Current Opportunities

Through its collections and services, the Fisher Fine Arts Library is integral to the learning, teaching, and research of the contemporary and historical aspects of art, architecture, city and regional planning, historic preservation, landscape architecture, studio art, and urban spatial analytics at the University of Pennsylvania. With a generous collections budget, the Fine Arts Library's collections include 125,000 print titles, 1,300 serials, and an image collection of more than two million owned and licensed digital images. Databases, e-journals, and e-books offer dynamic coverage of a broad spectrum of art and architecture. The G. Holmes Perkins Architectural Collection houses approximately three thousand rare books, with associated maps and prints, presenting the history and theory of architecture over the past four hundred years. The Materials Library offers an active 3D scanning service and nearly 9000 samples ranging from traditional construction materials with a focus on sustainability to textiles, papers, and artists materials. In addition to the Director, an Assistant Director, a Materials Librarian, and the Common Press Director, the staff includes five full-time staff members and approximately 30 student assistants. The director reports to the Associate University Librarian for Academic Engagement and Director of the Arts and Culture Libraries, works in close collaboration with the heads of the Museum and Music libraries, and with the heads and staff of the Penn Libraries 14 departmental libraries.  The director works in cooperation with the Collection Development Council’s Coordinator for Humanities Collections on matters pertaining to collection budget and expenditure, and participates in Libraries-wide initiatives.

The Director of the Fisher Fine Arts Library, leads Fisher Fine Arts staff in developing the strategic direction of the library, its Materials Library and Image Collection, and the Common Press, a letterpress and book-arts studio, which is a collaborative effort with Penn’s Kelly Writers House and the Stuart Weitzman School of Design. The director oversees the library’s building operations in consultation with the Libraries facilities manager and the Stuart Weitzman School of Design’s Director of Operations. The director has ultimate responsibility for  staff management and for developing, managing, and maintaining the library’s rich print, material, and digital collections. In collaboration with the assistant director, the director designs and implements innovative user-centered services, and promotes engagement with a diverse and interdisciplinary faculty, student body, and university community.
Job Description

Duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Develop operating policies and manage the day-to-day staffing, current and future building needs and operations of the Fisher Fine Arts Library
Hire, mentor, and support the development of all Fisher Fine Arts Library professional staff. Support the Assistant Director and Materials Librarian in managing bargaining unit staff
Directly supervise the Assistant Director, Materials and Images Librarian, and Common Press Director
Leads all aspects of collection development for the Fisher Fine Arts Library, including the rare book collection, Materials Library, and circulating collections
Manage the Fine Arts collections budget, set priorities for resource allocation across the Fisher Fine Arts Library’s collecting areas
Work with Library Advancement on identifying, cultivating, and stewarding donors in support of the mission of the Fisher Fine Arts Library
Develop vision and strategic direction for the Fisher Fine Arts Library in support of the Penn Libraries strategic plan
Collaborate with faculty and staff of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design, the Department of the History of Art, and other departments to develop library services and distinctive collections
Envision and advocate for future spaces and initiatives for the Fisher Fine Arts Library and its affiliate programs
Collaborate with colleagues across the Libraries and support Libraries-wide initiatives
Other duties as assigned
Qualifications Required:

MLS/MLIS or other relevant advanced degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience in a library, museum, or research setting.
Experience in collection development
Leadership skills and a record of progressively responsible management experience.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with a diverse population of faculty, students, staff, and members of the general public.
Exhibit a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access.
Preferred:

Awareness of current issues and trends in library and information science relevant to art libraries, special collections, and archives, including emerging technologies and scholarly communications.
Experience providing reference services and instructional sessions for arts-related resources.

Advanced training in an arts field, which may include architecture or urban design and planning.

Demonstrated ability to think and lead strategically in support of the planning, evaluation and assessment of Library operations (including managing staff and giving attention to the physical site)

Broad knowledge of information resources in appropriate fields.

Experience managing acquisitions, operating, and personnel budgets.

Experience researching, mounting and promoting exhibits.

Experience managing digital image collections.

Experience coordinating facilities management.

Reading knowledge of languages beyond English.

Experience cultivating and providing stewardship to donors.

Experience collaborating with other public and private cultural institutions.

Application Requirement:
A Cover Letter and Resume/CV are required to be considered for this position. Please upload your Cover Letter where it asks you to upload your Resume/CV; multiple documents are allowed.

Budgeted Pay Range:

$90,000-$100,000 commensurate with education and experience.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Department / School University Library

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