Head, Collection Strategies
Penn State University · University Park, PA · 1 mo ago
AccountingFull-time
We need to output HTML fragment with sections: headings for sections like About the role, Responsibilities, Requirements, Qualifications, Skills, Benefits, Pay, Schedule. Only include sections that have real specific content. We must not repeat job title as heading. Must not include Job ID etc. Must preserve all substantive info, remove boilerplate (application instructions, EEO, etc). Must not include sections with filler like "commensurate with experience". Must not invent or summarize away detail.
We need to parse the posting.
Key sections:
- Position specifics: description of role, reporting line, etc. Could be "About the role" or "Position Summary". We'll use
for sections like About the role, Responsibilities, Requirements, Qualifications, Skills, Benefits, Pay, Schedule. Only include sections that have real specific content. We must not repeat job title as heading. Must not include Job ID etc. Must preserve all substantive info, remove boilerplate (application instructions, EEO, etc). Must not include sections with filler like "commensurate with experience". Must not invent or summarize away detail.
We need to parse the posting.
Key sections:
- Position specifics: description of role, reporting line, etc. Could be "About the role" or "Position Summary". We'll use About the role
with paragraph(s) summarizing.
- Duties and Responsibilities: list of duties. Use - .
- Required Qualifications: list.
- Preferred Qualifications: list.
- About The Collection Strategies Department: maybe "About the department" or "Department Overview". Could be a section.
- About Penn State’s Collections: maybe "About the Collections" or "Library Overview". Could be a section.
- Benefits: there is a Benefits paragraph describing benefits package. So include Benefits section with
- maybe.
- Pay: Not specified; they say "Individual compensation packages are based on various factors...". No specific pay range. So we should NOT include Pay section because no specific pay.
- Schedule: Not specified; they mention regular onsite presence required. Could be schedule? Not explicit. Probably not include Schedule.
- Skills: Could be derived from qualifications but we might not need separate Skills section if covered in Qualifications. The instruction says prefer few substantive sections over many thin ones. So we could combine qualifications into Requirements section? But they have separate headings for Requirements, Qualifications, Skills. We need to decide which to include based on content.
We have Required Qualifications and Preferred Qualifications. Could combine into a single "Qualifications" section with subheadings? But instruction: use
for section headings (e.g. About the role, Responsibilities, Requirements, Qualifications, Skills, Benefits, Pay, Schedule). So we can have multiple headings. We should include Responsibilities, Requirements (maybe required qualifications), Qualifications (maybe preferred?), Benefits. Could also include About the role.
We must not create sections with filler. So we need actual content.
Let's extract content:
About the role: The position specifics paragraph: "Head, Collection Strategies Penn State University Libraries (PSUL) seeks applications for Head, Collection Strategies. Reporting to the Associate Dean for Collections and Commonwealth Campus Libraries, this tenure-line position provides strategic guidance for the development, stewardship, assessment, and long-term direction of the Libraries’ research and teaching collections. The Head will focus on collaborating with library colleagues across the University Libraries, institutional partners and constituents across the University, and external partners to develop and implement a unified collections strategy that aligns collection development, acquisitions, interlibrary loan, and intentional, forward-looking stewardship with institutional values, budget realities, and user needs. This is a faculty appointment and an academic administrator. This position requires regular onsite presence at the University Park campus."
We can put that in About the role.
Responsibilities: The "Duties and Responsibilities" bullet list (multiple paragraphs). We'll extract each duty as list items.
Let's list them:
- Provide strategic leadership and direction for collection development: Articulate and implement vision and strategies for sustainable collection building; co-lead the Libraries' Collections Council in developing collection strategies, policies, and practices that prioritize equitable access, diverse and inclusive collecting, and responsiveness to emerging research, curricular, and University priorities.
- Lead the Collection Strategies Department: Supervise and mentor faculty and staff within the Collection Strategies Department (Collection Analysis, Collection Maintenance, and Annex units).
- Shape collections budget strategy and investment priorities: In collaboration with the Head of Acquisitions and Resource Sharing, synthesize data, usage trends, and community input to develop the Libraries' collections budget strategy, advise on equitable fund allocation, and provide timely expenditure projections to Libraries’ Administration
- Lead strategic vendor and publisher negotiations: Develop and maintain relationships with key vendors and publishers in support of major contract negotiations and transformative agreement frameworks.
- Design and oversee a framework for ongoing assessment of collections investments, including transformative licensing efforts.
- Advance collection initiatives: Serve as PSUL representative to membership organizations (e.g., BTAA) for group purchasing and collection development decision-making; provide leadership on shared collection projects.
- Maintain scholarly and professional engagement: Participate in relevant professional committees, leadership roles in professional organizations, and scholarly activity and research.
Also note: "The successful candidate is expected to be hired at the rank of Associate Librarian or Librarian and appointed with tenure within the University Libraries. Candidates qualified for appointment at the rank of Assistant Librarian will also be considered." That's more about qualifications/rank. Could be part of Requirements or Qualifications.
We could include that in Requirements (maybe as part of qualifications). But we have separate Required Qualifications and Preferred Qualifications sections.
Let's extract Required Qualifications:
- Master’s degree in library and information science from an ALA-accredited program, or an equivalent combination of advanced degree and relevant professional experience.
- Five or more years of professional experience in academic or research library collections, acquisitions, or a closely related area.
- Demonstrated knowledge of collection development principles, practices, and emerging trends in academic and research libraries, including print and electronic resources in all formats.
- Experience working in a consortia or networked library environment.
- Experience using data and assessment methods to inform collection decisions, including the ability to collect, analyze, and communicate findings to support strategic planning.
- Knowledge of open access models, scholarly communication trends, and the evolving scholarly publishing landscape, including transformative and Read & Publish agreements.
- Demonstrated leadership experience, such as supervision, mentoring, chairing cross-departmental committees, teams, and initiatives, and/or project management.
- Strong analytical, written, and oral communication skills, with the ability to effectively collaborate across departments and with external partners.
- Evidence of active professional engagement, and a record of research, publication, or other scholarly activity.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience with budget management and financial planning for library collections, including expenditure tracking, projection, and reporting.
- Knowledge of copyright, fair use, and rights management as applied to library resources and licensing.
- Experience with deselection, space planning, or physical collection management projects, including shared print or collaborative retention programs.
- Awareness of emerging technologies and their responsible application in collections work, including AI-assisted tools for collection assessment or resource discovery.
Also there is info about rank expectations: "The successful candidate is expected to be hired at the rank of Associate Librarian or Librarian and appointed with tenure within the University Libraries. Candidates qualified for appointment at the rank of Assistant Librarian will also be considered." plus details about qualifications for each rank. That could be part of Qualifications (maybe as a subsection). But we could incorporate into Required Qualifications? It's more about rank expectations. Might be better to include in a "Qualifications" section describing rank expectations. However we already have Required and Preferred. Could add a third section "Qualifications" for rank expectations, but that may be thin. Better to incorporate rank expectations into Required Qualifications? But they are not exactly requirements; they describe expected rank. Could be part of "About the role" or separate "Position Details". However instruction: prefer few substantive sections over many thin ones. So we could combine Required and Preferred into a single "Qualifications" section with subheadings? But they ask to use headings like Requirements, Qualifications, Skills. Might be okay to have both Required Qualifications and Preferred Qualifications as separate sections under Required Qualifications
and Preferred Qualifications
. That's fine.
We also have About The Collection Strategies Department and About Penn State’s Collections. Could be combined into "About the Department" or "Department Overview". But we have separate content: description of department, units, etc. And description of collections size, stats, consortia, etc. Could be two sections: "Department Overview" and "Library Collections". However we need to decide if they are substantive enough. They are.
Benefits: we have a paragraph describing benefits: competitive benefits package, medical/dental/vision, retirement plans, 75% tuition discount, etc. We'll make a Benefits section with list items.
Pay: not specific, so omit.
Schedule: not specific beyond regular onsite presence; could be mentioned in About the role. Not a separate Schedule section.
Skills: could be derived from qualifications but we already have Required and Preferred Qualifications; we could omit Skills section to avoid thin.
Thus sections:
- About the role (About the role
) with paragraph(s).
- Responsibilities (Responsibilities
) with - ...
- Required Qualifications (
Required Qualifications
) with - ...
- Preferred Qualifications (
Preferred Qualifications
) with - ...
- Department Overview (
Department Overview
) with paragraph(s) about Collection Strategies Department.
- Library Collections (Library Collections
) with paragraph(s) about Penn State’s Collections.
- Benefits (Benefits
) with - ...
We must ensure we preserve all substantive information. Let's extract each piece precisely.
About the role paragraph: we need to include all details from Position Specifics before Duties. Let's copy:
"Head, Collection Strategies Penn State University Libraries (PSUL) seeks applications for Head, Collection Strategies. Reporting to the Associate Dean for Collections and Commonwealth Campus Libraries, this tenure-line position provides strategic guidance for the development, stewardship, assessment, and long-term direction of the Libraries’ research and teaching collections. The Head will focus on collaborating with library colleagues across the University Libraries, institutional partners and constituents across the University, and external partners to develop and implement a unified collections strategy that aligns collection development, acquisitions, interlibrary loan, and intentional, forward-looking stewardship with institutional values, budget realities, and user needs. This is a faculty appointment and an academic administrator. This position requires regular onsite presence at the University Park campus."
We'll put that in a
.
Responsibilities: list items as above. Need to ensure we capture each duty exactly.
Let's copy each duty sentence:
1. "Provide strategic leadership and direction for collection development: Articulate and implement vision and strategies for sustainable collection building; co-lead the Libraries' Collections Council in developing collection strategies, policies, and practices that prioritize equitable access, diverse and inclusive collecting, and responsiveness to emerging research, curricular, and University priorities."
2. "Lead the Collection Strategies Department: Supervise and mentor faculty and staff within the Collection Strategies Department (Collection Analysis, Collection Maintenance, and Annex units)."
3. "Shape collections budget strategy and investment priorities: In collaboration with the Head of Acquisitions and Resource Sharing, synthesize data, usage trends, and community input to develop the Libraries' collections budget strategy, advise on equitable fund allocation, and provide timely expenditure projections to Libraries’ Administration"
Note: there is a missing period after Administration; but we keep as is.
4. "Lead strategic vendor and publisher negotiations: Develop and maintain relationships with key vendors and publishers in support of major contract negotiations and transformative agreement frameworks."
5. "Design and oversee a framework for ongoing assessment of collections investments, including transformative licensing efforts."
6. "Advance collection initiatives: Serve as PSUL representative to membership organizations (e.g., BTAA) for group purchasing and collection development decision-making; provide leadership on shared collection projects."
7. "Maintain scholarly and professional engagement: Participate in relevant professional committees, leadership roles in professional organizations, and scholarly activity and research."
We'll put each as
- .
Required Qualifications list:
- Master’s degree in library and information science from an ALA-accredited program, or an equivalent combination of advanced degree and relevant professional experience.
- Five or more years of professional experience in academic or research library collections, acquisitions, or a closely related area.
- Demonstrated knowledge of collection development principles, practices, and emerging trends in academic and research libraries, including print and electronic resources in all
- maybe.
- Pay: Not specified; they say "Individual compensation packages are based on various factors...". No specific pay range. So we should NOT include Pay section because no specific pay.
- Schedule: Not specified; they mention regular onsite presence required. Could be schedule? Not explicit. Probably not include Schedule.
- Skills: Could be derived from qualifications but we might not need separate Skills section if covered in Qualifications. The instruction says prefer few substantive sections over many thin ones. So we could combine qualifications into Requirements section? But they have separate headings for Requirements, Qualifications, Skills. We need to decide which to include based on content.
We have Required Qualifications and Preferred Qualifications. Could combine into a single "Qualifications" section with subheadings? But instruction: use
for section headings (e.g. About the role, Responsibilities, Requirements, Qualifications, Skills, Benefits, Pay, Schedule). So we can have multiple headings. We should include Responsibilities, Requirements (maybe required qualifications), Qualifications (maybe preferred?), Benefits. Could also include About the role. We must not create sections with filler. So we need actual content. Let's extract content: About the role: The position specifics paragraph: "Head, Collection Strategies Penn State University Libraries (PSUL) seeks applications for Head, Collection Strategies. Reporting to the Associate Dean for Collections and Commonwealth Campus Libraries, this tenure-line position provides strategic guidance for the development, stewardship, assessment, and long-term direction of the Libraries’ research and teaching collections. The Head will focus on collaborating with library colleagues across the University Libraries, institutional partners and constituents across the University, and external partners to develop and implement a unified collections strategy that aligns collection development, acquisitions, interlibrary loan, and intentional, forward-looking stewardship with institutional values, budget realities, and user needs. This is a faculty appointment and an academic administrator. This position requires regular onsite presence at the University Park campus." We can put that in About the role. Responsibilities: The "Duties and Responsibilities" bullet list (multiple paragraphs). We'll extract each duty as list items. Let's list them: - Provide strategic leadership and direction for collection development: Articulate and implement vision and strategies for sustainable collection building; co-lead the Libraries' Collections Council in developing collection strategies, policies, and practices that prioritize equitable access, diverse and inclusive collecting, and responsiveness to emerging research, curricular, and University priorities. - Lead the Collection Strategies Department: Supervise and mentor faculty and staff within the Collection Strategies Department (Collection Analysis, Collection Maintenance, and Annex units). - Shape collections budget strategy and investment priorities: In collaboration with the Head of Acquisitions and Resource Sharing, synthesize data, usage trends, and community input to develop the Libraries' collections budget strategy, advise on equitable fund allocation, and provide timely expenditure projections to Libraries’ Administration - Lead strategic vendor and publisher negotiations: Develop and maintain relationships with key vendors and publishers in support of major contract negotiations and transformative agreement frameworks. - Design and oversee a framework for ongoing assessment of collections investments, including transformative licensing efforts. - Advance collection initiatives: Serve as PSUL representative to membership organizations (e.g., BTAA) for group purchasing and collection development decision-making; provide leadership on shared collection projects. - Maintain scholarly and professional engagement: Participate in relevant professional committees, leadership roles in professional organizations, and scholarly activity and research. Also note: "The successful candidate is expected to be hired at the rank of Associate Librarian or Librarian and appointed with tenure within the University Libraries. Candidates qualified for appointment at the rank of Assistant Librarian will also be considered." That's more about qualifications/rank. Could be part of Requirements or Qualifications. We could include that in Requirements (maybe as part of qualifications). But we have separate Required Qualifications and Preferred Qualifications sections. Let's extract Required Qualifications: - Master’s degree in library and information science from an ALA-accredited program, or an equivalent combination of advanced degree and relevant professional experience. - Five or more years of professional experience in academic or research library collections, acquisitions, or a closely related area. - Demonstrated knowledge of collection development principles, practices, and emerging trends in academic and research libraries, including print and electronic resources in all formats. - Experience working in a consortia or networked library environment. - Experience using data and assessment methods to inform collection decisions, including the ability to collect, analyze, and communicate findings to support strategic planning. - Knowledge of open access models, scholarly communication trends, and the evolving scholarly publishing landscape, including transformative and Read & Publish agreements. - Demonstrated leadership experience, such as supervision, mentoring, chairing cross-departmental committees, teams, and initiatives, and/or project management. - Strong analytical, written, and oral communication skills, with the ability to effectively collaborate across departments and with external partners. - Evidence of active professional engagement, and a record of research, publication, or other scholarly activity. Preferred Qualifications: - Experience with budget management and financial planning for library collections, including expenditure tracking, projection, and reporting. - Knowledge of copyright, fair use, and rights management as applied to library resources and licensing. - Experience with deselection, space planning, or physical collection management projects, including shared print or collaborative retention programs. - Awareness of emerging technologies and their responsible application in collections work, including AI-assisted tools for collection assessment or resource discovery. Also there is info about rank expectations: "The successful candidate is expected to be hired at the rank of Associate Librarian or Librarian and appointed with tenure within the University Libraries. Candidates qualified for appointment at the rank of Assistant Librarian will also be considered." plus details about qualifications for each rank. That could be part of Qualifications (maybe as a subsection). But we could incorporate into Required Qualifications? It's more about rank expectations. Might be better to include in a "Qualifications" section describing rank expectations. However we already have Required and Preferred. Could add a third section "Qualifications" for rank expectations, but that may be thin. Better to incorporate rank expectations into Required Qualifications? But they are not exactly requirements; they describe expected rank. Could be part of "About the role" or separate "Position Details". However instruction: prefer few substantive sections over many thin ones. So we could combine Required and Preferred into a single "Qualifications" section with subheadings? But they ask to use headings like Requirements, Qualifications, Skills. Might be okay to have both Required Qualifications and Preferred Qualifications as separate sections under
Required Qualifications
andPreferred Qualifications
. That's fine. We also have About The Collection Strategies Department and About Penn State’s Collections. Could be combined into "About the Department" or "Department Overview". But we have separate content: description of department, units, etc. And description of collections size, stats, consortia, etc. Could be two sections: "Department Overview" and "Library Collections". However we need to decide if they are substantive enough. They are. Benefits: we have a paragraph describing benefits: competitive benefits package, medical/dental/vision, retirement plans, 75% tuition discount, etc. We'll make a Benefits section with list items. Pay: not specific, so omit. Schedule: not specific beyond regular onsite presence; could be mentioned in About the role. Not a separate Schedule section. Skills: could be derived from qualifications but we already have Required and Preferred Qualifications; we could omit Skills section to avoid thin. Thus sections: - About the role (About the role
) with paragraph(s). - Responsibilities (Responsibilities
) with- ...
- Required Qualifications (
Required Qualifications
) with- ...
- Preferred Qualifications (
Preferred Qualifications
) with- ...
- Department Overview (
Department Overview
) with paragraph(s) about Collection Strategies Department. - Library Collections (Library Collections
) with paragraph(s) about Penn State’s Collections. - Benefits (Benefits
) with- ...
We must ensure we preserve all substantive information. Let's extract each piece precisely.
About the role paragraph: we need to include all details from Position Specifics before Duties. Let's copy:
"Head, Collection Strategies Penn State University Libraries (PSUL) seeks applications for Head, Collection Strategies. Reporting to the Associate Dean for Collections and Commonwealth Campus Libraries, this tenure-line position provides strategic guidance for the development, stewardship, assessment, and long-term direction of the Libraries’ research and teaching collections. The Head will focus on collaborating with library colleagues across the University Libraries, institutional partners and constituents across the University, and external partners to develop and implement a unified collections strategy that aligns collection development, acquisitions, interlibrary loan, and intentional, forward-looking stewardship with institutional values, budget realities, and user needs. This is a faculty appointment and an academic administrator. This position requires regular onsite presence at the University Park campus."
We'll put that in a
. Responsibilities: list items as above. Need to ensure we capture each duty exactly. Let's copy each duty sentence: 1. "Provide strategic leadership and direction for collection development: Articulate and implement vision and strategies for sustainable collection building; co-lead the Libraries' Collections Council in developing collection strategies, policies, and practices that prioritize equitable access, diverse and inclusive collecting, and responsiveness to emerging research, curricular, and University priorities." 2. "Lead the Collection Strategies Department: Supervise and mentor faculty and staff within the Collection Strategies Department (Collection Analysis, Collection Maintenance, and Annex units)." 3. "Shape collections budget strategy and investment priorities: In collaboration with the Head of Acquisitions and Resource Sharing, synthesize data, usage trends, and community input to develop the Libraries' collections budget strategy, advise on equitable fund allocation, and provide timely expenditure projections to Libraries’ Administration" Note: there is a missing period after Administration; but we keep as is. 4. "Lead strategic vendor and publisher negotiations: Develop and maintain relationships with key vendors and publishers in support of major contract negotiations and transformative agreement frameworks." 5. "Design and oversee a framework for ongoing assessment of collections investments, including transformative licensing efforts." 6. "Advance collection initiatives: Serve as PSUL representative to membership organizations (e.g., BTAA) for group purchasing and collection development decision-making; provide leadership on shared collection projects." 7. "Maintain scholarly and professional engagement: Participate in relevant professional committees, leadership roles in professional organizations, and scholarly activity and research." We'll put each as
- . Required Qualifications list: - Master’s degree in library and information science from an ALA-accredited program, or an equivalent combination of advanced degree and relevant professional experience. - Five or more years of professional experience in academic or research library collections, acquisitions, or a closely related area. - Demonstrated knowledge of collection development principles, practices, and emerging trends in academic and research libraries, including print and electronic resources in all
- ...
We must ensure we preserve all substantive information. Let's extract each piece precisely.
About the role paragraph: we need to include all details from Position Specifics before Duties. Let's copy:
"Head, Collection Strategies Penn State University Libraries (PSUL) seeks applications for Head, Collection Strategies. Reporting to the Associate Dean for Collections and Commonwealth Campus Libraries, this tenure-line position provides strategic guidance for the development, stewardship, assessment, and long-term direction of the Libraries’ research and teaching collections. The Head will focus on collaborating with library colleagues across the University Libraries, institutional partners and constituents across the University, and external partners to develop and implement a unified collections strategy that aligns collection development, acquisitions, interlibrary loan, and intentional, forward-looking stewardship with institutional values, budget realities, and user needs. This is a faculty appointment and an academic administrator. This position requires regular onsite presence at the University Park campus."
We'll put that in a
- ...
- Department Overview (
- ...
- Preferred Qualifications (
- ...
- Required Qualifications (