Assistant Director, Library Special Collections

Assistant Director, Library Special Collections

Department: Library Special Collections

Rank and Salary: Associate Librarian - Librarian ($75,958 - $147,852)

Position Availability: Immediately

Application Deadline: February 25, 2026

The UCLA Library seeks a highly collaborative, inclusive and knowledgeable leader to serve as Assistant Director of Library Special Collections (LSC).

As a key member of the Special Collections leadership team and a senior manager in the UCLA Library, the Assistant Director shapes and implements the strategic and operational priorities and services related to UCLA's archival collections (physical and born-digital) and rare books and manuscripts.

The Assistant Director reports to and serves as a key thought partner to the Director of Library Special Collections/AUL for Distinctive Collections. They lead the creation and implementation of LSC goals and initiatives and work collaboratively with the unit leads within the department to coordinate activities. They work with the Library's senior management team to implement Library-wide goals and priorities; cultivate leadership and management skills in support of organizational advancement; and contribute to the development of a Library culture that embraces responsible and ethical stewardship and centers equity, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of their work, ensuring a holistic approach to sustainable collection stewardship and access.

The Assistant Director is charged with increasing operational effectiveness, deepening collaboration across the organization, and ensuring collections and services are open, accessible, and discoverable. The Assistant Director will lead all aspects of special collections infrastructure and policies, including planning, implementation, and assessment. They work closely with the building management team to coordinate with campus facilities and manage issues related to safety and security of staff, collections and LSC spaces. They oversee the critical LSC teams of Collections Management, Processing, and Public Services, with four direct reports and approximately 20 indirect reports. In collaboration with unit leads, the Assistant Director jointly develops strategies, policies, and procedures; implements frameworks for responsible stewardship; and identifies and engages in opportunities for collaboration across the breadth of the UCLA Library.

• Supports the Director of Library Special Collections in leading strategic planning, organizational development, and administrative oversight of the department. Serves as LSC's second-in-command and primary point of contact in the Director's absence.
• Provides strategic leadership of operations, collection management, processing, and public services divisions, and works collaboratively with peers in special collections across the Library and UC system to achieve shared goals.
• Coordinates closely with the Director and the Curatorial Team to develop efficient workflows and processes for collections appraisal, intake, and re-appraisal.
• In collaboration with staff and colleagues across the UCLA Library, explores, proposes, and coordinates the implementation of new services and technologies that facilitate discovery, access, and use of special collections.
• In partnership with the LSC Director and Library Business Services, provides oversight for budget and financial management across assigned units. Ensures that resources and budgets are appropriately allocated to support the priorities and work of the library. Provides donor reports as needed.
• Employs a user-focused and data-informed approach to financial management and decision-making. Compiles and analyzes data that contribute to Library understanding of trends in special collections use (including research, teaching, and learning) to inform improvements to services and programs.
• In coordination with the LSC Director, develops, reviews, and approves grant proposals related to LSC collections.
• In partnership with Library building services coordinator and other operational staff, oversees security and management of LSC spaces.
• Works closely with Library Development to identify and steward donors, collections, and endowed gift funds.
• Serves on Library and university committees as needed.
• Participates in appropriate professional and scholarly associations and organizations.
• Maintains up-to-date professional knowledge of current trends and best practices in higher education, academic libraries, special collections, and information and educational technology, to encourage innovation and ensure the excellence of LSC services and operations.
• Other responsibilities as assigned.

Professional librarians at UCLA are academic appointees. This is a non-represented position. Within the UC System, most librarians are represented by an exclusive bargaining agent, University Council - American Federation of Teachers (UC-AFT). As academic appointees, librarians are entitled to appropriate professional leave, two days per month of vacation leave, one day per month of sick leave, and all other benefits granted to non-faculty academic personnel. UC has an excellent retirement system and sponsors a variety of group health, dental, vision, and life insurance plans in addition to other benefits. Relocation assistance may be provided.

Appointees to the librarian series at UC shall have professional backgrounds that demonstrate a high degree of creativity, teamwork, and flexibility. Such background will normally include a professional degree from an ALA-accredited library and information science graduate program. In addition to professional competence and quality of service within the library in the primary job, advancement in the librarian series requires professional involvement and contributions outside of the library, and/or university and community service, and/or scholarly activities. Candidates must show evidence or promise of such contributions.

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

UCLA welcomes and encourages diversity and seeks applications and nominations from women and minorities. UCLA seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce as a reflection of our commitment to serve the people of California, to maintain the excellence of the university, and to offer our students richly varied disciplines, perspectives, and ways of knowing and learning.

Library Special Collections (LSC) builds and stewards special collections resources, services, and operations. The department consists of four teams: Curatorial; Processing/Center for Primary Research and Training (CFPRT); Collection Management (CM); and Public Services, Outreach, and Community Engagement (PSOCE).

• The Curatorial Team is responsible for collection development and acquisition of materials in support of research and teaching.
• The CFPRT makes collection material discoverable and accessible through ethical and iterative processing in a pedagogical model.
• The CM Team ensures responsible stewardship of collections through ethical accessioning, cataloging, and management of collections storage.
• The PSOCE Team integrates public-facing operations for LSC including reference and instruction, programmatic events, and activities.

The entire staff of approximately 30 FTE work together holistically to build, preserve, and provide access to the outstanding rare and unique holdings of the UCLA Library. LSC works closely with our colleagues within the Distinctive Collections portfolio to steward a range of international resources in support of UCLA's mission for the betterment of our global society.

As one of the world's great public research universities, UCLA integrates education, research, and public service so that each enriches and extends the others. From its beautiful neighborhood campus in a uniquely diverse and vibrant city on the Pacific Rim, teaching and research extend beyond the classroom, office, and lab through active engagement with communities, organizations, projects, and partnerships throughout the region and around the world.

UCLA's diverse community of scholars encompasses nearly 30,000 undergraduates pursuing 125 majors, 13,000 graduate students in fifty-nine research programs, and 4,000 faculty members including Nobel Laureates; Rhodes Scholars; MacArthur Fellows; winners of the Fields Medal, National Medal of Science, Pritzker Prize, and Pulitzer Prize; and recipients of Oscars, Emmys, Tonys, and Golden Globes. UCLA ranks tenth in the Times of London Higher Education World Reputation Rankings, twelfth in the Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and fifth in the U.S. by Washington Monthly. The National Research Council ranks forty of its graduate and doctoral research programs among its top ten.

To enable these accomplished students, faculty, and staff to create, disseminate, and apply knowledge for the benefit of global society, the UCLA Library is re-envisioning how it is acquired, synthesized, and shared across academic audiences and with the public. It was among the first academic libraries to develop subject-specialist librarians and to launch a program to enhance students' research skills. Its Special Collections pioneered the acquisition by public institutions of rare and unique books, children's literature, pulp and detective fiction, works by or about women and minorities, screenplays, architectural plans, and Los Angeles-related materials and today leads the way in collecting archival resources in digital format such as emails and manuscripts. It has launched innovative data management services and an affordable course materials initiative that have served as models for other libraries.

The Library serves UCLA students, faculty, and staff whenever and wherever they need its resources and expertise. Reconfigured, high-tech spaces and services in its ten campus libraries enable users and librarians to explore and work with print and digital materials collaboratively or individually, pursue new lines of inquiry, and develop new pedagogical approaches as well as novel forms of scholarship. More than 3.5 million people visit annually, while an additional 3.4 million visitors enter online through its virtual front doors.

Whether on campus or online, the Library forms the intellectual heart of UCLA, a hub for cutting-edge discovery, scholarship, and instruction.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status. For the complete University of California policy on discrimination, harassment, and affirmative action see: University of California - Policy Discrimination, Harassment, and Affirmative Action in the Workplace

Under federal law, the University of California may employ only individuals who are legally authorized to work in the United States as established by providing documents specified in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.

Employment is contingent upon completion of satisfactory background investigation.

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• ALA-accredited Master's Degree in Library or Information Science required at the time of hire; OR Master's degree (or other advanced degree) in Information Sciences or related field at the time of hire and work experience in a library setting.
• Professional experience and demonstrated leadership in special collections in an academic or research library or other related setting.
• Supervisory experience that includes training and leading the work of librarians, staff, and student assistants.
• Commitment to responsible stewardship and data and capacity-informed approaches to collections stewardship.
• Demonstrated engagement with special collections bibliographic and archival principles; best practices for accessioning, cataloging, and/or archival processing of special collection materials; providing end-user access to special collections; and library and archival management and discovery systems.
• Demonstrated experience developing strategic initiatives, managing complex projects, and workflow assessment and implementation.
• Proven ability to manage, lead, and direct staff in accomplishing both individual and collective goals. Ability to train staff at all levels. Ability to prioritize effectively among competing demands. Ability to solve problems collaboratively and creatively.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, organizational skills, and time management skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and anti-racism, and to serving the needs of a diverse population.
• Commitment to positive, solution-driven responses to challenges.
• Demonstrated initiative, flexibility, and ability to work collegially and creatively within and across organizations. Ability to build and maintain consensus and nurture collaboration and creativity in others.
• Demonstrated commitment to providing outstanding public service and a record of promoting archives or special collections. Knowledge of best practices in virtual and in-person reference in a special collection environment, familiarity with assessing public services and programs.
• Record of professional engagement and involvement in pertinent professional and scholarly organizations.
• Experience collaborating with Development to identify priorities for philanthropic funding and to provide information for donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Experience working with donors and legal documentation related to gifts and donations.

Applicants with all the above basic qualifications and any of the following preferred qualifications or professional experiences are strongly encouraged to apply:

1. Familiarity with the Guidelines for Efficient Archival Processing in the University of California Libraries, OCLC's Total Cost of Stewardship toolkit, and other models that promote ethical and iterative approaches to description and access;
2. Reading and writing knowledge of additional languages relevant to our holdings, particularly diasporic languages spoken in Los Angeles;
3. Evidence of professional engagement at local, state or national level.

• 3 required (contact information only)

Names and contact information for three professional references, including current or previous supervisor; contact information only.

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct.

• "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer.
• 
  UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
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  UC Anti-Discrimination Policy for Employees, Students and Third Parties
• APM - 035: Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment