Head of Collections Strategies

Department: Collections Strategies

Rank and Salary: Associate Librarian - Librarian Rank ($78,997 - $153,767)

Position Availability: Immediately

Application deadline for first consideration: December 04, 2026

The UCLA Library seeks a collaborative and highly analytical librarian with extensive experience in collection development and management to lead our Collection Strategies department.

Reporting to the Associate University Librarian for Digital Strategies and Collections Services, the incumbent will lead a team of librarians (3.5 FTE) in the development of a holistic collecting philosophy and strategies for carrying it out. Effective execution of these strategies will be done in partnership with dozens of Library employees, across multiple departments, to whom the incumbent will allocate budgets and delegate material selection responsibilities. Strong collaboration is also required in the Library's shared collecting efforts with partners in the UC system and other consortia. To achieve optimal use of the collections budget, and to ensure decisions about collections are data-informed, the incumbent will also partner with Library employees in other units, like Library Analytics, Metrics and Assessment (LAMA), Library Business Services (LBS), and Licensing & E-Resources Acquisitions (LEA) to continually gather data and perform rigorous assessments of the collections budget and campus usage of materials in the Library's collections.

Position Duties

Reporting to the Associate University Librarian for Digital Strategies and Collections Services, the incumbent is responsible for:

Strategic and Collaborative Collections Analysis, Development, Management

1. Collaborate with multiple departments to develop and carry out policies and procedures that foster a culture of habitual assessment and improvement and ensure decisions about collections are documented, measurable, and rigorously data-informed.

2. Implement strategies for collections development that align with the University's teaching and research objectives.

3. Collaborate with multiple collecting units to develop a holistic collecting philosophy that encompasses materials in all formats (e.g. print, electronic, audio/visual), all acquisition types (e.g. purchased, licensed, open access) and all access methods (e.g. circulating, online, restricted (i.e. rare and archival)).

4. Advises the Licensing & E-Resources Acquisitions unit in their evaluations and negotiations of the terms within publishers' licensing agreements.

5. Collaborates with multiple departments to assess the needs and constraints of collections in all formats and locations and develop strategic solutions for effective collection management (including relocation, retention, and deduplication).

6. Advise Library leadership engaged in space planning to ensure proper stewardship of physical collections.

7. Communicate consistently and effectively with Library and campus stakeholders regarding changes to the Library's collections.

8. Lead and coordinate formal and informal collections-related working groups, committees, and projects.

9. Lead the Library's participation in shared collection development activities within the UC system and other consortia.

10. Maintain in-depth knowledge of trends in academic publishing and scholarly communication and emerging solutions in collection development and management.

Financial Management

1. Ensure effective and appropriate use of all funds in the collections budget.

2. Implement fund management policies and procedures in alignment with directives from campus and Library leadership.

3. Assertively negotiate with vendors to achieve optimal pricing, maximize the reach of the collections funds, and ensure long term sustainability of the budget.

4. Create allocations and delegate responsibility as needed for collections funds to other Library employees with collections responsibilities (both within and outside the Collections Strategies unit) and provide training and leadership for them.

5. Manage special purpose funds and selected endowments as needed.

Department Management

1. Manage, supervise, and provide direction for direct reports in the Collection Strategies department (3.5FTE).

2. Define problems, provide solutions, and support professional development for the members of the department.

3. Encourage a culture of collaboration, evidence-based decision-making, and continual improvement within the unit and across the Library.

4. Model behavior that aligns with UCLA's true bruin values of integrity, excellence, and belonging.

Other

1. Participate in professional activities, scholarship, and University or community service appropriate to a UC academic librarian and performs other responsibilities as assigned

2. Work closely with Library Development to identify and steward donors, collections, and endowed gift funds.

The successful candidate will be committed to promoting and enhancing diversity through engagement with and promotion of the UCLA True Bruin values and the UCLA Principles of Community; and will be able to collaborate across departments and divisions.

For your convenience, the complete posting can be viewed here: https://recruit.apo.ucla.edu/JPF11447

UCLA is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer advancing inclusive excellence. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories covered by the UC nondiscrimination policy. We are committed to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce along with honoring unique experiences, perspectives, and identities. Together, our community strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable and welcoming.

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