COLLECTIONS STRATEGIST & ASSESSMENT COORDINATOR
The Collections Strategist and Assessment Coordinator’s primary role is to assess the Libraries’ research collections, whether owned, subscribed to, shared, open, or otherwise made available to the scholarly community at Virginia Tech and the community at large, in accordance with the university’s land-grant mission. Reporting to the Director of Collections and Technical Services and working in close collaboration with liaison librarians, the Head of Library Data Analytics, and other library units, the Collections Strategist and Assessment Coordinator will play a key role in acquiring, assessing, and promoting collections to support the high-quality research and academic services on which the university community depends. Additionally, this role serves in a liaison role to an academic department or unit.
Responsibilities
- Develops and recommends strategies to manage the print and electronic collections of the University Libraries and best address current needs and priorities.
- Collects and analyzes usage statistics for annual reporting and collection management decisions.
- Monitors trends and best practices related to scholarly publishing, electronic resource access, discoverability, data harvesting, and usage analysis to enhance library services.
- Leads the development and implementation of local workflows and documentation related to the gathering and analysis of library collection data.
- Works collaboratively with department and other library staff to provide training and support.
- Promotes the library collection and services to the academic community.
- Provides support for inquiries related to collections data.
Reporting
This position reports to the Director of the Jean R. Quible Department of Collections & Technical Services.
Job Duties
Collections Strategies 45%
Creates and sustains an environment of evidence-based collections to support the high-quality research and academic services on which the university community depends. Develops, manages, and implements evidence-based processes to analyze, acquire, assess, and evaluate electronic and print collections. Uses relevant data and metrics to meet collections assessment goals and to guide and support collection development decisions. Promotes new and existing collections through a variety of communication methods (social media, digital posters, liaison emails, LibGuides, etc.), and assesses the effectiveness of promotion efforts. Collaborates with liaisons to develop and maintain resources that support research and teaching needs and supports data-informed collections decision making. Ensures principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion are fully integrated into the library’s collections strategies. Works with team members and liaisons to coordinate the selection of diverse, inclusive, and accessible resources. Coordinates initiatives to raise awareness of library collections and strategies. Organizes open discussions with liaisons and the library as a whole about workflows, challenges, and current topics related to library collections. Collaborates with other library units to advance support for open and sustainable scholarly publishing models. Acquires materials in support of the annual VT Authors Recognition Day event.
Collections assessment and data analysis 35%
Develops and fosters a culture of assessment for library collections. Develops and oversees the use of evidence-based, and user-focused assessment metrics. Collaborates with the Data Analytics Team on COUNTER and non-COUNTER usage data collection semi-annually and as needed for subscription renewals and institutional benchmarking. Serves on library committees and councils related to library data, metrics, and assessment. Provides context to liaison collection areas through the development and maintenance of a resource usage dashboard. Establishes and builds relationships with library vendors for statistics collection and facilitation of access to resources. Supervises a student assistant who assists with usage data collection and related projects. Oversees organization, storage, and analysis of COUNTER reports for electronic resources. Collects and analyzes collections data as required by the library, university offices, and external agencies, including accrediting bodies. Serves as a backup for configuring the University Libraries’ EZProxy database stanzas.
Liaison to an academic department or unit 10%
Maintains awareness of tools and information resources in the discipline. Provides library instruction for courses, maintains lists of resources relevant to research and instruction. Works collaboratively to address reference questions that require a team-based approach. Buys library materials that faculty and students request. Keeps abreast of scholarly communication issues, referring in-depth scholarly communication questions as appropriate. Participates in the library Liaisons Council.
Professional engagement 5%
Maintains current awareness of and participates in collections strategy, assessment, and open access initiatives. Serves on library and university commissions or committees. Provides quality services in a professional manner with a demonstrated commitment to diversity, team efforts, service excellence and respect for others.
Inclusion and Diversity 5%
Actively supports University Libraries in its efforts to provide an inclusive and diverse work environment committed to the Virginia Tech Principles of Community. Incorporates university best practices on inclusion and diversity into projects and programs. Incorporates inclusive communication and collaboration to liaise effectively with diverse partners and audiences. Maintains a collaborative relationship with the University Libraries Inclusion and Diversity leadership.
Required Qualifications:
- ALA-accredited Master’s degree in Library and Information Science or equivalent
- Demonstrated understanding of academic library collection analysis
- Demonstrated experience using assessment and evaluation methodologies and tools
- Excellent interpersonal, organizational, problem-solving, and time-management skills
- Excellent oral and written communication skills, especially when presenting data
- Experience using data visualization tools and techniques to communicate results
- Expertise in relevant software applications, such as Excel or statistical analysis software
- Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion
Preferred Qualifications:
- Advanced coursework or professional development activities related to assessment or
- evaluation models in academic libraries
- Demonstrated successful supervisory or project management experience
- Experience with SQL query language
- Familiarity with data tools such as OpenRefine, Tableau, Trifacta, etc.
- Experience with library management systems/integrated library systems
- Familiarity with library collection tools such as Unsub and Celus
- Knowledge of COUNTER and SUSHI harvesting protocol
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday from 8am – 5:00pm or assigned
Employment Conditions:
- The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.
Employee Category: A/P Faculty, Non-Continued Appointment Track. Lecturer rank
Appointment Type: Regular, Full-time calendar year
Salary range: $60,000 minimum dependent on education and experience