Description

The University of Vermont (UVM) Libraries seeks a director of Collection Management Services (CMS). This position reports to the dean of libraries and supervises twelve people, including three direct reports: the heads of cataloging and metadata, collection development and analysis, and acquisitions and electronic resources management. The director of CMS works closely with other library directors, the Faculty Library Advisory Committee, and subject liaisons residing in the UVM Libraries’ three buildings: Howe Library, the Dana Health Sciences Library, and the Silver Special Collections Library.

This is an exciting opportunity to lead change. Priorities include identifying and seizing opportunities for cooperative collection-building, archiving, and collection-management afforded by UVM’s entry into the Boston Library Consortium (BLC) Network Zone; reviewing and merging collections budgets across the UVM Libraries; overseeing a unified, print-management strategy; building consensus around major, upcoming decisions regarding big-deal packages; formulating a vision for cataloging and metadata in a world of artificial intelligence; attending to the professional development of direct reports and creating plans for continuous learning; and cultivating within the CMS Department an atmosphere of experimentation and collegiality. 

This director will work with all library directors to ensure that the work of collection development, acquisitions and cataloging is seamless and consonant with the Libraries’ strategic plan. The director will examine processes for managing serials, discovery systems, and automated and manual acquisitions, consulting closely with colleagues to change workflows as appropriate. Close work with the University’s Purchasing and Contracts office is important. Cultivating relationships with faculty across the institution is key, both through work with the Faculty Library Advisory Committee and through relationships with specific colleges and schools.

Competitive candidates will demonstrate a wide and deep background in the theory and practice of building, describing, and managing collections—physical and virtual, autonomous and consortial, established and experimental. They will understand well the crisis afoot in academic publishing and the financial and ethical challenges it presents. We seek candidates well versed in and committed to open-access publishing initiatives and to new models for producing and disseminating information in a manner consonant with the commitments of UVM, i.e., a land-grant institution committed to the general welfare and public good.

Candidates should have a good sense of the potential effect of artificial intelligence on collecting and cataloging practices. They should be skilled at gathering and interpreting data to inform collection development policies and practices. Candidates should be fluent in data-mining initiatives and the world of institutional and disciplinary repositories. Broad knowledge of the scholarly communication landscape—including current and potential changes to that landscape—is essential. 

We seek both a leader and a manager—somebody who can help craft a vision for the department and work collaboratively with colleagues to implement that vision. Those who have supervised, worked with, and reported to the candidate should speak highly of the candidate’s leadership, emotional intelligence, organizational skills, and ability to inspire trust and enthusiasm. Candidates should also bring a record of working with campus partners.

Strong interpersonal skills and a commitment to teamwork are essential. We seek candidates who are confident, kind, thoughtful, good listeners, and empathetic; who possess vision and verve; and who will advocate for UVM’s students and faculty and for colleagues in CMS.

Librarians at the University of Vermont hold faculty appointments without tenure. As such, librarians are expected to perform in three areas Educational Mission (Librarianship); Scholarly and Creative Activity; and Service. Rank at time of initial hire and promotions are based upon performance in all three areas. 

Responsibilities:

• Oversee and make decisions regarding collections budgets and the acquisition, description, and disposal of print and electronic materials. Lead and manage the selection, acquisition, assessment and disposition of resources in all formats. Oversee user-focused collections, including UVM’s approval plan and patron-driven and evidence-based acquisitions. Lead the Collections Team in designing and implementing collection-development strategies and prioritizing renewals and requests for new resources.
• Oversee the cataloging of all materials in the UVM Libraries. Work especially closely with Special Collections on digitization projects and efforts to make UVM’s unique collections universally accessible.
• Explore opportunities for crafting cooperative collection-development and collection-management strategies with other libraries, both locally and nationally, especially within the Boston Library Consortium (BLC).
• Oversee functions relating to acquisitions, licensing, and the compilation and reporting of collection and usage statistics.
• Provide empathetic leadership. Create and foster strong relationships with colleagues in collection development, acquisitions, cataloging, the Libraries as a whole, the University, and external partners and organizations.
• Provide a clear and compelling vision for the ways collection development and cataloging can promote the Libraries’ commitment to free, universal access to information and the graduation of students as skilled researchers and informationally literate citizens.
• Cultivate a personal research agenda and engages in service.

Requirements

• A master's degree (M.L.S., M.S., or M.A. in Library or Information Science, or other variant) from a program accredited by the American Library Association or the equivalent professional credential in librarianship. Applicants who have a master's degree or PhD in another field and have completed a formal program providing training as a librarian (e.g., fellowship, graduate certificate), combined with at least one year of experience in a professional role as an academic librarian may also be eligible for appointment.
• At least five years’ experience in an academic library, with three or more years at a supervisory level.
• Experience coordinating interactions between cataloging, acquisitions, and collection-development operations.
• Established record of leadership, management, and mentoring.
• Expertise in budget planning and management.
• A strong record of scholarship and publications (and/or portfolio of creative activity) consistent with the expectations for faculty at a flagship R1 research university.
• Evidence of effective oral and written communication skills necessary for professional communication and scholarly work.
• Experience in project management.
• Experience with acquisitions operations such as approval plans, patron-driven acquisitions, or evidence-based acquisitions.
• Experience with collection-management methodologies and collection-analysis tools.
• Familiarity with the principles of cataloging.
• Ability to work well both independently and collaboratively with colleagues, faculty and staff.
• Fluency in developments in the scholarly publishing landscape, especially in open-access publishing and efforts to make collections accessible to everyone.
• Demonstrated commitment to UVM’s Our Common Ground values, equity, inclusion, and accessibility; awareness and understanding of diverse thought, cultures, race, religion, gender, and other differences.
• Experience in establishing and maintaining effective relationships with vendors, consortia, and publishers.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Fluency with library technology, including systems similar to those employed at UVM (e.g., Alma, LibNova, etc.)

Desired (Non-Essential) Qualifications:

• Experience with digital preservation
• Knowledge of discovery systems
• Familiarity with medical and health sciences librarianship and special collections
• Work with staff and faculty librarians in a union environment

We seek candidates who will contribute to the Libraries’ evolving Intercultural Excellence Plan, a plan that embrace’s UVM’s Our Common Ground and fundamental principles of intellectual freedom embodied in UVM’s statement on Academic Freedom, the ACRL Statement on Academic Freedom, and the AAUP Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure. The Libraries have committed themselves to building collections that serve an increasingly diverse curriculum, to affirming all persons and supporting all intellectually rigorous thought and traditions, to building the most diverse recruitment pools possible, to creating mentorship opportunities for colleagues, and to making our services and spaces accessible and welcoming to all.

Appointment, Salary, Benefits: 

The Director has a primary appointment as an academic administrator and a secondary appointment as a Library Faculty member. Library Directors have a record of librarianship, scholarship, and service appropriate for an appointment at the rank of Library Associate Professor or above. Rank recommendation at time of initial hire will be based upon review of candidate’s previous experience (detailed in CV). At the recommended rank of Library Associate Professor or higher, the finalist must go through an expedited promotion process to be appointed at this rank.

The salary range for this position is $100,000 - $130,000. Library Faculty are not eligible for tenure.  Generous benefits package includes:TIAA/CREF(or alternative plan), professional development, managed health care plan, and 22 days of annual leave. 

Our Common Ground Values Statement: 

Provide a statement on how, as the director of the Collection Management Services department, you would enhance the impact of Our Common Ground Values at UVM, and among the populations we serve. 

Application Information: 

For further details about this position and to apply online, please visit our website at: http://www.uvmjobs.com and reference posting number F3522PO. In addition to the online application, candidates are required to submit the following documents: cover letter, a complete curriculum vitae, an Our Common Ground values statement, and a list of three professional references who can speak to issues related to academic rank. 

The search will remain open until the position is filled. For best consideration, complete applications should be received no later than December 12, 2025. For additional information, please contact search chair Bridget Burke, bridget.burke@uvm.edu. Employment is subject to a successful background check.

Campus Profile:  

The University of Vermont (UVM), established in 1791, is a top public research university. Often referred to as a Public Ivy, UVM is the largest institution of higher education in the state, with over 12,600 degree-seeking students enrolled in nine schools and colleges, including a medical school. UVM is known as a small, premier research institution, combining the faculty-student relationships found at small liberal arts colleges with the resources of a major research institution.  

UVM Libraries, comprised of the David W. Howe Memorial Library, Dana Health Sciences Library, and Silver Special Collections Library, delivers distinctive and outstanding service to the campus community, the State of Vermont, and the University of Vermont Medical Center through excellence in instruction, innovation in research and scholarship, and dedication to public service. UVM Libraries uses the Alma library services platform and Primo VE discovery search interface. Digital Commons hosts the institutional repository UVM ScholarWorks, and LIBNOVA hosts an array of unique digital collections via the Center for Digital Initiatives. 

UVM is located in Burlington, Vermont, which has consistently been named a top city to live in. Uniquely situated near both Lake Champlain and the Green Mountains, the surrounding area offers easy access to a variety of outdoor activities year-round. Burlington enjoys excellent school systems, a dynamic and stimulating cultural scene, and a vibrant and diverse social life. It is also within a short distance of several major metropolitan areas, including Montreal, Boston, and New York City. 

The University of Vermont is a welcoming, educationally purposeful community committed to creating an inclusive environment that embraces intellectual diversity and global perspectives. We seek to prepare students to be accountable leaders who will bring to their work a grasp of complexity, effective problem-solving and communication skills, and an enduring commitment to learning and ethical conduct. Members of the University of Vermont community embrace and advance the values of Our Common Ground: Respect, Integrity, Innovation, Openness, Justice, and Responsibility. The successful candidate will demonstrate a strong commitment to UVM’s mission and advancing Our Common Ground values through their teaching, service, research, scholarship, or creative arts.