College Librarian Position

Occidental College is a private, highly selective liberal arts baccalaureate college of 1800 students with a proven ability to attract, retain and educate a highly talented and diverse group of undergraduates.  We are seeking a College Librarian who can build an ambitious and nationally recognized library program that will serve as a center for intellectual inquiry. Occidental offers a unique combination of a rigorous academic program, a residential community, a diverse faculty and student body and the innumerable resources of  Los Angeles.

The College Librarian will work collaboratively with all members of the Occidental community in executing the Library’s institutional mission. We seek an experienced library leader with the following skills and experience for this task:

Qualifications

Planning expertise. Planning experience, both short and long term, that would align with College goals and which would anticipate the changes in library services needed to match developing requirements — in technology, space and infrastructure — of faculty and students. 

Collection development. Including all appropriate strategies to move from paper to electronic resources.

Collegiality and Collaboration. An established record of moving from concept to implementation.

Community Building. A demonstrated ability for mutually constructive work, both on campus with senior staff, faculty, students, student services and Information and Technology Services and off campus with the larger L.A. community and the national library and information technology communities.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Including a proven record in cross-institutional communication and successful grant writing and fund raising experience.

Budget. Record of successful fiscal oversight — both operationally and strategically.

Technology. Expertise in new technologies that engage information delivery across the campus. An understanding of information architecture and emerging electronic scholarly communication methods.

Staff development. Excellent organizational skills, including motivation, assessment and innovation.

In addition, this position requires a dynamic professional with a deeply engaged understanding of the character of the liberal arts and sciences. The Director will establish the Occidental College Library as the intellectual center of the College and as a national model for the liberal education.   

Master’s degree from an ALA Accredited program or equivalent is  required with seven or more years of increasingly responsible experience in an academic library.

The Process

Applicants should send a letter describing their qualifications relating to the position, a curriculum vitae, and the names, addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses of three current references to:

 Librarian Search Committee
 c/o Dr. Eric Frank
 Dean of the College
 Occidental College
 1600 Campus Road
 Los Angeles, CA 90041

The Search Committee will begin reading applications on April 21, 2008. 
 
This position has faculty status at the College.

Occidental College is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer.