Head of Special Collections

Company: Digital Library Federation
Location: Indianapolis
Posted on: April 22, 2025

Job Description:

Butler University seeks a collaborative and forward-thinking professional to serve as our next Head of Special Collections. The successful candidate will take the lead in arrangement, description, and management of the unique resources currently in our collections; coordinate strategic growth of our digital collections in an evolving digital asset management ecosystem; engage in outreach and advocacy activities that expand collections as appropriate; and supervise and participate in archival instruction that encourages curricular and scholarly use of special collections material. The department is home to over 350 collections, such as William F. Charters South Seas, Etheridge Knight, Eliza Blaker, Sigma Gamma Rho, Butler University Buildings and Grounds, Butler University Athletics, and more. The person in this position will assist in library leadership by developing policies, participating in organizational planning, and providing effective management of staff.The ideal candidate will have relevant professional skills and experience, an interest in growth and development for spaces and collections, and a willingness to collaborate with staff, faculty, and administration within the Libraries and across the University. In addition, this person will understand the evolving role of academic libraries in higher education and the role of Special Collections, Rare Books, and University Archives and will lead efforts in space utilization, information literacy around primary sources, and digital collection initiatives that are inclusive and accessible to the learning needs of Butler students and external researchers.Butler librarians have faculty status on a 6-year continuing appointment (non-tenure track) basis. Appointment level will be made appropriate to experience and/or status. The successful candidate will report to the Dean of Libraries.Required Qualifications

• Master's degree from an ALA-accredited program in library and information science, archival science, or related field
• Five years of professional experience with evidence of progressively increasing leadership in special collections, archives, public libraries, museums, or related fields
• Professional knowledge and experience in archival best practices regarding physical and digital collections, preservation, and management
• Experience in teaching with primary sources, including the proper handling of rare and special materials, as well as experience with general information literacy instruction
• Ability to manage multiple simultaneous projects, prioritize work, and collaborate with a variety of colleagues, committees, community and university contactsPreferred Qualifications
  • Additional certification from SAA preferred
  • Demonstrated experience with space planning and facilities improvement
  • Supervisory experience with a variety of staff including professional and support staff, student employees, and/or interns
  • Experience with library and archival metadata standards, such as EAD, DACS, MARC, Dublin Core, ArchivesSpace, CONTENTdm (Hyku), LibGuides, etc.
  • Proven ability to work collaboratively with diverse communities, on campus and off
  • Experience developing and maintaining donor relations
  • Expertise with digital repository and exhibit tools
  • Success in writing and/or administering grants
  • Record of professional service and scholarship in the field
  • Excellent skills in written communication, project management, records management, and supervision and development of faculty, staff, student employees, interns or volunteers
  • Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through proactively addressing archival silences, assessing collection standards, and understanding biases in the field
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Keywords: Digital Library Federation, Bloomington , Head of Special Collections, Accounting, Auditing , Indianapolis, Indiana