Department Head, Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library

Position and Responsibilities:

Georgia State University Library seeks a dynamic, knowledgeable leader for its Special Collections and Archives. The Department Head will play a leadership role in a service-oriented environment, providing direction for all aspects of Special Collections and Archives, including strategic planning, budget management, acquisition and processing of collections, and management of departmental personnel.

Reporting to the Dean of the Library, the Head of Special Collections & Archives provides leadership and vision for the department and, in collaboration with other library units, oversees all activities including collecting, processing, organizing, preserving, and making accessible collections of photographs, manuscripts, archives, audio-visual media, and digital collections. The Head is actively involved in donor cultivation and fundraising. The Head provides expertise and creativity in the development of excellent special collections and archives in a variety of formats.

The Head actively supports Special Collections & Archives staff providing reference assistance and instruction in the use of resources, and works closely with other units in the library to ensure effective access to collections. The Head has overall responsibility for personnel supervision and resources management within the department which currently consists of six archivists and five staff.

The Head of Special Collections & Archives also actively participates in various groups within and beyond the GSU Library. In collaboration with the University Archivist, the incumbent fosters relationships with units and individuals across the campus to acquire the most significant materials for documenting the history and functions of Georgia State University.

Environment: 

Georgia State University Library’s Special Collections and Archives collects and preserves unique and rare historical materials in selected subject areas. The department promotes the use of these materials by the Georgia State University community, scholars and the public. Its goal is to advance scholarship and to further the educational, research and service missions of the university.

The collection focus is on records of organizations or papers of individuals documenting the twentieth and twenty-first century American South. Subject strengths include the heritage of workers and their unions in the South and elsewhere, American popular music and culture, efforts to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment and the second wave of the women’s movement, women-centered and LGBTQ activist and advocacy activities in Georgia and the Southeast, and other social movements, especially in Georgia. The department also houses the Georgia State University Archives, consisting of records of University offices, deliberative bodies, and organizations, as well as resources on GSU history.

In addition to manuscripts and organizational records, many of the collections contain visual resources, sound recordings, and moving images. Special Collections and Archives houses millions of historical photographs documenting twentieth-century Atlanta and Georgia. Active oral history programs are a feature of many of the collections.

The University Library provides one of the most attractive, open, and inviting educational facilities in the Southeast, supporting both teaching and research with expansive collections and outstanding assistance. Located in the heart of downtown Atlanta, Georgia State University is one of the country’s top urban research universities, with over 32,000 graduate and undergraduate students enrolled in eight colleges. This diverse community offers a unique cultural and intellectual atmosphere, with many opportunities to engage in stimulating activities and events, including college sports, the performing arts, and access to a variety of local restaurants and cultural resources. For additional information about the Georgia State University Library: http://library.gsu.edu.

Required Qualifications:

  • ALA-accredited Master’s degree in information/library science, or graduate degree in archival studies, history, or a related field with library or archives experience.
  • Five years of successful and increasingly responsible professional experience in special collections and/or archives.
  • Ability to provide leadership and vision for special collections and archives.
  • Strong commitment to public services and user-centered reference and instructional services with an understanding of the scholarly use of special collections.
  • Ability to successfully supervise, mentor, and train Special Collections and Archives personnel.
  • Knowledge of current practice and research in archival management practices, policies, procedures, and trends.
  • Ability to actively engage in fundraising, donor relations, collection solicitation, and gift management. · Excellent oral and written communication skills and ability to work effectively with culturally diverse library users and colleagues.
  • Ability to pass a background check.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Successful experience supervising faculty librarians/archivists.
  • Knowledge of intellectual property issues related to archives, libraries, and special collections and copyright issues associated with print and digital technologies.
  • Knowledge of library preservation and conservation issues and practices.
  • Experience with fundraising/grant writing.
  • ACA certification
  • Record of professional service and scholarly accomplishments

Condition of Work and Benefits:

Forty-hour work week
Twelve-month assignment
Retirement plans include: Teachers Retirement System, TIAA–CREF, VALIC, & Fidelity
Twenty-one days of vacation
Group health and life insurance
Twelve paid holidays
Social Security
Twelve days sick leave
Optional pre-tax benefits
Faculty rank and status
Support for research and professional activities
Non-Tenure track

Salary and Rank:

$70,000 – 80,000 for 12 months. Salary commensurate with the candidate’s education and experience. Appointment at a faculty rank, on a contract renewal basis.

Submit a cover letter addressing the above qualifications; resume; name, address and phone number of three references, including immediate supervisor. Review of materials will begin February 19, 2016 and continue until the position is filled. Send materials to:

Georgia State University Library
Attn: Human Resources Officer
100 Decatur Street, SE, Atlanta, GA 30303-3202
(404) 413-2700
liblao@gsu.edu

Georgia State University is an equal opportunity educational institution/affirmative action employer strongly committed to cultural diversity.

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