Head, Collection Assessment and Licensing

Head, Collection Assessment and Licensing

Summary

About the Department: The Access & Resource Management (ARM) division works across the Libraries to support the University’s strategic goals and plan by acquiring, managing, and providing access to scholarly resources that enhance curricular and research needs. The division manages the lifecycle of the University Libraries’ scholarly collection from budget development to point of ordering to provision of access and all associated maintenance and assessment.

The division is comprised of three departments:
Collection Management, Discovery Services, and Access Services. The Collection Management department brings together the units of Resource Acquisition, Collection Assessment & Licensing, and Resource Sharing to provide holistic management of the Libraries’ research collections. The Collection Assessment & Licensing unit focuses on the assessment and analysis of the Libraries’ collections, the implementation of collection priorities, and the licensing of research content in alignment with those priorities.

About the Position: Within the Collection Management department of the ARM division, the Head, Collection Assessment and Licensing coordinates the assessment of the Libraries’ research collections, whether owned, subscribed to, shared, open, accessed, or otherwise made available to the George Mason University scholarly community. This position negotiates new and complex license agreements for library electronic resources and serves as the expert on trends and issues in library electronic resource licensing.

The Head, Collections Assessment and Licensing supports and participates in collection development for the Libraries and supports the Collection Assessment & Licensing unit. The position reports to the Director, Collection Management. Participates in committees, task forces, and/or work groups as required to share knowledge, develop best practices, and implement and advance the work of the Libraries.

• Oversees the evaluation of the Libraries' research collections to help ensure they effectively meet the needs of its users and align with the Libraries' goals;
• Works with the unit's Specialists to prepare product and program analysis for the Collection Management Council's review and use.;
• Works collaboratively with the Data Discoverability Unit in applying ever-developing and increasingly sophisticated methods for assessing all aspects of the Libraries’ collections and their use;
• Assesses the intellectual component and usage of the Libraries’ approval plans and related models such as demand-driven or evidence-based purchasing of content; and
• Maintains awareness of new developments in librarianship, information access, and assessment methodologies.

• Coordinates the licensing of new and complex electronic resources, including reading licenses, suggesting licensing language, and reviewing existing licenses for comparison and needed updates, working in close partnership with Resource Acquisition personnel, who focus on licenses for product renewals;
• Serves as the expert on trends and issues in library electronic resource licensing; develops and maintains expertise on current and emerging best practices for licensing, including for complex resources such as streaming media, data, and open access agreements;
• Serves as the Libraries' primary contact for new and complex electronic resource licensing with the University's Office of General Counsel and Procurement; and
• Helps create policies, documentation, a shared workflow, and a tracking system for the steps of electronic resources licensing.

• Identifies collection gaps and areas where collections spending is misaligned with current curricula;
• Supports and participates in collections planning and strategic decision-making for acquisition or cancellation using data; and
• Negotiates product renewals in collaboration with the Director, Collection Management and Head, Resource Acquisition, as needed.

• Sets clear performance goals that align with the Libraries’ mission and strategic plan;
• Effectively communicates…