Book Center Director

The Book Center Director is a full-time, exempt position that works to promote and support Woodland Pattern’s mission through the ongoing care and development of its unique collections of poetry and small-press literature. This position reports to the Managing Director.

Integral to all of Woodland Pattern’s programming is the book center, which holds a carefully curated and nationally recognized collection of over 25,000 titles of poetry, small-press literature, and literary ephemera. The dissemination of independent literature—particularly poetry books, chapbooks, and zines by small- and micro-press publishers; works that honor bookmaking as a visual art; and texts by writers from historically marginalized backgrounds—has been central to the organization’s purpose since its founding.

As a result of nearly five decades of mission-driven inventory decisions, Woodland Pattern is home to the largest Native American section in Wisconsin, the largest collection of haiku in North America, and a collection of contemporary poetry that is one of the most comprehensive of its kind for sale in the United States. The book center also houses a sizable number of works by writers from Wisconsin and throughout the Upper Midwest, including hundreds of self-published books.

In addition to sourcing books from distributors and publishers, we also regularly consign with authors and publishers as needed, and we infrequently accept donations of small-press books on a case-by-case basis. Unlike a commercial bookseller, Woodland Pattern’s acquisitions have never been based on profitability but on mission fit; believing in the permanent value of each title, it is the organization’s practice to hold all books in inventory on an indefinite basis.

Many of our titles are now rare and/or out-of-print, and must be reshelved and repriced accordingly.

Our books are available for sale both in our brick-and-mortar location and in our online book center, and we also serve as a distributor for libraries and partner organizations around the region.

Additionally, Woodland Pattern will soon be home to a new permanent collection consisting of two onsite libraries: a Special Collection of rare books, chapbooks, ephemera, and music; and an Archival Library, which will include titles by writers who have performed at Woodland Pattern since its opening in 1980. Work is underway on these library projects, and the new Book Center Director will oversee their completion.

• Combine vision with pragmatism to ensure effective upkeep and continuous development of collections
• Identify, order, and receive titles that align with Woodland Pattern’s mission and support its programs
• Nurture relationships with small presses and fine-press publishers, regional libraries, and other institutional partnerships
• Remain knowledgeable about poetry, contemporary literature, and small-press publishing through reading and research

• Provide training, guidance, oversight, support, and recognition
• Assign and supervise tasks—such as shelving, receiving, shipment preparation, overstock chores, data entry projects, tasks related to annual inventory count, book center displays, and front desk duties—keeping in mind both organizational needs and individual skill sets and preferences

• Fulfill and ship orders purchased online, responding to customer queries as needed
• Ensure clean text and data for all site pages, while adhering to in-house guidelines
• Update landing page and create special collections in honor of designated identity recognition and cultural heritage months…