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Cornell University Library
Director, Cataloging Services, Central Library Operations
Position Description:
The Cornell University Library seeks qualified candidates for the position of Director, Cataloging Services within Central Library Operations (CLO). CLO provides innovative, 21st century services, including prompt acquisition and bibliographic control of library materials in all formats, metadata services, support for the Library’s information discovery and retrieval systems, database quality and enrichment services, interlibrary loan and document delivery, preservation and conservation of tangible materials, collection maintenance, and management of the Library’s offsite storage facility. Employing 115 people, CLO processed library materials valued at over $16,000,000 last year and cataloged nearly 100,000 new titles for the Library system. A dedicated member of the Program for Cooperative Cataloging, Cornell catalogers contribute new BIBCO, NACO, and CONSER records to the world cataloging pool. Cornell University Library is a leading academic research library with outstanding collections, service and instructional programs, and a leader in digital library applications including digitization of its print collections and developing strategies for curation of the research output of its faculty.
Besides participating in the CLO management team, the Director of Cataloging Services plans, supports, and monitors the work of 22 staff members (7 direct reports). Currently, the Cataloging Services division is organized into five units. These individuals collaborate closely with their CLO peers, tapping their expertise in resource description, library operations, technology-based tools and techniques, training, and project management to help the Library achieve its goals. The group’s mission is to provide timely and effective description of the Library's collections, both traditional and electronic, within the confines of available resources, to facilitate content delivery that matches users’ needs.
Responsibilities: Under the general direction of the AUL, the Director of Cataloging Services is responsible for: energetic and open-minded participation in the four-person leadership team of Central Library Operations (CLO); taking a Cornell leadership role within 2CUL (the strategic alliance between Cornell and Columbia university libraries); continuing to lead the evolution to transform the cataloging operation in response to the changing discovery landscape; analyzing, designing and planning appropriate descriptive practices to meet the demands for timely and useful content discovery; serving as a leader inside and outside CLO on matters of resource description and control; keeping up to date and serving as a source of information about new and emerging descriptive practices and tools; participating in the evaluation, development and implementation of schemes to support and enhance information discovery and retrieval in CUL systems; keeping staff informed and engaged; providing coaching and feedback; assigning and monitoring the work of the units; overseeing the analysis, adjustment, and documentation of workflows, policies and assignments; coordinating the group’s work with others inside and outside CLO; conducting regular performance appraisals; and training or developing continuing education opportunities.
Characteristics: The Director is a dynamic individual with a strong curiosity to explore new methods for enhancing the user discovery experience. S/he does not fear experimentation, innovation, change, success, or occasional failure as part of a never ending drive to improve the tools used to connect users with desired content. S/he understands how to build successful teams and how to coach staff as they build new skills. S/he thrives in a field that will continue to experience constant change. S/he is comfortable to leave behind methods that no longer support the goals and mission of research libraries, but will advocate for methods that continue to play an integral role in meeting user needs. S/he is eager to share findings and to embrace and incorporate the successes achieved elsewhere as they relate to improving the user experience at Cornell.
Required Qualifications: Requires an M.L.S. or equivalent graduate degree and at least five years of experience in the resource description field, preferably within a large academic or research library. Demonstrated success in personnel and/or project management, including the ability to engage staff in a process of continual change and improvement. Strong collegial, interpersonal and communication skills. Advanced knowledge of the application of technology to descriptive practices. Evidence of strong service orientation. Demonstrated abilities to plan and to solve problems creatively. Experience working with one or more library management systems, skill with standard PC software, and ability to deal with issues related to electronic resources. Record of effective participation in professional organizations.
Background: Cornell University is an Ivy League comprehensive research university located in Ithaca in the scenic Finger Lakes region of upstate New York. The town and university offer a unique cosmopolitan and international atmosphere in a beautiful natural setting of waterfalls, gorges, and lakes. The university comprises 14 schools with 2600 faculty members and 20,000 students enrolled in undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. The Cornell University Library is a vigorous professional organization of 468 staff with a strong track record in innovation and service quality. It consists of 20 libraries, including a nearby high-density storage facility with a capacity of 6.8 million volumes. It contains nearly 8 million printed volumes, 62,000 current serials, 378,000 networked electronic resources, and rich materials in other formats. Ranking 9th among 113 North American academic library members of the Association of Research Libraries, the Library was a recipient of the Association of College and Research Libraries’ Excellence in Academic Libraries Award in 2002.
Benefits: Comprehensive benefits package including 22 vacation days, 11 paid holidays, health insurance, life insurance, and university retirement contributions (TIAA-CREF and other options). Professional travel funding available.
Application Procedure: Applications requested by September 4, 2009. To apply for this position go to http://www.ohr.cornell.edu/jobs/, search under the job category of Librarians, and select posting number 10987. Follow the instructions for online submission. Please include a cover letter, resume, and the names, phone numbers, and addresses for three references. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Salary will be competitive and commensurate with experience. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.
Cornell University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer strongly committed to diversity. We value qualified candidates who can bring to our community a variety of backgrounds and experiences.