Description

About Drexel

Drexel is one of Philadelphia's top 10 private employers, a comprehensive global research university and a major engine for economic development in the region. With over 24,000 students, Drexel is one of America's 15 largest private universities. Drexel has committed to being the nation’s most civically engaged university, with community partnerships integrated into every aspect of service and academics.

Drexel University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer, welcomes individuals from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, and believes that an inclusive and respectful environment enriches the University community and the educational and employment experience of its members. The University prohibits discrimination against individuals on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age, status as a veteran or special disabled veteran, gender identity or expression, genetic information, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions and any other prohibited characteristic. 

About the Academy

The Academy of Natural Sciences was founded in 1812 for "the encouragement and cultivation of the sciences".  Since then, it has sponsored global expeditions, conducted pioneering environmental and systematics research, and amassed remarkable collections containing more than 18 million specimens from around the world and a peerless library and archive. Since 2011 its academic enterprise has been further strengthened through its affiliation with nearby Drexel University – a leading private non-profit research institution that focusses on innovation and entrepreneurship and provides a unique cooperative education program for its undergraduate and graduate degree students. 

Today the Academy is one of the most important natural science institutions in the world. However, the world is changing fast and the Academy – directed by its Strategic Plan 2019-24 - is changing with it.  Over the next five years the Academy will become a “force for nature” and advance its mission: “to understand the natural world and inspire everyone to care for it”. In so doing the Academy will build on its fundamental belief that diversity and inclusion generates better ideas, inspires creativity, and is essential to building a positive workplace so that in time it can become an institution that is of, by and for all Philadelphians.

Job Summary

The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University (ANS) is seeking an experienced and dynamic library professional and scholar.  The Director will be a visionary leader and collaborative manager, with proven skill in facilitating and sharing research, a deep commitment to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion, and a driving ambition to unlock the extraordinary potential of one of the finest natural history library and archive collections in the Americas.

The ideal candidate for the Director of the Library and Archives will bring innovation and a service-oriented philosophy to a department primed for change and poised to progress from good to great.

ANS’s library is international in scope and holds over five centuries of important research, discovery, and publication in addition to art collections and other materials of extraordinary aesthetic significance and historical value. R David Lankes has observed that “bad libraries build collections, good libraries build services, great libraries build communities”. The role of the Director is to move the library and archives from good to great by caring for the collections, maintaining exceptional public service and, crucially, building a broad community of diverse users from all sectors of society. 

Working with both ANS’s President & CEO and the Vice President of Science, the Director will be responsible for devising and implementing strategies that advance ANS’s Strategic Plan by unlocking the value of the library and archive collections for a wide constituency of scientists, historians, and educators from around the world, and with a particular focus on supporting Drexel faculty and students.

In partnership with ANS colleagues, the Director will be a highly visible advocate for the department, promoting new knowledge on-site, offsite, and online through exhibits, programs, and social media.

The Director will oversee the management and care of ANS’s library and archive collections and formulate strategies for collections development and growth. 

In partnership with ANS’s Department of Institutional Advancement, the Director will identify grant opportunities that support Library and Archives operations and fuel strategic growth.

As an inclusive and accessible manager that does not shy from ‘critical conversations’, the Director will support the ongoing professional development of the Library and Archives staff, setting clear goals, managing performance, nurturing a culture of accountability, and shaping a positive workplace environment.

The Director will be integral to the ongoing activities of and innovation within digital collections development, scholarly communication, user-centered services, rights management, archival processing, collections development, facilities management, and collections care.

The Director will be an advocate for the ongoing implementation of the Strategic Plan and drive ANS’s core commitment to substantively advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion across all aspects of its work.

As a member of ANS’s management committee, the Director will be a leader at the center of many institutional activities and consciously model ANS’s values.

The Director will build and maintain strong relations with ANS’s Curator of Art and Artifacts, Drexel’s Dean of Libraries, and faculty within the College of Computing and Informatics’ Library and Information Sciences program.  Additionally, the Director will represent ANS at conferences and symposia, and stay abreast of current events in library science, archives, and academia.

Essential Functions

• Work closely with the President & CEO and the Vice President of Science to devise a strategy for unlocking the research and programmatic potential of the Library and Archives Department by magnifying its impact in public and academic arenas, including participation in professional organizations, conferences, symposia, etc.
• Lead, manage and support a talented and committed team of library and archives staff to enhance and prioritize library user experiences incorporating ever evolving recommendations and technological advances to reach broad audiences.
• Accelerate institutional commitment toward inclusion, diversity, equity, and access.
• Facilitate experimentation to create new means of public engagement with natural history and expand concepts of scholarship.
• Collaborate with professional peers at Drexel and other educational and cultural institutions in Philadelphia and beyond.
• Ensure the safety, security, and longevity of the library and archives collections through space planning, collections emergency, and collections policies
• Work collaboratively with the Curator of Art and Artifacts to devise and implement a collections strategy that builds on areas of strength, broadens the scope of the collection to draw more diverse audiences, and finds areas of specialization that anticipate future directions in natural history scholarship.
• Manage all aspects of the Library and Archives operating budget and endowments and work with finance to analyze and improve allocation of spending.
• In partnership with the Institutional Advancement, write and oversee the writing of grant proposals, take a leadership role in fundraising events involving the library and archives, and be proactive in fundraising for the department
• In partnership with Marketing write and coordinate the writing of relevant blogs, and social media posts.
• With Community Learning and Visitor Services, ensure coordination of, and sometimes host, tours of library and archives and oversee library and archives-sponsored lectures, symposia and other educational programs.
• Work collaboratively with ANS’s management committee to realize the future of a storied institution as an impactful ‘force for nature’.
• Build a positive and open working culture within ANS, model ANS values, and maintain a welcoming and expansive environment among the communities it serves.

Requirements

Required Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Library Science (MLS, MSLS, MLIS)
• 5-8 years progressive work experience in a research library or with special collections
• Broad knowledge of library resources, including an understanding of and commitment to national policies and practices for cataloging both rare books and modern materials.
• Knowledge of the principles of best practices in archival collections stewardship
• Knowledge of collections stewardship, conservation and collecting. Well versed in rare books and the history of printing.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with staff, peers, senior management, faculty and students, and colleagues at partner institutions.
• Occasional evening and weekend hours.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated leadership skills and a history of progressively increasing levels of management responsibility, within a library setting.  Though this person does not have to have previously worked in a director position, prior experience at some management level is desirable.
• Knowledge of American natural history and/or the history of science and/or rare books desirable though not essential.