Access Services Manager for Gutman, Ernst Mayr, and Music Libraries

Harvard Library Access Services Manager

At Harvard Library, we are champions of curiosity. We aim to be global leaders in expanding world knowledge and intellectual exploration. We engage with our communities in the creation and sharing of new knowledge, connecting them with the vast collections that we curate and steward through collaborations around the world. At its core, our mission for nearly four centuries has been to advance the learning, research, and pursuit of truth that are at the heart of Harvard.

Our efforts are motivated and powered by working collaboratively, embracing diverse perspectives, championing access, aiming for the extraordinary, and always leading with curiosity.

Access Services is dedicated to advancing the mission of Harvard Library by providing exceptional service, fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment that supports academic research and inquiry, and carefully stewarding the University's collections. Access Services connects the academic community to a broad array of library resources, ensuring equitable access for users with diverse abilities. By collaborating with students, scholars, and professionals, we actively support the teaching and scholarly pursuits of the University, extending our impact to the Harvard community and beyond.

Reporting to the Associate Director of Access Services for Professional School Libraries, the Access Services Manager is a working manager who leads Access Services operations and staff at the Monroe

C. Gutman Library at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the Ernst Mayr Library of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, and the Eda Kuhn Loeb Music Library. The manager supervises staff and student workers; oversees circulation services, stacks management and maintenance, course reserves, resource sharing services, facilities, and equipment; and assists patrons in identifying, accessing, and using library resources in the associated libraries.

This highly visible role operates in a busy environment, requires substantial knowledge of library systems and procedures, and performs with a high degree of judgment and autonomy. The position is a member of the Access Services Extended Leadership Team (ELT), a collaborative group that includes all Access Services managers and members of the Access Services Senior Leadership Team (SLT).

The regular schedule for this position is Monday through Friday, 9am–5pm. The schedule and assigned hours may change throughout the year based on the academic calendar, library hours of operation, and departmental needs. Work may be required during holidays, inclement weather, and official University closings. Approval of time off during these periods is at the discretion of their Associate Director based on business needs.

Job-Specific Responsibilities:

• Lead, direct, and supervise daily Access Services operations at assigned libraries, setting high patron service standards, mentoring and managing Access Services staff, and fostering a creative, collaborative, team-oriented work environment.
• Ensure units meet operational and communication expectations. Plans and prioritizes daily workflows for Access Services staff at assigned libraries; assigns tasks and projects to team members; and adjusts staffing as needed to meet service demands.
• Recruit, develop, coach, and performance manage team members; set clear expectations and goals, provide ongoing feedback, conduct performance reviews, address performance issues, and support employee growth and succession planning, in consultation with the Associate Director, to promote an inclusive and innovative work environment.
• Maintain regular communication with their Associate Director on team performance, staffing, workload, risks, and employee relations matters; proactively escalates issues, provides timely updates, and ensures alignment on priorities, decisions, and organizational objectives.
• Communicate regularly with timeliness, including having meetings with regular cadence, with the local leadership of the assigned libraries. Communicate departmental goals, policies, procedures, and best practices through staff meetings, one-on-one conversations, and written documentation.
• Develop, document, and refine procedures and workflows to enhance efficiency, service quality, and user experience.
• Coordinate activities with other Access Services units and work collaboratively with colleagues to solve complex, time-sensitive problems to achieve common organizational goals.

Operations Management:

• Manage service points and work areas associated with circulation services. Ensure accurate and timely circulation desk services such as checkout, check-in, renewals, holds, recalls, etc. Communicate and enforce library policies and support collection security measures.
• Ensure teams are trained in and support centralized digital course reserves services for courses served by assigned libraries. Communicate reserves policies and procedures to students, faculty, teaching staff, and make referrals to…