerging standards related to machine-readability.
  • Expertise necessary to enhance the discoverability of information resources, including the use of machine-assisted indexing and metadata enhancement.
  • Demonstrated knowledge of digitization practices related to cataloging.
  • Record of including individuals of diverse backgrounds, experiences, races, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientation, and perspectives in research, teaching, service and other work.
  • Ability to work both independently and collaboratively with faculty, students, administrators and the general public.
  • Strong potential for meeting the requirements of tenure and promotion (outlined at http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/pers/cdh).
  • Initiative, flexibility and the ability to adapt to a complex, rapidly changing academic environment.
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Preferred:

  • Familiarity with the linked data environment, including emerging library initiatives (e.g. BIBFRAME) and name identifier systems (e.g., ORCID, ISNI).
  • Working knowledge of a foreign language.
  • Experience contributing bibliographic and authority records using national PCC standards or other programs for descriptive, structural, and administrative metadata.
  • Experience using metrics to assess effectiveness.
  • Experience working in an environment advancing digital initiatives.
  • Record reflecting substantive scholarship and research.

 

 

 

CATALOGING AND DISCOVERY SERVICES DEPARTMENT

The Cataloging and Discovery Services Department supports the academic programs of the University by organizing, describing, and providing physical processing for the books, journals, sound and video recordings, microforms, maps, and other materials purchased or received by the library system. The Department catalogs approximately 20,000 titles per year in compliance with national standards of bibliographic control and in keeping with established cataloging priorities. Original record contributions to OCLC, an international bibliographic database, number approximately 2,000 annually. The department participates in international cooperative cataloging programs including CONSER, BIBCO, NACO, and SACO. Department units collaborate to create efficient workflows and apply the latest technologies in order to meet user needs. The department works closely with Acquisitions & Collections Services and Digital Production Services to coordinate the availability of resources. The department is actively engaged with a variety of Library-wide initiatives including helping to upload over 100,000 records to OCLC for the Biblioteca Nacional de Cuba José Martí and implementation of cutting-edge projects like machine-assisted bibliographic record enhancement.

 

APPLICATION PROCESS

To apply, submit 1) a cover letter detailing your interest in and qualifications for this position; 2) a written statement regarding the relationship between traditional cataloging and digital services, and their common future (500 words maximum); 3) your current resume or CV; and 4) a list of three references including their contact information (address, telephone number, and email). Apply by July 18, 2018 (applications will be reviewed as received). Submit all application materials through the Jobs at UF online application system at Requisition 507614. Failure to submit the required documents may result in the application not being considered. If you have any questions or concerns about this process please contact Bonnie Smith, George A. Smathers Libraries Human Resources Office, at bonniesmith@ufl.edu.

Final candidate will be required to provide official transcript to the hiring department upon hire. A transcript will not be considered “official” if a designation of “Issued to Student” is visible. Degrees earned from an education institution outside of the United States are required to be evaluated by a professional credentialing service provider approved by National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), which can be found at http://www.naces.org/.