Head of Collection Management

For more than 150 years, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) has been a leader in educating the world’s most influential artists, designers and scholars. Located in downtown Chicago with a fine arts graduate program consistently ranking among the top four graduate fine arts programs in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, SAIC provides an interdisciplinary approach to art and design as well as world-class resources, including the Art Institute of Chicago Museum, on-campus galleries and state-of-the-art facilities. SAIC’s undergraduate, graduate and post-baccalaureate students have the freedom to take risks and create the bold ideas that transform Chicago and the world—as seen through notable alumni and faculty such as Michelle Grabner, David Sedaris, Elizabeth Murray, Richard Hunt, Georgia O’Keeffe, Cynthia Rowley, Nick Cave, and LeRoy Neiman.

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• Job Classification: Full time salaried staff
• Grade Level: 9

 

BASIC FUNCTION

As a key member of a collaborative and dynamic team at SAIC's Library + Special Collections, the Head of Collection Management provides strategic leadership and oversight of library acquisitions, cataloging, classification, and processing of general collections, as well as materials within SAIC’s Special Collections. This role also encompasses overall collection management, ensuring seamless discovery and accessibility of library resources by effective implementation of library systems and cataloging practices. Works especially close with the Flaxman Library’s Head of Special Collections + Digital Services and Head of Research + Access Services to ensure access to all resources and services. Responsible for assigning and directing the work of the Collection Management team.

 

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership:

• Responsible for day-to-day management and oversight of all areas of Flaxman Library Collection Management, including acquisitions, processing, collection development, organization, description, and cataloging.
• Responsible for assigning the work of the Collection Management team based on judgment relating to work priorities, workstreams, and skills needed. Uses discretion to organize and monitor work processes, resolves operational issues, and suggests new procedures.
• Develops, directs, and assesses the work of the Flaxman Library Collection Management team.
• Hires, trains, supervises, and evaluates the Library’s Collection Management team, including supervising all positions as listed above.
• Responsible for day-to-day enforcement of all policies and procedures; communicates updated job expectations and policies to employees listed below and acts as liaison to senior management for employee complaints and initiatives; uses discretion to organize and monitor work processes, resolve operational issues, and implement new procedures.
• Collaborates with colleagues throughout the Library + Special Collections and across campus to optimize the user experience in relation to the Library’s collections.
• In collaboration with the Library Collection Management team develops and maintains internal and external communications and statistical data
• Serves on internal and external committees or projects; and represents the Flaxman Library throughout the library and special collections communities, maintaining strong working relationships with colleagues at other specialized collections.
• Plays an essential role in library-wide planning, policy development, and assessment.

Collection Development + Management:

• Oversee acquisition and cataloging for all general collections including print, born-digital, electronic resources, media, and other formats
• Maintain and refine authority files for subject and name entries while advising staff on cataloging and metadata best practices.
• Performs administration of the discovery interface and other relevant systems.
• Creates, adapts, and implements innovative cataloging protocols to ensure discoverability in library catalog and other platforms.
• Assesses, analyzes, adapts, and responds to trends in publishing, pricing, scholarly communication, and the changing inform