JOB

POSITION: Curator of the Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature

RANK: Associate University Librarian or Assistant University Librarian

REPORTS TO: Chair, Special and Area Studies Collections

SALARY: Minimum Salary $52,840 for Associate University Librarian; Minimum Salary $43,483 for Assistant University Librarian; Actual salary and appointment rank offered will reflect selected professional’s experience and credentials

REQUISITION #: 0809576

DEADLINE DATE: November 30, 2011 - applications will be reviewed upon receipt

Please note that this posting has specific instructions for the submission of application materials - see our website at: http://web.uflib.ufl.edu/pers/careers.htm or the APPLICATION PROCESS section below for further details. Failure to submit the required documents may result in the application not being considered.

The Department of Special and Area Studies Collections at the University of Florida, George A. Smathers Libraries seeks a creative, innovative, and service-oriented individual to develop and manage all aspects of its Baldwin Library of Historical Children's Literature. The Baldwin Library, one of the largest and most important collections of English language children’s books in the world, includes materials published from the mid-1600’s to date. Over $1,000,000 in endowments exist for ongoing support of the collection. The incumbent will promote awareness of and access to this collection through in-library activities (cataloging, digitization, etc.) and outreach efforts on the UF campus and beyond including lectures and preparation of exhibits. Working collaboratively on departmental and interdepartmental group efforts, the curator will maintain close professional relationships with faculty, students and colleagues and participate in the general department public services program, including Research Room desk duty, to assist patrons and encourage greater awareness and use of the collections (and including providing advanced research assistance on the Baldwin Library collection). The library encourages staff participation in reaching management decisions and consequently the Curator of the Baldwin Library will serve on various committees and teams. The incumbent will pursue professional development opportunities, including research, publication, and professional association activities, to meet library-wide criteria for tenure and promotion.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Develo ps and manages the Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature collection. Collaborates with faculty, students and other library collection managers to evaluate the collection, and define additional collection development needs and opportunities. Consults relevant bibliographic and other resources and works with appropriate book dealers to identify possible additions to the collection. Over $1,000,000 in endowments exist for ongoing support of the collection.
2. Communicates within and beyond the University to create awareness and use of the Baldwin Library and other department collections. Utilizes traditional and emerging technologies to publicize and promote the collection. Works closely with the UF Center for the Study of Children’s Literature and Culture.
3. Delivers guest lectures and seminars to classes, the general public, etc. providing guidance for accessing the Baldwin Library and other department collections.
4. Prepares exhibits (including virtual exhibits) and plans associated events (receptions, workshops, guest speakers, etc.).
5. Participates in the general department public services program, including Research Room desk duty, to assist patrons in use of the collections. Provides advanced research assistance to UF and visiting researchers using the collections (including to the winner of the annual Bechtel Fellowship during their month-long visit to use the Baldwin Library).
6. Insures that appropriate records exist in the Library Catalog for Baldwin Library collection items. Works closely with members of the Cataloging & Metadata Department and helps supervise student and project staff as needed.
7. Works closely with the UF Digital Library Center and other entities (e.g. commercial vendors) on relevant digitization projects.
8. Seeks appropriate grants to further enhance access to the Baldwin Library collection. As needed, works with the Libraries’ Grants Manager to coordinate activities of relevant offices, grants agencies, and other units necessary to carry out initiatives.
9. Works with library development personnel to locate and obtain funding for the support of the Baldwin Library and other departmental initiatives from donors.
10. Works closely with the Libraries’ Public Information Officer to develop and publicize important acquisitions, exhibitions and events.
11. Participates in other department, library projects and initiatives as needed.
12. Participates in appropriate professional organizations on the state, regional and national levels and pursues professional development goals, including publication, in order to meet requirements for tenure.

QUALIFICATIONS:
Required:
• Masters degree in library science from an ALA accredited library school or advanced degree in children’s literature (or in English with a concentration in children’s literature).
• Minimum seven (7) years of relevant experience required for appointment as Associate University Librarian. Minimum two (2) years of relevant experience for appointment as Assistant University Librarian.
• Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated organizational and planning skills.
• Ability to work effectively in teams and individually with faculty, staff and students.
• Initiative, flexibility, and the ability to adapt and work creatively in a complex, rapidly changing academic environment.
• Strong potential for meeting the requirements of tenure and promotion (described at http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/pers/cdh/)

Pr eferred:
• Previous experience working in an academic or research library.
• Knowledge of and experience working with children’s literature as an academic discipline.
• Work experience curating library and archival collections.
• Experience working with the public (providing research assistance, making presentations, etc.)
• Familiarity with information and digital-based technologies and automated library systems.
• Experience creating and maintaining Web page content.
• Familiarity and/or experience with social networking technologies. Enthusiasm for the integration of new technologies into the delivery of information services.
• Experience managing library collection budgets.
• Experience designing and setting up exhibits.
• Experience with grants and private fund raising.
• Supervisory experience

THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
The University of Florida (UF) is a major, public, comprehensive, land-grant, research university. The state's oldest and most comprehensive university, UF is among the nation's most academically diverse public universities. UF has a long history of established programs in international education, research and service. It is one of only 17 public, land-grant universities that belong to the Association of American Universities. UF traces its beginnings to a small seminary in 1853 and is now one of the largest universities in the nation, with more than 50,000 students. For more information, please consult the UF homepage at http://www.ufl.edu.
The George A. Smathers Libraries is a member of the Association of Research Libraries, the Center for Research Libraries, the Research Libraries Group, and LYRASIS. The library staff consists of more than 400 FTE librarians, technical/clerical staff and student assistants. The George A. Smathers Libraries organizational chart is available at: http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/backpage.html. For more information about the Libraries, please visit http://www.uflib.ufl.edu.
Special and Area Studies Collections encompasses two units: the Area Studies Collections and the Special Collections of the University of Florida.
The Area Studies Collections are the Latin American Collection, the Africana Collection, the Asian Studies Collection, and the Price Library of Judaica.
Special Collections include Baldwin Library of Historical Children's Literature, the P.K. Yonge Library of Florida History, the General Manuscript Collection, the Harold and Mary Jean Hanson Rare Book Collection, the University Archives, the Architecture Archives, and the Popular Culture Collections (including the Belknap Collection for the Performing Arts and the Suzy Covey Comic Book Collection).
The Baldwin Library of Historical Children's Literature contains more than 100,000 volumes published in Great Britain and the United States from the mid-1600s to date. Its holdings of more than 800 early American imprints is the second largest such collection in the United States. The product of Ruth Baldwin's 40-year collection development efforts, this vast assemblage of literature printed primarily for children offers an equally vast territory of topics for the researcher to explore: education and upbringing, family and gender roles, civic values, racial, religious, and moral attitudes, literary style and format, and the arts of illustration and book design.
A great strength of the collection is the many English and American editions of the same work. Other strengths of the collection include 300 editions of Robinson Crusoe, 100 editions of Pilgrim's Progress, fables, juvenile biography, 19th century science and natural history, 19th century alphabet books, moral tales, fairy tales, 19th century juvenile periodicals, 19th century boys' adventure stories, 20th century boys' and girls' series, Little Golden Books, and juvenile publications of the American Sunday School Union and other tract societies. Scholars, students, and researchers from the University of Florida and worldwide continue to request assistance from this collection.

Funding for digitization of over 6,000 volumes freely available through the UF Digital Collection (http://ufdc.ufl.edu/juv) was provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Baldwin Library of Historical Children's Literature is a contributor to the International Children's Digital Library and a founding partner of The Center for Children's Literature and Culture at the University of Florida. The Louise Seaman Bechtel Fellowship provides a $4,000 grant to a qualified children’s librarian to spend a month or more reading and studying at the Baldwin Library

COMMUNITY:
Gainesville, Florida and the surrounding community are home to approximately 240,000 people and both the University of Florida and Santa Fe College. Situated just over an hour from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, the city is surrounded by over 40 nature parks, including many spring-fed lakes and rivers. In 2007, Gainesville was ranked as the “Best Place to Live and Work” by Frommer’s Cities Ranked and Rated and as one of the “Best Places to Live and Play” by National Geographic Adventure. Gainesville is known as an innovative municipal government and an innovative city. Gainesville continues to receive national recognition as a top-rated city. Some of Gainesville's accolades are listed at the Gainesville Awards and Recognition link. A recent article in Florida Trend Magazine offers an in depth Community Portrait of Gainesville and the University of Florida. The area has numerous cultural institutions and is a haven for sports fans. Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, Tallahassee, and St. Augustine are all within a two hour drive.

BENEFITS:
Vacation days, paid holidays, and sick leave days; retirement plan options; insurance benefits; tuition fee waiver program; no state or local income tax. Prospective employees should review the information about employment and benefits at UF available at http://www.hr.ufl.edu/training/neo/default.asp.

APPLICATION PROCESS:
The University of Florida is an equal opportunity employer and is strongly committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff. Applicants from a broad spectrum of people, including members of ethnic minorities and disabled persons, are especially encouraged to apply. As part of the application process, applicants are invited to complete an on-line confidential and voluntary demographic self-disclosure form which can be found at: http://www.hr.ufl.edu/job/datacard.htm. This information is collected by the University of Florida's Faculty Development Office to track applicant trends and is in no way considered by the Smathers Libraries in the selection process.

Please note that due to the tenure accruing nature of this faculty position, only applicants with current permanent eligibility for employment in the United States will be considered.

Please submit application materials via e-mail. Send, as attachments (MS-Word or PDF format preferred), a cover letter detailing your interest in and qualifications for this position; a written statement where, in no more than 750 words, you discuss the role of a historical children’s literature collection in a research and teaching institution; your current resume and a list of three references. Include address, telephone and email information for references. Apply by November 30, 2011 (applications will be reviewed upon receipt). Send all required application materials to Bonnie J. Smith, Smathers Libraries Human Resources Office, at: bonniesmith@ufl.edu.