Collection Development Coordinator

Company Description

By working at Harvard University, you join a vibrant community that advances Harvard's world‑changing mission in meaningful ways, inspires innovation and collaboration, and builds skills and expertise. We are dedicated to creating a diverse and welcoming environment where everyone can thrive.

Join a community that combines excellence in legal education and scholarship with a deep commitment to justice. Here at Harvard Law School (HLS), you’ll find an environment that values who you are and encourages you to grow, inspire others, and make a meaningful impact. Wherever you are in your career journey, HLS is a place where you can thrive, contribute, and be part of something bigger.

The Collection Development Coordinator supports the operations Collection Development team by coordinating workflows, managing data and reporting, and assisting with bibliographic and acquisitions activities across jurisdictions and formats. Reporting directly to the Manager of Collection Development and supporting the Foreign, Comparative and International Collection Development Librarian, this position applies established policies and procedures to prepare selection recommendations, monitor budgets, and support collection assessment and maintenance.

This position works with a high degree of independence within defined guidelines and provides advanced analytical, technical, and operational support to ensure effective stewardship, access, and continuity of the library’s collection.

The incumbent provides day‑to‑day operational support of the Collection Development Unit, serving as a first point of contact related to approval plans, fund activity, electronic resource issues, reporting, and collection coordination. The position works closely with Access Services, Harvard Library Central, and ITS partners and requires knowledge of an integrated library system, preferably Ex Libris Alma, including the ability to design and produce analytical reports in support of collection development and assessment.

• Participate in collection activities, including cancellations, format transitions, and disposition projects, in collaboration with Collection Development colleagues.
• Support the intellectual and fiscal integrity of collections across jurisdictions, subjects, and formats.
• Review and assign newly received materials on approval plans, exercising bibliographic judgment in accordance with established collection development policies, fund structures, and subject priorities.

• Provide administrative and project support to the Collection Development Unit, including tracking project activities, assisting with logistics, and maintaining documentation to ensure continuity and transparency.
• Support unit workflows and daily operations by responding to requests, assisting with workflow activities, and helping maintain continuity across subject areas, formats and jurisdictions.
• Assist with documentation of collection and maintenance of collection development policies, procedures, and workflows, ensuring records are accurate and up to date.
• Liaise with Shared Services and Law Library staff to coordinate collection‑related workflows across local and shared services environments.
• Design and run standard reports and compile data in support of collection development, approvals processing, budget oversight, and assessment activities; monitor Lib Answers queue with FCIL CD Librarian and Manager of CD.
• Assist with daily monitoring and management of collection budgets, including tracking expenditures, monitoring fund balances, and supporting reconciliation and reporting activities; make recommendations regarding appropriate fund use for new and continuing acquisitions.

• Serve as a primary troubleshooter for electronic resource access issues, independently diagnosing problems and coordinating resolution with vendors, ITS staff, and Harvard Library Central.

• Liaise with Access Services to support collection…