Head Librarian, Branner Earth Sciences Library & Map Collections

Job Description

The position is dual posted at Librarian 2 and 3. Stanford University Libraries is seeking a full-time Head Librarian to lead the Branner Earth Sciences library & Map Collections. The Libraries values are rooted in a commitment of mutual respect, the idea that every member of the staff has something to contribute, and that learning is constant.

The Stanford Libraries’ Branner Earth Sciences Library & Map Collections are at the forefront in providing innovative support for scholarship, teaching, and learning in the various subdisciplines in earth, energy, sustainability, and environmental sciences as practiced  match the scale and urgency of climate change and sustainability, the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability was established in 2022. The school brings together seven academic departments, two research institutes, and the Sustainability Accelerator, to draw on the interdisciplinary expertise required to understand and address complex environmental changes and sustainability.

The library is well-positioned to support this major initiative with world-class collections, dedicated staff, and innovative technological solutions. The Head Librarian will be involved in the redesign of the library in a myriad of ways to meet the needs of the expanded School.

The Head Librarian of the Earth Sciences Library provides a full range of high-quality library services for the faculty and students in the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability (SDSS) and to other interested faculty, students, and staff of the University. The Head Librarian is also a member of the Science and Engineering Resource Group in the Stanford Libraries. In addition to subject expertise in a relevant discipline, the Head Librarian must have proven managerial ability and be capable of contributing to the programs and projects of the Libraries in general as well as to the University.

• Manages the facility, budget, and staff of the Earth Sciences Library.
• Manages and evaluates the staff of the Earth Sciences Library, direct reports include librarians, library specialists, and hourly employees.
• Evaluates and makes recommendations to management on programs, plans, operations and policies for the Earth Sciences Library.
• Earnestly and constantly tries to understand the research and curricular programs of the departments and, within departments, each of the professors and instructors in order to match the Library’s collection development and services programs in direct support of these academic personnel.
• Develop outreach strategies to promote library services and resources, and to establish relationships with users in SDSS and across Stanford. Actively manages the library web space and oversees the social media outreach.
• Convenes and leads the Branner Earth Sciences Library Committee and works with faculty and staff at the School to align library goals for the immediate term and as the research and scholarship evolve within SDSS.
• Select library materials and information resources in areas related to the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability scholarship (e.g., earth sciences, environmental sciences, energy science, oceanography, and sustainability), including responsibility for collection management and preservation decision-making.
• Stays abreast of current developments and trends in earth, energy, sustainability and environmental resources librarianship through active participation in appropriate professional organizations.
• Assist patrons and staff with reference and research inquiries.
• Make recommendations for the upgrade of electronic and manual resource tools.
• Analyze the technical and access needs for a unit of the library system, including the environmental conditions of storage and work spaces.
• Participates as appropriate in the development activities of the Libraries, working closely with the Library Development Officer and the Associate University Librarian for Sciences and Engineering Resources. Encourages and cultivates close relations with donors of funds and materials relating to SDSS collections.
• Teach classes, lead tours and/or give demonstrations of library resources.
• May approve and make arrangements for loaning repository items to external organizations for exhibit, including the negotiation terms of the loan.

Advanced Degree in Library Science or a relevant academic discipline with demonstrated understanding of academic libraries and two or more years of…