The posting
Job Description
Job Title: Associate University Librarian for Archives and Special Collections
Department: University Libraries
Division: Jafet Memorial Library
Section: Archives and Special Collections
Grade: Above Grade 12
Basic Functions: The Associate University Librarian (AUL) for Archives and Special Collections (ASC) provides strategic leadership, vision, and direction for the development, stewardship, preservation, discovery, access, and scholarly use of the University Libraries’ archives and special collections. The AUL leads a distinctive collections program encompassing the University Archives, manuscripts, rare books, historical documents, photographs and visual collections, audiovisual materials, and other unique physical and born-digital collections documenting AUB, Lebanon, the Arab world, and the broader region. The AUL develops and implements strategies for acquiring, preserving, describing, and providing sustainable access to distinctive collections; promotes their integration into teaching, learning, research, digital scholarship, and public engagement; cultivates relationships with donors, scholars, heritage organizations, and institutional partners; and advances preservation and conservation across the University Libraries. As a member of the University Libraries' senior leadership team, the AUL contributes to library-wide strategy, planning, organizational development, assessment, resource allocation, fundraising, and shared governance and works collaboratively with other Library units and University partners.
1. Duties Performed:
- Provides leadership for Archives and Special Collections (ASC) and develops priorities, policies, programs, and services aligned with the strategic goals of the University Libraries and AUB.
- Leads and develops ASC staff and oversees departmental planning, assessment, staffing, resources, facilities, and projects while representing the department within the Libraries and University and contributing to library-wide initiatives.
- Develops and implements a collecting strategy that supports AUB’s teaching, research, and institutional mission and strengthens the documentation of AUB, Lebanon, the Arab world, and the broader region.
- Identifies and evaluates collections for acquisition and develops relationships with donors, creators, scholars, alumni, organizations, and communities to secure significant collections.
- Establishes policies and procedures for acquisitions, appraisals, deaccessioning, access, rights, privacy, and the responsible stewardship of sensitive and restricted collections.
- Provides direction for the arrangement, description, cataloging, discovery, and access of archival and special collections and develops efficient workflows for processing collections and reducing backlogs.
- Oversees the description and organization of archival and special collections in accordance with recognized archival standards and professional best practices.
- Ensures the preparation and quality of finding aids, inventories, collection guides, and descriptive metadata according to appropriate standards, including Encoded Archival Description (EAD), Dublin Core, and relevant authority control practices.
- Collaborates with relevant Library units on digitization, born-digital collections, and emerging technologies to improve the discovery, preservation, and accessibility of collections.
- Works closely with Metadata Services, Digital Strategy and Scholarship, Library Systems, and other relevant units to ensure that distinctive collections are effectively represented and discoverable through appropriate local, national, regional, and international discovery environments.
- Provides leadership for the preservation and conservation of distinctive and heritage collections and establishes priorities for storage, handling, security, environmental conditions, and risk management.
- Oversees preservation planning, including disaster preparedness, emergency response, collection security, and continuity of access, and works with University and Library administration on related facilities and infrastructure needs.
- Promotes the use of archives and special collections in teaching, learning, and research and builds partnerships with faculty, students, researchers, and academic units.
- Provides direction for instruction, research consultations, exhibitions, lectures, workshops, fellowships, public programs, and other scholarly and community activities.
- Encourages innovative and interdisciplinary research using archival and special collections and promotes appropriate access to collections locally, regionally, and internationally.
- Develops partnerships with libraries, archives, museums, universities, cultural heritage organizations, and scholarly communities in Lebanon, the region, and internationally.
- Identifies collaborative and funding opportunities and works with the University Librarian and relevant University offices on donor relations, grants, fundraising, and initiatives that promote the visibility and impact of AUB’s distinctive collections.
- Performs other related duties as assigned.
2. Work Contacts:
Maintains extensive contact with Library staff; AUB faculty, students, researchers, academic departments, centers, institutes, administrators, alumni, and advancement staff; donors and potential donors; and libraries, archives, museums, universities, cultural heritage organizations, professional associations, and scholarly communities in Lebanon, the region, and internationally.
3. Independence of Operation:
- Reports to the University Librarian.
- Works with a high degree of independence within the Libraries’ strategic framework. Consults the University Librarian on major policy, budget, acquisition and donor decisions. Performance is reviewed annually.
- Works collaboratively with other Associate University Librarians, Library department heads and managers and releavant University offices.
4. Supervisory Responsibility:
Provides overall leadership for Archives and Special Collections and supervises the department's managers and other designated staff. Has overall responsibility for the effective organization, development, performance, and professional growth of ASC personnel.
5. Physical Effort:
Minimal physical effort.
6. Work Conditions:
Primarily office, library, archives, and special collections environments. The position may occasionally require handling collection materials, visiting storage or donor locations, participating in exhibitions and events, and national or international travel related to professional activities, partnerships, acquisitions, or donor relations.
7. Minimum Requirements:
- Master's degree in Library and Information Science from an ALA-accredited program or an internationally recognized equivalent, or an advanced academic degree in archives, archival studies, history, Middle Eastern studies, cultural heritage, information science, or another field directly relevant to the position.
- 10 years of professional experience in archives, special collections, academic libraries, research libraries, cultural heritage institutions, or a closely related environment, including at least 5 years in a senior management or supervisory role.
- Demonstrated knowledge of archival and special collections principles and practices, including collection development, appraisal, arrangement and description, preservation, discovery, access, and research services.
- Demonstrated ability to provide strategic leadership, manage organizational change, establish priorities, develop staff, and lead complex programs and projects.
- Demonstrated commitment to research, public service, scholarly engagement, and broad and responsible access to distinctive collections.
- Demonstrated ability to develop productive relationships with faculty, researchers, institutional partners, and professional communities.
- Excellent leadership, communication, interpersonal, organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively and collaboratively in a diverse, multicultural, and interdisciplinary academic environment.
- Excellent command of English and Arabic. Knowledge of French or other languages relevant to the collections is an additional asset.
- Proficiency with archival collection management and description systems (e.g., ArchivesSpace or AtoM).
- Familiarity with library discovery systems, digital asset management and digital preservation tools, and standard office software.
- Familiarity with digital repositories and collection management platforms.
- Significant knowledge of the history, cultures, scholarship, and documentary heritage of Lebanon, the Arab world, and the broader Middle East. Demonstrated understanding of regional documentary traditions and cultural heritage practices.
- Familiarity with copyright, intellectual property, privacy, donor restrictions, and other legal requirements relevant to archival and special collections stewardship.
- Demonstrated understanding of the potential applications of artificial intelligence (AI) for archival and special collections management, particularly searchability and discoverability, and of the need for responsible and ethical use.
- Experience with born-digital archives, digitization programs, digital scholarship, and emerging technologies is preferred.
- Experience with fundraising, donor relations, grant development, and externally funded projects is preferred.
