Department: Libraries
Rank: Associate Librarian, Senior Librarian,
Annual Basis: 12 Month
Review of Applications Begins
June 23, 2025; position open until filled
Special Instructions to Applicants
To ensure consideration, a complete application must include:
1. A current resume/CV.
2. A cover letter demonstrating how your skills and experience meet the minimum and preferred qualifications for the position.
3. Three (3) professional references with contact information. References will not be contacted until you are notified.
Department Summary
About the University
The University of Oregon is one of only two Pacific Northwest members of the Association of American Universities and holds the distinction of a “very high research activity” ranking in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The UO enrolls more than 20,000 undergraduate and 3,600 graduate students representing all 50 states and nearly 100 countries. The University of Oregon is guided by a diversity framework that involves a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion for all students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members. In recent years, the university has increased the diversity of its student body, as well as campus-wide efforts to build a welcoming, inclusive community. The UO’s 295-acre campus features state-of-the art facilities in an arboretum-like setting within the traditional homelands of the Kalapuya people. The UO is located in Eugene, a vibrant city of 178,000 with a wide range of cultural and culinary offerings, a pleasant year-round climate, and a community engaged in environmental and social concerns. The campus is within easy driving distance of the Pacific Coast, the Cascade Mountains, and Portland.
About the UO Libraries
The University of Oregon Libraries is an essential partner in the University of Oregon’s educational, research, and public service mission. With five locations on the Eugene campus and branches at UO Portland and the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, the UO Libraries offers many flexible service- and technology-rich environments for our users’ research, learning, and publishing needs.
The UO Libraries’ mission is informing research and learning breakthroughs for Oregon. We strive to realize our vision of being a model for the enduring, positive impact that research libraries can have on their academic and civic communities. We do that with an unwavering commitment to our values. Learn more about the UO Libraries’ strategic design, our values, and our goals at library.uoregon.edu/strategy
The University of Oregon Libraries is a member of the Big Ten Academic Alliance, the Orbis Cascade Alliance, SPARC, the Center for Research Libraries, DuraSpace, the Coalition for Networked Information, and other major organizations.
About the Department of Collection Strategies
Collection Strategies supports all types and formats of scholarly resources and creative outputs, integrating them into a healthy ecosystem that sustains the dynamic lifecycle of collections to advance the teaching, learning, and research of the University of Oregon community. The department encompasses collection planning and budgeting; acquisition and collaborative collection development of physical and electronic resources; management of and troubleshooting access to electronic resources; cataloging of online serials and management of serials cataloging in all formats; and liaising with other collection-related groups and initiatives, such as subject specialists, cataloging, Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA), Resource Sharing, open resources, and institutional/data repositories. The department builds strong partnerships within the UO campus and with external partners to lead advances in practice and to contribute to regional, national, and international resource collection and curation efforts. For the current organization chart, go to https://library.uoregon.edu/about-us/employee-directory/organizational-chart-0.
Position Summary
The Director of Collection Strategies leads a department of 10 employees and directly supervises 3 librarians. Key activities of the department include: collaborating with subject specialists and other stakeholders to develop holistic and cohesive collection strategies; acquiring content in all formats; managing access to electronic resources; cataloging electronic serials and managing the cataloging of serials in all formats; providing oversight of subject specialists’ deselection projects; evaluating overlap of print and electronic collections; ensuring a healthy ecosystem of library materials; and managing consortia collection programs, collection assessment, and analysis.
The most competitive candidates will have experience in library acquisitions or electronic resource management and be able to discuss approaches to and experience with change management, facilitate lateral and vertical communication, foster innovation and collaboration, develop high-trust and high-performing teams, and commit to organizational equity and inclusion. The Director of Collection Strategies can look forward to working in a supportive and collaborative environment where new ideas are rewarded, growth is expected, and success is shared.
The successful candidate will guide the effort to strategize the Libraries’ collection development as a philosophical vision with specific methods that include all types of owned, subscribed, and open resources, allocate funding to the greatest effect, and leverage external partnerships to build collection services. The person in this position will play a role in the development of long-range and comprehensive plans around collection acquisition, management, exhibition, deselection, and growth of the Libraries as a resource and service center for scholars in all fields.
Contributing to the University’s goals regarding equity and inclusion, the successful candidate will work strategically with a diverse group of colleagues and facilitate a work environment that encourages knowledge of, respect for, and development of, skills to engage with those of other cultures, abilities, or backgrounds.
The Director of Collection Strategies is a career faculty position and is expected to participate in appropriate professional development activities and organizations to stay current with trends and practices in the field and to meet the criteria for promotion and retention.
Reporting to the Associate Vice Provost & University Librarian for Collections & Discovery Services, the Director of Collection Strategies is a member of the UO Libraries’ Leadership Team and has broad responsibilities for ensuring UO’s educational mission, academic priorities, research agenda, and diverse campus community are supported at the highest level with scholarly resources. Working collaboratively with other UO Libraries leaders and stakeholders, this position is responsible for leading the effort to define and maintain an overall vision for library collections in all formats. The successful candidate will collaborate with stakeholders to plan, develop, interpret, and implement system-wide policies and procedures for scholarly resources.
We are aware that some people are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every preferred qualification in the job description. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job and recognize that a successful candidate may come from a less traditional career trajectory, such as having skills and abilities gained outside a classroom context, or an equivalent skill set. We encourage you to apply, even if you don’t believe you meet every one of our preferred qualifications.
Minimum Requirements
Minimum qualifications for the rank of Associate Librarian:
• Master’s degree in Library/Information Science from an ALA-accredited institution, or equivalent international terminal degree or PHD in related area; AND
• Six (6) years post-MLIS, or post-terminal degree of relevant experience/academic work, of progressively responsible library leadership experience in an academic or research library.
• 3 years of supervisory experience.
• 2 years of experience in library acquisitions or electronic resource management.
• 2 years of experience with budget and/or program management.
Minimum qualifications for the rank of Senior Librarian:
• Master’s degree in Library/Information Science from an ALA-accredited institution, or equivalent international terminal degree or PHD in related area; AND
• Twelve (12) years post-MLIS, or post-terminal degree of relevant experience/academic work, of progressively responsible library leadership experience in an academic or research library.
• 3 years of supervisory experience.
• 2 years of experience in library acquisitions or electronic resource management.
• 2 years of experience with budget and/or program management.
Professional Competencies
• Ability to successfully manage and steward library collections budgets.
• Expertise in one or more areas of collection/technical services, including collection development, electronic resource management, serials cataloging, and collection assessment.
• Advanced proficiency in personnel management, including the ability to lead and engage employees through the process of organizational improvement, to inspire team members, and to foster team commitment, creativity, & innovation.
• Strong diplomacy and negotiation skills; ability to bring key internal and external stakeholders together to achieve goals.
• Proven success in business negotiations including vendors, licenses and contracts.
• Ability to read, interpret, and secure preferred terms for the organization.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with individuals from different backgrounds, with diverse cultural experiences and communication styles, and facilitate lateral and vertical communication across the division.
• Demonstrated project management skills, including problem-solving, organizational and analytical skills, and the ability to manage workload, priorities, and deadlines to achieve goals.
• Demonstrated commitment to promoting and enhancing equity, inclusion, and/or accessibility, including supporting and enhancing a diverse learning and working environment.
• Demonstrated pattern of integrating new and emerging technologies into staff workflows.
Preferred Qualifications
• Experience with open access and open educational resources, contemporary trends and key issues in higher education and research libraries.
• Experience with library and campus policy review, development, implementation, and training.
• Demonstrated record of scholarly contributions and professional service.
All offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of a background check.
The University of Oregon is proud to offer a robust benefits package to eligible employees, including health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off. For more information about benefits, visit https://hr.uoregon.edu/about-benefits.
The University of Oregon is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution committed to cultural diversity and compliance with the ADA. The University encourages all qualified individuals to apply and does not discriminate on the basis of any protected status, including veteran and disability status. The University is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. To request an accommodation in connection with the application process, please contact us at uocareers@uoregon.edu or 541-346-5112.
UO prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy (including pregnancy-related conditions), age, physical or mental disability, genetic information (including family medical history), ancestry, familial status, citizenship, service in the uniformed services (as defined in federal and state law), veteran status, expunged juvenile record, and/or the use of leave protected by state or federal law in all programs, activities and employment practices as required by Title IX, other applicable laws, and policies. Retaliation is prohibited by UO policy. Questions may be referred to the Office of Investigations and Civil Rights Compliance. Contact information, related policies, and complaint procedures are listed here.
In compliance with federal law, the University of Oregon prepares an annual report on campus security and fire safety programs and services. The Annual Campus Security and Fire Safety Report is available online at https://clery.uoregon.edu/annual-campus-security-and-fire-safety-report.
