Associate Dean for Collections, Systems and Digital Strategies

Reporting directly to the Dean of Library Services, the Associate Dean provides leadership and strategic vision for an evolving, comprehensive, cohesive program of enterprise systems, tools, and information resources, developed and implemented to support the curriculum, research activities, and the creation of new works and scholarship. The Associate Dean acts as the collection development officer for the library, and with the Dean of Library Services, is ultimately responsible for the overall quality, diversity, and balance of the library’s digital and physical collection; manages the disbursement of funds for information resources ($1.8 million); and provides strategic leadership to leverage consortia managed resources. This includes but is not limited to fiscal and human resources planning and management; collections space planning; formulating, implementing, and assessing strategies for library collections in all formats and for resource sharing services; establishing, monitoring, and communicating progress towards library goals and objectives; formulating and administering policies; and building successful partnerships with internal and external entities to enhance library collections. This leadership position requires a demonstrated commitment to developing culturally competent teams and to working successfully with a diverse community of students, faculty, and staff.

The Associate Dean is also responsible for the administration and oversight of library systems and information technology and plays a key role in ensuring that students and faculty are connected to information and information technologies critical to their learning, teaching and research. This position is responsible and accountable for directing, administering, and executing the operational aspects of the Collections, Systems and Digital Strategies department,

The Associate Dean plays a significant role in all aspects of library-wide planning, budgeting, personnel planning and management, operations, communications, and policy development, and is a key member of the Library Management Team. The Associate Dean represents the library in matters related to enterprise systems, technology and digital initiatives and is the Dean’s primary representative and liaison with other campus units and divisions such as central IT services, the Division of Research, and Academic Technologies. In a highly collaborative environment, this position works with a wide variety of library and campus partners including Colleges, Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, and campus administrative offices to enrich the faculty and student experience.

Required qualifications

  1. Record of research, publication, and scholarly achievement sufficient to meet the qualifications of the rank of Associate Librarian with tenure as specified in the Library Faculty handbook.
  2. Successful record of supervising and mentoring librarians through tenure track or continuing appointment personnel actions.
  3. Demonstrated commitment to developing culturally competent teams and to working successfully with a diverse community of students, faculty, and staff. Demonstrated commitment to fostering an inclusive and equitable work environment. Ability to initiate, establish, and foster communication and teamwork by maintaining a positive, cooperative, and productive work atmosphere.
  4. Demonstrated experience with personnel management. Comprehensive knowledge of effective personnel management practices and supervisory skills, including motivation, training, professional development, conflict resolution, and progressive discipline, with the demonstrated ability to effectively model appropriate professional behavior.
  5. Ability to lead in a shared governance and collective bargaining environment.
  6. Demonstrated knowledge of current issues, trends and opportunities in academic libraries. Knowledge of issues and trends in library technology, scholarly and scientific communications, including trends in publishing across disciplines.
  7. Demonstrated expertise in one or more areas of the position’s general responsibilities, e.g.: collection development and management, cataloging, electronic resource management, resource acquisitions or licensing, library systems, or digital initiatives. Demonstrated leadership experience and evidence of past initiatives implemented at an academic or research library.
  8. Demonstrated ability to maintain high quality/standards of work, leadership, initiative, ethics, cultural competence, and professional responsibility and judgment. Demonstrated ability to represent the university in a professional and conscientious manner.
  9. Demonstrated experience managing a budget including experience with negotiating licenses, and balancing expenses across multiple competing priorities.
  10. Knowledge and/or experience with issues of inclusivity and equity in collections and cataloging.
  11. Ability to initiate, establish, and foster communication and teamwork by maintaining a positive, cooperative, and productive work atmosphere. Demonstrated commitment to developing culturally competent teams and to working successfully with a diverse community of students, faculty, and staff. Demonstrated commitment to fostering an inclusive and equitable work environment.
  12. Demonstrated ability to review and act upon complex individual and organizational problems and make recommendations to influence change in library policies. Ability to provide solutions that are imaginative, thorough, and practical.
  13. Demonstrated ability to work independently with little instruction; take initiative, anticipate problems, and solve issues in a timely manner.
  14. Demonstrated ability to exercise tact, sound judgment, diplomacy, and discretion in appropriately handling confidential information and data, interpreting and applying rules, regulations, policies and procedures and/or recommending new policies and procedures. Demonstrated ability to maintain a high degree of confidentiality.
  15. Excellent time management, planning, and organizational skills and ability to multi-task, while attending to detail, and meet the demands of multiple deadlines. Ability to manage multiple concurrent tasks with major impact on critical operations of the organization. Ability to adapt to organizational, procedural, policy, and technological changes.
  16. Ability to assess opportunities for and integrate technology into work environments to increase effectiveness, efficiency, communication, and accessibility.
  17. Excellent computer skills and proficiency with a wide range of library specific systems, software and applications.
  18. Working knowledge of or ability to quickly learn University infrastructure, policies and procedures.

Preferred qualifications

  1. A second advanced academic degree.
  2. Experience participating in fund-raising and/or grant-writing activities.
  3. Experience assessing and negotiating licenses for online resources.
  4. Demonstrated success promoting use and awareness of library resources and services. Current experience with web-based communication technologies and with social media.
  5. Demonstrated success fostering innovation in library programs or services.
  6. Knowledge of and demonstrated experience integrating information technologies in teaching/learning and research environments, and library services and operations.
  7. Knowledge of Ex Libris Alma library management system.
  8. Demonstrated knowledge in user experience (UX) design and assessment, including the ability to lead initiatives that enhance the overall user journey across both physical and digital library services.
  9. Demonstrated skills in an institutional/educational environment utilizing a user/service-centered attitude.
  10. Bilingual or knowledge of Spanish or other languages.

How to apply

To apply please visit: https://jobs.calpoly.edu/en-us/job/544129/associate-dean-for-collections-systems-and-digital-strategies

 

About Kennedy Library

Kennedy Library is responsible for planning, implementing, and managing campus-wide information resources and related services. Integrating traditional library resources and services with digital tools, the Robert E. Kennedy Library continuously adapts its services, programs, and spaces to meet the evolving academic programs, research interests, and needs of the university community.  Providing Access to information resources, classrooms, computer labs, an expansive 24-hour space, and an array of group and individual study spaces, Kennedy Library is a magnet for students and faculty alike.  Annual visitors exceed 1.5 million.

About Cal Poly

Cal Poly is a nationally ranked public university located in San Luis Obispo, California, and known for its Learn by Doing philosophy. Each year more than 20,000 top-tier students come to San Luis Obispo to put knowledge into action, taking their learning outside the classroom as they prepare for careers in engineering, agriculture, science, business, humanities and the built environment. Cal Poly’s hands-on philosophy, small class sizes and close student-faculty mentorships result in graduates ready from day one to impact their communities, California and the world. For more information, visit calpoly.edu.

At Cal Poly, we believe that cultivating an environment that embraces and promotes diversity is fundamental to the success of our students, our employees and our community. Bringing people together from different backgrounds, experiences and value systems fosters the innovative and creative thinking that exemplifies Cal Poly’s values of free inquiry, cultural and intellectual diversity, mutual respect, civic engagement, and social and environmental responsibility.

Cal Poly’s commitment to diversity informs our efforts in recruitment, hiring and retention. Cal Poly is an equal opportunity employer.

About SLO

Cal Poly’s location in San Luis Obispo makes it one of the best places to visit.  It’s a quintessential coastal California town with some 43,000 residents.  Located halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles and just minutes from beaches, state parks, landmarks and premium wine regions, it’s a popular vacation spot.  Sunset magazine has called it the most Californian place in all of California.

The city of San Luis Obispo offers a historic, restored downtown full of restaurants, theatres, art galleries and shops centered around San Luis Obispo Creek, Mission San Luis Obispo and mission Plaza.   San Luis Obispo’s Thursday night Farmer’s Market on Higuera Street has become a model for cities around the state.  It’s a mix of fresh produce and flowers, baked goods, restaurant fare and free music all within strolling distance.

San Luis Obispo is just minutes from some of California’s best beaches and original beach cities: Avila Beach (10 miles). Pismo Beach (12 miles), Morro Bay (17 miles), Montana de Oro State Park (18 miles), Cayucos (18 Miles), the Pismo Dunes (28 miles) and world- famous Hearst Castle (45 miles).