Job: UF Libraries, Head, Latin American & Caribbean Collection (LACC) – come join our amazing team!

Please see the full job posting: http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/pers/documents/HeadLACC-PD_FINAL.pdf
The posting is also copied below for ease.

POSITION VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
POSITION: Head, Latin American and Caribbean Collection (LACC)
RANK: Assistant University Librarian or Associate University Librarian
REPORTS TO: Chair, Special and Area Studies Collections
SALARY: Actual salary and appointment rank will reflect the selected professional’s experience and credentials
Minimum salary at Assistant University Librarian rank – $51,000
Minimum salary at Associate University Librarian rank – $61,860
REQUISITION #: 0906806
DEADLINE DATE: November 21 2014 – review of applications will begin on November 7, 2014
Please note that this posting has specific instructions for the submission of application materials – see our website at: http://web.uflib.ufl.edu/pers/careers.htm or the APPLICATION PROCESS section below for further details. Failure to submit the required documents may result in the application not being considered.
JOB SUMMARY:
The George A. Smathers Libraries of the University of Florida is seeking a Latin American studies professional interested in managing the University of Florida’s preeminent Latin American and Caribbean collection and unit operations. The Head of the Latin American and Caribbean Collection (LACC) is a full-time tenure track library faculty position, within the Special and Area Studies Collections department, responsible for overall management and collection development of the LACC, as well as the allocation of resources, and supervision and management of staff. Responsible for the selection of library materials, reference services, research consultations, and instruction in support of the Center for Latin American Studies, the first such research center in the United States. Promotes public awareness of LACC’s mission and resources, and determines needs and priorities to enhance appropriate library support. Collaborates with library and academic faculty to establish collection management policies. Defines public and technical service goals, policies, and objectives. Manages the collection and all materials budgets. Works closely with the Chair, Special and Area Studies Collections, to assign train, monitor, and evaluate LACC staff. Participates in fund raising and exhibits programs.
The Smathers Libraries encourage staff participation in reaching management decisions and, consequently, the Head of the Latin American and Caribbean Collection will be asked to serve on various departmental and library-wide committees and teams. The incumbent will pursue professional development opportunities, including research, publication, and professional association activities, to meet library-wide criteria for tenure and promotion. To support all students and faculty and foster excellence in a diverse and global society, the Head of the Latin American and Caribbean Collection will be expected to include individuals of diverse backgrounds, experiences, races, ethnicities, genders, and perspectives in work activities.
RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Works with the Chair, Special and Area Studies Collections (SASC), and the Center for Latin American Studies to define goals, establish objectives and priorities; and develop, implement, and evaluate plans, policies, and procedures that support the unit’s services and programs
• Oversees and coordinates the work of the unit including 2 library faculty, 2 paraprofessionals, and student assistants, with direct supervision for 2 faculty.
• Organizes and coordinates initiatives for research services, public programs and exhibits, bibliographic instruction, and automated data retrieval services.
• Develops collection management policies and approval plans.
• Working with the Libraries Acquisitions Department and the Gifts and Exchange Program, selects library resources in all formats in support of program needs from such vehicles as gifts, approval plans, and dealer catalogs.
• Establishes cataloging and preservation priorities, making storage, transfer, and deselection decisions.
• Works closely with the Digital Production Services and other entities (e.g. commercial vendors and the Digital Library of Caribbean) on relevant digitization projects.
• Makes decisions or recommendations on cataloging, location, preservation, maintenance, and retention of library resources.
• Assists the Cataloging and Metadata Department in the original and copy cataloging of materials and in selection of materials for outsourcing of cataloging services.
• Provides consultative services to the faculty and students in Latin American and Caribbean studies.
• Fosters an atmosphere of collegiality, innovation, and assessment. Plays a strong role in maintaining effective communication within and beyond the unit, the SASC department, and the Center for Latin American Studies. Promotes and sustains effective working relationships within a diverse multicultural environment.
• Develops and maintains a professional relationship with other Latin American and Caribbeanbibliographers, providing leadership at the national level in various organizations.
• Participates in the Special and Area Studies Collections departmental strategic planning process.
• Responsible for assessment initiatives. Reports on accomplishments, creates strategies for improvements in quality of services, and defines resource needs.
• Participates in development activities of the Libraries and academic departments to enhance services and resources through gifts and grants.
• Contributes to the library, university, and the profession through substantive involvement in such activities as committee work, research, publishing, and participation in professional organizations.

QUALIFICATIONS:
Required:

• Spanish or Portuguese fluency and effective oral and written communication skills in English
• Strong familiarity with Latin American and Caribbean history and culture
• ALA accredited MLS degree (or foreign equivalency) or advanced degree in a relevant field
• Experience managing and enhancing library collections and services, including those supporting Latin American and/or Caribbean studies or other relevant and equivalent professional experience. Minimum of three (3) years of experience managing libraries or collections for appointment at Assistant University Librarian rank. Minimum of eight (8) years of experience managing libraries or collections for appointment at Associate University Librarian rank
• Strong interpersonal skills and proven ability to effectively supervise, lead a team and manage resources
• Understanding of the interrelation between area and ethnic studies such as Latin American and Latino studies
• Familiarity with information and digital-based technologies and automated library systems
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively with faculty, students, administrators and the general public
• Initiative, flexibility, and the ability to adapt and work creatively in a complex, rapidly changing academic environment
• Strong potential for meeting the requirements for tenure and promotion outlined at http://library.ufl.edu/cdh

Preferred:

• Graduate degree in a relevant subject field with a thorough knowledge of the research literature of Latin
  America and/or Caribbean studies
• Demonstrated record of instruction, scholarship, public outreach, and development
• Working knowledge of Haitian Creole or another language closely related to Latin American and/or Caribbean history and culture
• Experience in an academic library
• Record of including individuals of diverse backgrounds, experiences, races, ethnicities, genders, and perspectives in research, teaching, service and other work

THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA:
The University of Florida (UF) is a major, public, comprehensive, land-grant, research university. The state’s oldest and most comprehensive university, UF is among the nation’s most academically diverse public universities. UF has a long history of established programs in international education, research and service. It is one of only 17 public, land-grant universities that belong to the Association of American Universities. UF traces its beginnings to a small seminary in 1853 and is now one of the largest universities in the nation, with more than 50,000 students. For more information, please consult the UF homepage at http://www.ufl.edu.
GEORGE A. SMATHERS LIBRARIES:
The libraries of the University of Florida form the largest information resource system in the state of Florida.  The UF Libraries consist of seven libraries; six are in the system known as the George A. Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida. The libraries hold over 5,800,000 print volumes, 8,100,000 microfilms, 630,000 e-books, 121,016 full-text electronic journals, 889 electronic databases, 1,300,000 documents and 766,000 maps and images. The libraries have built a number of nationally significant research collections, including the Latin American and Caribbean, Judaica, Florida History, Children’s Literature, and Map and Imagery Collections. The Smathers Libraries are a member of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), the Center for Research Libraries (CRL), the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries (ASERL), and LYRASIS.  The library staff consists of more than 400 FTE librarians, technical/clerical staff and student assistants. The  organizational chart is available at http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/orgchart.pdf.
SPECIAL AND AREA STUDIES COLLECTIONS:
Special and Area Studies Collections encompasses Area Studies Collections, the Map & Imagery Library, and the Special Collections of the University of Florida. The Area Studies Collections are the Latin American and Caribbean Collection; the Isser and Rae Price Library of Judaica; and the African Studies and Asian Studies collections. Special Collections include the Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature, the Belknap Collection for  the Performing Arts, the P.K. Yonge Library of Florida History, the General Manuscript Collection, the Rare Book Collection, and the University Archives.
LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN COLLECTION:
The Latin American and Caribbean Collection is one of the finest collections for the study of Latin American and Caribbean studies in the world. It contains approximately 500,000 volumes, 1,100 current / active serial titles, some 50,000 microforms, and a growing body of computer-based information and digital material. The Latin American and Caribbean Collection is a major contributor to the Digital Library of the Caribbean (dLOC), supports the study of Latin American and the Caribbean studies at the University of Florida and internationally, and is closely associated with the UF Center for Latin American Studies. The Latin American and Caribbean Collection is one of a small number in the United States that maintains its own reading room and specialized staff for reference services. It is now open in newly renovated quarters on the 3rd floor of Smathers Library.
COMMUNITY:
Gainesville, Florida and the surrounding community are home to approximately 240,000 people and both the University of Florida and Santa Fe College. Situated just over an hour from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, the city is surrounded by over 40 nature parks, including many spring-fed lakes and rivers. In 2007, Gainesville was ranked as the “Best Place to Live and Work” by Frommer’s Cities Ranked and Rated and as one of the “Best Places to Live and Play” by National Geographic Adventure. Gainesville is known as an innovative municipal government and an innovative city. Gainesville continues to receive national recognition as a top-rated city. Some of Gainesville’s accolades are listed at the Gainesville Awards and Recognition link. A recent article in Florida Trend Magazine offers an in depth Community Portrait of Gainesville and the University of Florida. Gainesville was featured in the Top 100 Best Places to Love 2014 on Livability, America’s Best Places to Live & Visit. The area has numerous cultural institutions and is a  haven for sports fans. Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, Tallahassee, and St. Augustine are all within a two hour drive.
BENEFITS:
Vacation days, paid holidays, and sick leave days; retirement plan options; insurance benefits; tuition fee waiver program; no state or local income tax. Prospective employees should review the information about employment and benefits at UF available at http://hr.ufl.edu/benefits/.
APPLICATION PROCESS:
The University of Florida is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from women and minority group members. We are dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse and pluralistic environment; we strongly encourage applications from women, members of underrepresented groups, individuals with disabilities, and veterans. As part of the application process, applicants are invited to complete an on-line confidential and voluntary demographic self-disclosure form which can be found at: http://www.hr.ufl.edu/job/datacard.htm. This information is collected by the University of Florida’s Office of Human Resources to track applicant trends and is in no way considered by the Smathers Libraries in the selection process.
Please submit application materials via e-mail. Send, as attachments (MS-Word and PDF format preferred), a cover letter detailing your interest in and qualifications for this position; a written statement discussing the future of Latin American, Caribbean and Latino Collections (250 word limit); your current resume and a list of three references including their address, telephone and email information. Apply by November 21 (applications will be reviewed beginning November 7). Please initiate your application at: http://jobs.ufl.edu/postings/57937. Submit all other application materials via e-mail as attachments (MS-Word and PDF format preferred) to Bonnie Smith, Smathers Libraries Human Resources Office, at bonniesmith@ufl.edu.
Final candidate will be required to provide official transcript to the hiring department upon hire. A transcript will not be considered “official” if a designation of “Issued to Student” is visible. Degrees earned from an education institution outside of the United States are required to be evaluated by a professional credentialing service provider approved by National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), which can be found at http://www.naces.org/.