Head of Technical Services, Lewis Walpole Library

About the role

The Head of Technical Services for the Lewis Walpole Library at Yale University provides strategic and operational leadership for technical services at the Lewis Walpole Library, including cataloging and processing in all formats for materials dating from the 16th century to the present.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for the Lewis Walpole Library’s technical services.
• Serve as the primary liaison between the Lewis Walpole Library and Yale Library’s technical services and discovery ecosystem.
• Plan, prioritize, sequence, and execute technical services work at the Lewis Walpole Library.
• Recruit, onboard, supervise, train, and mentor technical services staff.
• Foster a collaborative, learning-oriented environment that supports professional growth and adaptability to evolving practices.
• Manage vendor services and relationships, as needed.
• Implement and assess operational changes, including new or revised workflows, tools, and descriptive practices; evaluate outcomes; and contribute feedback to Special Collections Technical Services leadership to inform system-wide improvements.
• Maintain oversight of onsite stacks management and coordinate closely with Preservation and Conservation Services to ensure appropriate housing, handling, and long-term preservation of collections.
• Coordinate onsite digitization of Lewis Walpole Library holdings, following direction and guidance from the Beinecke Library’s Digital Special Collections and Access unit.
• Serve as the Lewis Walpole Library’s principal original cataloger, creating, enhancing, remediating, and maintaining complex bibliographic and authority records; applying national and local standards; exercising professional judgement for special collections materials.
• Support the vision of the Lewis Walpole Librarian & Executive Director.
• Collaborate closely with the Head of Public Services and curators at the Lewis Walpole Library ensuring alignment across functions and supporting sustainable stewardship.
• Contribute to the overall management, assessment, and development of the Lewis Walpole Library, including reporting on technical services activities, participating in planning and assessment efforts, and supporting Lewis Walpole and institutional goals.
• Provide reference services for researchers as needed and oversee Reading Room operations in the absence of the Head of Public Services, ensuring continuity of service and adherence to policies.
• Participate in Yale Library committees, task forces, and professional activities at the regional, national, or international level, contributing expertise in service to the university and profession.
• Serves as the designee for the Lewis Walpole Librarian & Executive Director as necessary.
• Support institutional and operational continuity by assisting with disaster recovery efforts, working at other Library locations as assigned, and performing other duties consistent with scope of the position.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Library or Information Science from an ALA-accredited library school or a post-graduate degree in a related field.
• Minimum of five years of progressively responsible professional experience in a research library or a comparable cultural heritage institution, with increasing scope of responsibility.
• Demonstrated understanding of current and emerging trends in special collections librarianship, including ethical standards and best practices in special collections cataloging, archival processing, discovery, collection management, and digital collections.
• Demonstrated experience in cataloging special collections materials, including original and complex cataloging across a variety of formats.
• Reading knowledge of at least one Western European language other than English.
• Demonstrated ability to provide leadership and direction in a research library or similar organizational environment, including experience contributing to strategic or operational initiatives.
• Demonstrated success managing and supervising staff, including experience with coaching, performance management, and leading individuals and teams through change.
• Demonstrated experience working with integrated library systems and related discovery, metadata, or collection management systems.
• Demonstrated experience with planning, coordinating, and completing projects, including setting priorities, managing completing demands, and bringing work to successful completion.
• Demonstrated experience working collaboratively and independently with a wide range of stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Master's degree or higher in the humanities, preferably in an area of British studies, or a demonstrated equivalent knowledge or experience.
• Familiarity with the antiquarian book and manuscript trade.
• Experience with library acquisitions, including standards and best practices for special collections acquisitions and accessioning.
• Experience establishing and managing relationships with vendors.
• Experience with archival processing or use of ArchivesSpace.
• Experience with digitization of special collections materials, including a familiarity with digital collection-related standards and best practices.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the eighteenth century in Britain.

Skills

• Ability to apply bibliographic standards and metadata practices with professional judgement, including working knowledge of AACR2/RDA, DCRM, MARC, and related standards, and the ability to interpret and implement them for describing special collections materials.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to plan, coordinate, and complete projects, manage competing demands, and adapt in response to changing priorities or constraints.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to convey policies, procedures, and expectations clearly, contribute to shared decision-making, and support productive collaboration with colleagues, partners, and leadership.

Benefits

The budgeted annual salary range for this position is: $95,000 - $115,000. The position will be assigned a minimum rank of Librarian 3-4 based on a combination of professional experience and accomplishments. Librarian ranking information can be found at http://bit.ly/YULRanksPromotions.

Pay

The budgeted annual salary range for this position is: $95,000 - $115,000.

Schedule

Full-time.