https://recruit.apo.ucla.edu/JPF07325
Salary
Assistant Librarian – Associate Librarian ($58,365 - $80,356)
Close Date
Next review date: Wednesday, Apr 6, 2022 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.
Final date: Wednesday, May 4, 2022 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.
Description
The UCLA Library Special Collections department seeks an experienced, collaborative, and imaginative individual to serve as the Performing Arts Curator, to manage, develop, and help make accessible the primary documents and history of the many individuals, organizations and industries that make Los Angeles a vital center for the arts. Reporting to the Head of Curators and Collections, this position is the primary liaison to stakeholder colleagues within the library and to external partners, focusing in the areas of film, television, theater, music, world arts and cultures, and dance.
Position Duties
Reporting to the Head of Curators and Collections, the incumbent will have primary responsibility for collaborating with subject specialists and department liaisons in those areas in regards to collection development and stewardship of rare and unique primary source materials. The incumbent will participate in processes and initiatives to support the stewardship and access of materials in their collecting areas, including reappraisal of existing monographs and collections. As the primary point of contact for numerous collecting areas, the Performing Arts Curator (PAC) will field requests for donations of materials, and in collaboration with library colleagues, shepherd them through the curatorial selection, appraisal, and acquisition processes in LSC. The PAC will lead outreach activities intended to activate the collections and connect students, faculty, researchers and communities in curricular engagement and other avenues to enhance community involvement.
The responsibilities undertaken by the PAC are part of a holistic stewardship ecosystem in a highly interdependent department. As such, it is expected that they will collaborate closely with colleagues across LSC’s functional units, in support of acquisition, (re)appraisal, stewardship, access, and outreach for both traditional and born-digital archival materials. They are also expected to partner and collaborate with colleagues throughout the Distinctive Collections portfolio and the Library to facilitate and enhance users’ experiences. The PAC works collaboratively with the Film and Television Archive, Music Library, Arts Library, Ethnomusicology Archive and other library and campus units to assess collections, conduct outreach and interact with donors, users and researchers. They will demonstrate experience in advancing diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion, and articulating a reparative collection management philosophy in these areas.
Specific duties and responsibilities include:
Collaborates proactively with colleagues across the Library in closely reviewing, appraising, and selecting archival and bibliographic materials in the areas of film, television, theater, music, world arts and cultures, and dance that require stewardship within Library Special Collections.
Develops collection development policies and practices for building sustainable collections about the performing arts industries in Los Angeles and Southern California, with a particular focus on underrepresented, marginalized, and overlooked voices.
Builds and sustains relationships with existing and potential donors, including negotiating terms for deeds of gift and agreements to purchase.
Provides curricular consultations, delivers instruction, and collaborates on instructional development and implementation with faculty and library colleagues to incorporate LSC materials into curriculum.
Provides specialized reference services for materials in Library Special Collections in collaboration with the Public Services, Outreach and Community Engagement Unit.
As a member of the curatorial team, and in consultation with the Head of Curators and Collections, develops, assesses, and evaluates the collection priorities in their various collecting areas.
Collaborates with Film & Television curators to develop collection development policies and acquisitions in order to align goals, reinforce area strengths, and determine areas in need of expansion.
Works collaboratively with colleagues in Collections Management to support the holistic stewardship of existing and future collections.
Works with colleagues across the department and across the library to identify and sponsor digitization proposals and projects .
At the direction of, and in consultation with the Director and the Head of Curators and Collections, works with Library Development on identifying funding opportunities, and produces funding proposals.
Works collaboratively with colleagues in LSC and across the Library to develop and curate exhibits, lectures, workshops, research guides, and symposia featuring existing collections and new acquisitions.
Participates in departmental, library, and university committees as directed.
Participates fully in department-wide activities related to LSC’s goals for advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion, such as but not limited to, LSC’s commitment to Ethical and Inclusive Descriptive Practices and the LSC Community Agreement.
Works 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 Principles of Community. The incumbent must able to: demonstrate initiative, flexibility, and excellent analytical, interpersonal and communication skills; work effectively with a diverse population of faculty, staff, students, community members and other constituents; and work within a team environment and promote teamwork. The successful candidate must demonstrate sound judgment and ability to work independently, set priorities, and maintain them while coping with a fluctuating workload and competing demands.
General Information
Professional librarians at UCLA are academic appointees. Librarians at UCLA are represented by an exclusive bargaining agent, University Council – American Federation of Teachers (UC-AFT). This is a represented position. They are entitled to appropriate professional leave, two days per month of vacation leave, one day per month of sick leave, and all other benefits granted to non-faculty academic personnel. The University has an excellent retirement system and sponsors a variety of group health, dental, vision, and life insurance plans in addition to other benefits. Relocation assistance may be provided.
Appointees to the librarian series at UC shall have professional backgrounds that demonstrate a high degree of creativity, teamwork, and flexibility. Such background will normally include a professional degree from an ALA-accredited library and information science graduate program. In addition to professional competence and quality of service within the library in the primary job, advancement in the librarian series requires professional involvement and contributions outside of the library, and/or university and community service, and/or scholarly activities. Candidates must show evidence or promise of such contributions.
Candidates applying by April 6, 2022 will be given first consideration for this position. UCLA welcomes and encourages diversity and seeks applications and nominations from women and minorities. UCLA seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce as a reflection of our commitment to serve the people of California, to maintain the excellence of the university, and to offer our students richly varied disciplines, perspectives, and ways of knowing and learning.
Description of Unit
UCLA Library Special Collections (among the largest collections of archival material in the state of California) has collections and services with a global reach and a local focus. The mission of Special Collections is to acquire, preserve, promote, and make accessible a world-class collection of archives, rare books, manuscripts, photographs, and other rare and unique materials that tell the story of our collective past. Our holdings document society and culture from the ancient to the contemporary and we hold a great appreciation for a sophisticated understanding of history in its broadest sense. LSC is committed to furthering the library’s strategic directions and advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in its collections and services.
Library Special Collections (LSC) is an enterprise-wide, organizational entity within the UCLA Library System that integrates special collections resources, services, and operations. The department is comprised of three functional and interdependent units of approximately 30 FTE employees: Curators and Collections; Public Services, Outreach, and Community Engagement; and Collections Management. The Curatorial team builds relationships that support collection development and broad engagement with collections in Library Special Collections. Through their evolving knowledge of disciplines, communities, and movements, curators select exemplar collections that clearly align with the mission of the university. The Public Service, Outreach, and Community Engagement Unit ensures broad public accessibility to the outstanding special collections of the UCLA Library and facilitates deeper engagement with the communities we serve. As part of these integrated activities, LSC supports the teaching and research mission of our institution by deploying collections throughout undergraduate and graduate curriculum through collaboration with teaching faculty. The Collection Management team takes a user-driven approach to collections stewardship and employs cutting-edge descriptive practices to increase visibility and access of collections and to ensure that users understand the scope and content of collections in our care. LSC serves visitors in a reading room and in various library instruction spaces where we are dedicated to ensuring access and engagement to unique research materials that are described, discoverable, and accessible.
Description of Institution and Library
As one of the world's great public research universities, UCLA integrates education, research, and public service so that each enriches and extends the others. From its beautiful neighborhood campus in a uniquely diverse and vibrant city on the Pacific Rim, teaching and research extend beyond the classroom, office, and lab through active engagement with communities, organizations, projects, and partnerships throughout the region and around the world.
UCLA’s diverse community of scholars encompasses nearly 30,000 undergraduates pursuing 125 majors, 13,000 graduate students in fifty-nine research programs, and 4,000 faculty members including Nobel Laureates; Rhodes Scholars; MacArthur Fellows; winners of the Fields Medal, National Medal of Science, Pritzker Prize, and Pulitzer Prize; and recipients of Oscars, Emmys, Tonys, and Golden Globes. UCLA ranks tenth in the Times of London Higher Education World Reputation Rankings, twelfth in the Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and fifth in the U.S. by Washington Monthly. The National Research Council ranks forty of its graduate and doctoral research programs among its top ten.
To enable these accomplished students, faculty, and staff to create, disseminate, and apply knowledge for the benefit of global society, the UCLA Library is re-envisioning how it is acquired, synthesized, and shared across academic audiences and with the public. It was among the first academic libraries to develop subject-specialist librarians and to launch a program to enhance students’ research skills. Its Special Collections pioneered the acquisition by public institutions of rare and unique books, children’s literature, pulp and detective fiction, works by or about women and minorities, screenplays, architectural plans, and Los Angeles-related materials and today leads the way in collecting archival resources in digital format such as emails and manuscripts. It has launched innovative data management services and an affordable course materials initiative that have served as models for other libraries.
The Library serves UCLA students, faculty, and staff whenever and wherever they need its resources and expertise. Reconfigured, high-tech spaces and services in its ten campus libraries enable users and librarians to explore and work with print and digital materials collaboratively or individually, pursue new lines of inquiry, and develop new pedagogical approaches as well as novel forms of scholarship. More than 3.5 million people visit annually, while an additional 3.4 million visitors enter online through its virtual front doors.
Whether on campus or online, the Library forms the intellectual heart of UCLA, a hub for cutting-edge discovery, scholarship, and instruction.
Equity, diversity, and inclusion are core values of the University of California and key components of the University’s commitment to excellence. The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status. For the complete University of California policy on discrimination, harassment, and affirmative action see: University of California – Policy Discrimination, Harassment, and Affirmative Action in the Workplace at https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/DiscHarassAffirmAction
Under federal law, the University of California may employ only individuals who are legally authorized to work in the United States as established by providing documents specified in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Employment is contingent upon completion of satisfactory background investigation.
QUALIFICATIONS
Basic Qualifications
ALA-accredited Master's Degree in Library or Information Science OR significant graduate-level coursework toward such a degree OR equivalent education and experience (subject expertise combined with professional library education and/or experience).
Experience and knowledge of film, television, theater, music, world arts and cultures, and dance and/or master's degree in a relevant subject discipline.
At least 3 years of professional experience as a librarian/curator working with collection development in relevant subject areas.
Experience providing reference and outreach in a special collections environment within an academic, research, or special library setting.
Experience teaching with special collections materials and supporting faculty with integrating special collections materials into their curricula.
Knowledge of special collections theory, practice, and technologies, including the challenges and opportunities associated with appraising, preserving, and making accessible born-digital collection materials.
Experience with current appraisal theory and approaches in special collections.
Knowledge of and ability to support holistic and responsible stewardship for special collections materials within a reparative framework.
General knowledge of copyright and other IP considerations as they apply to Performing Arts Collections.
Awareness, understanding and recognition of legal issues which may arise from working with unpublished collections in areas such as copyright, privacy, confidentiality, right-to-know, and ownership.
