UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
POSITION: Chair, Acquisitions Department
RANK SALARY
Associate University Librarian
$30,500 minimum
University Librarian
$40,000 minimum
12 Month Appointment
Salary Negotiable
RESPONSIBLE TO: Director for Technical Services
JOB SUMMARY
Plans, coordinates, manages and directs the activities
of the Acquisitions Department. Coordinates acquisitions
functions with the Collection Management program, with
other Technical Services processes and accounting units.
Plans, coordinates and evaluates the implementation and
continuing development of information technology for the
Department. Keeps current with innovative methods and
equipment relevant to acquisition of academic library
materials. The department consists of 4 units: Order
Processing, Receiving, Paying, Approvals & Gifts in an
automated environment and includes 3 librarians, 22
paraprofessionals, and student assistants.
RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Formulates and synthesizes goals, coordinates
objectives for the department; implements and evaluates
plans, programs and the performance of the departmental
team units; allocates resources and responsibilities for
a major library department. Participates in setting
library wide priorities.
2. Coordinates library service arrangements with
vendors who supply books and serials. Responsible for
evaluation of vendor services and performance. Keeps
informed and actively contributes to the development of
acquisitions standards and practice. Oversees the
Acquisitions Department participation in appropriate
pilot programs and services with vendors.
3. Remains current on the Libraries collection
development needs and emphases; maintains close and
productive relations with the Director for Collection
Management as well as the collection managers, analyzing
and reporting trends in the cost of continuations and
firm orders in various departments and formats. Produces
cost reports and recommends strategies which assist
collection managers in effectively managing acquisitions
funds.
4. Assesses resource needs and prepares the annual
budget request; analyzes Departmental performance
through statistical measurement and other methods; and
provides reports on the Department's activities and
accomplishments.
5. Administers the Department's personnel program with
emphasis on providing leadership and guidance to
directing the career development of the staff and to
coordinating operating procedures and performance
standards. Responsible for regular meetings of the
Departmental Unit Heads/Team Leaders. Provides
opportunities for staff development, participation and
growth; implements the UF Affirmative Action Program
within the Department.
6. Ensures the coordination of the Gifts and Approvals
program and the Exchange program with Collection
Management and other departments to maintain records of
materials and gift acknowledgments.
7. Participates in Library Management Group, the
Technical Services management groups; manages regular
meetings of the Acquisitions Department Unit Heads;
serves on other university or library consultative
bodies as appropriate.
8. Participates in University service programs and in
appropriate professional activities at the campus,
state, regional, and national level.
9. Participates in the library development plan.
QUALIFICATIONS
Required
1. MLS from an ALA accredited institution.
2. A total of 5 years experience is required, some of
which has been in Acquisitions in an academic library.
A combination of experience in an academic library and
in the book/serial trade will be considered.
3. Leadership, organizational and analytical skills
demonstrated through experience executing and managing
an acquisitions budget and program.
4. Experience with an automated acquisitions or serials
check-in system. Demonstrated knowledge of developments
in automated acquisitions systems design.
5. Direct knowledge of the book publishing trade, price
trends, scholarly communications, and publishing issues.
6. Demonstrated administrative ability evidenced by
progressively responsible experience with planning,
budgeting, and supervision of personnel.
7. Ability to interact effectively with faculty, staff,
students and donors in a complex and increasingly
dynamic research library environment.
8. Excellent oral and written communication skills.
9. Reading ability in at least one foreign language,
German preferred.
10. Evidence of commitment and contributions to
professional activity at the state, regional, and
national levels.
THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
The University of Florida is a large land grant, public
educational research institution with a faculty of
approximately 3,500 and a student body of more than
29,000 undergraduate and 8,000 graduate students. It
ranks fifteenth nationally in size of student body and
fourth nationally in the number of merit scholars
enrolled in the Freshman class. The University is a
member of the Association of American Universities and
offers the PhD degree in 85 fields and the Masters
degree in 105 fields which range from humanities, social
sciences and sciences through health sciences,
agriculture and most professions. Sponsored research
awards exceed $200,000,000 annually and the University
ranks fifth in the nation in numbers of patents granted
to faculty. The University supports two Title VI
centers, the Center for Latin American Studies and the
Center for African Studies. Its academic program is
among the most comprehensive in the nation on a single
campus.
The Smathers Libraries of the University of Florida are
members of the Research Libraries Group, SOLINET and the
Center for Research Libraries. The library staff, which
numbers more than 300 FTE librarians, technical/clerical
staff, and student assistants, plays an active state,
regional and national role in CONSER and other library
programs relating to automation, bibliographic control.
and preservation. The collections include several
nationally significant special collections and now
comprise more than 2.9 million cataloged volumes, 4.2
million microforms, and extensive collections of
government documents, maps, archival material, computer
tapes, and other formats. The Library receives
approximately 16,000 current serials and the library
resources budget is about $4,000,000 annually. The
University of Florida shares a NOTIS based integrated
system for acquiring, processing, circulating and
accessing its collections. Currently, more than
1,900,000 titles are in the OPAC.
The Acquisitions Department is one of four
administrative units in the Technical Services Division.
The other units in the Technical Services Division are
the Catalog Department, the Preservation Department and
the Systems Department. The Acquisitions program
coordinates the procurement of gifts, approvals,
exchanges, and the expenditure of library materials
funds with Collection Management and those who supply
these materials. All acquisitions, including serials
check-in and fund accounting, are tracked in the NOTIS-
based system supported by the Florida Center for Library
Automation.
BENEFITS
Faculty status. Twenty-two days vacation, thirteen days
sick leave annually. TIAA/CREF or other retirement
options, usual insurance benefits, no state or local
income tax.
Send letter of application with complete, recent resume
and names, addresses and phone numbers of three
professional references by May 17, 1993 to:
Mari Bussell
Library Personnel Officer
370 Library West
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida 32611
