Esperanza Bravo de Varona Chair
Cuban Heritage Collection
The University of Miami Libraries (UML) is seeking a leader to provide vision, direction and sustained innovative program for the Cuban Heritage Collection (CHC). Reporting to the Associate Dean for Collection Strategies, the Esperanza Bravo de Varona Chair of the Cuban Heritage Collection will provide program direction and managerial oversight for all day to day operations, activities, and services for the Collection. The Chair will also be directly responsible for the development and achievement of CHC fundraising goals and promotional activities and all relevant advancement initiatives in partnership with Libraries Administration and University Advancement.
Specific Duties and Responsibilities:
Leadership and management. Provides leadership, strategic vision, and exercises direct administrative responsibility for all CHC functions. Provides leadership for, plans and administers staff for all CHC functions. Oversees an annual budget of over $730,000 including general operating funds and gift and endowment income supporting CHC salaries, collections, fellowship program, and services. Fosters a flexible, collaborative team-oriented work environment that allows staff to move between sections and across the organization in order to facilitate the work of the department, promote innovation, and create and facilitate new initiatives, collaborations, and interdisciplinary projects. Provides leadership for and works collaboratively with UM faculty and professionals as well as UM departments, academic centers and institutes, museums and other distinctive collections entities to initiate and manages a variety of public programs and services such as symposia, lectures, exhibitions, and scholarly conferences that showcase special collections and the research use of such collections across the campus and in the academic community. Develops proposals for educational programs that enhance the curricular and scholarly use of CHC’s collections. Works closely with preservation and conservation experts on handling, storing, protecting, and repairing the collections to preserve them and make them available for use. Works closely with the CHC friends group (Amigos of the Cuban Heritage Collection) and the Amigos Board to ensure a vital collection-building, outreach and community engagement program.
Communications and collaboration. Serves as primary spokesperson for CHC. Serves as a member of the Departmental and Staff Representatives Group, interacting extensively with other department heads and senior Libraries’ administrators. Facilitates and promotes collaboration on distinctive collections initiatives, including digitization projects, and other relevant initiatives across the Libraries.
Development and fundraising. In collaboration with the Dean and University Librarian and University/Libraries Advancement, identifies collection development and fundraising opportunities, initiates outreach to prospective donors to solicit monetary and gift-in-kind donations. Stewards CHC donors on an ongoing basis. Identifies funding priorities and opportunities and articulates them to donors. Identifies sources of grants and contracts and works collaboratively with UML Administration and University/Libraries Advancement to prepare proposals.
Outreach and visibility. Actively engages in outreach to UM faculty and students, visiting researchers, the greater Miami-Dade community, and others to promote awareness and use of CHC resources, services, programs, and initiatives. Collaborating closely with the Libraries Communications, proposes, manages and hosts special events. Works closely with the Libraries Communications to publicize CHC’s collections, services, exhibitions, events, programs and other activities.
Required Qualifications:
Graduate degree in library science from an ALA-accredited institution or an equivalent combination of relevant advanced degree and library experience.
Minimum of five years’ experience working in academic research libraries within a special collections/area studies collections context.
Knowledge and competencies required to build distinctive collections documenting Cuba and the Cuban diaspora.
Knowledge and understanding of key issues and trends in special collections and archives in large academic research libraries.
Ability to effectively supervise, evaluate motivate, and mentor faculty and staff.
Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills.
Demonstrated ability to work collegially and effectively with faculty, staff, and students.
Demonstrated success in fundraising (personal/corporate philanthropy and grants) and donor stewardship.
Evidence of continued professional development.
Preferred Qualifications:
Advanced degree (master’s or doctoral) in a subject or discipline relevant to the CHC
Evidence of active engagement in research and publishing activities.
Context:
The University of Miami (www.miami.edu) is one of the nation’s leading research universities in a community of extraordinary diversity and international vitality. The University is a privately supported, non-sectarian institution located in Coral Gables, Florida, on a 260-acre subtropicalcampus with operations at threeadditional locations throughout the greater Miami region: Medical campus (downtown Miami); Marine and Atmospheric Science campus (Virginia Key); and South Campus (Richmond Facility). The University comprises eleven degree granting schools andcolleges, including Architecture, Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, Communication, Education, Engineering, Law, Medicine, Music, Nursing, and Marine and Atmospheric Science.
The University of Miami Libraries (www.library.miami.edu) rank among the top 50 research libraries in North America with a collection of 3.6 million volumes including 771,000 ebooks, and 92,958 current serials titles including 90,550 electronic journals. The Otto G. Richter Library lies in thecenter of the Coral Gables campus and serves as the central library for the University. Other University of Miami Libraries include the Paul Buisson Architecture Library, the Judi Prokop Newman Business Information Resource Center, the Marta & Austin Weeks Music Library, and theRosenstiel Marine and Atmospheric Science Library. The University also has independent medical and law libraries. The University of Miami Libraries provide support and services for approximately 10,370 undergraduates, 5,259 graduate students, and 13,058 full and part time faculty andstaff. Excluding the independent libraries, the University Libraries employ 68 professional (including librarian faculty), 80 support staff and 58 FTE student staff. UML is a member of and contributor to the Association of Research Libraries, Association of Southeastern Research Libraries,Council on Library and Information Resources, OCLC Research Library Partners, International Federation of Library Associations, International Association of University Libraries, Digital Library Federation, Hathi Trust, Academic Preservation Trust, Digital Preservation Trust, and SoutheastFlorida Library and Information Network.
The Cuban Heritage Collection (www.library.miami.edu/chc) collects, preserves, and provides access to primary and secondary sources of enduring historical, research, and artifactual value which relate to Cuba and the Cuban diaspora from colonial times to the present. The CHC has developed into one of the world’s largest repositories of research materials about Cuba and the Cuban diaspora that includes rare books, manuscripts, photographs, maps, architectural drawings, audio-visual materials, newspapers, and other materials from colonial times to the present. The Collection supports the teaching, learning, and research needs of the University of Miami and the broader scholarly community. CHC holdings of 250,000 items are organized into four sections: (1) digital collection includes born-digital materials as well as material digitized from CHC’s holdings of books, periodicals, and archival and manuscript materials; (2) books collection includes rare and contemporary books and pamphlets; (3) periodicals collection includes rare and contemporary newspapers, magazines, journals, and newsletters; and (4) archival & manuscript materials includes historical and literary manuscripts, personal papers, organizational records, photographs, posters, postcards, ephemera, and sound and video recordings. CHC ensures the relevance and vitality of its collections through active community and academic engagement initiatives such as the Goizueta Graduate Fellowships program. The CHC staff include two faculty (a librarian and an archivist) and three paraprofessional staff, as well as student employees, interns and volunteers.
Salary and Benefits: Compensation will be competitive and will be commensurate with the experience and qualifications of the person selected. Appointments at the Librarian Associate Professor rank and above are typically five-year, renewable contracts. The University of Miami offers acomprehensive benefits package including: paid pension plan; partially paid medical and dental insurance plans; life, disability, and long-term care insurance available; tuition remission; thirteen paid holidays; and twenty-two days annual vacation. Additional employment benefits availableinclude credit union; Employee Assistance Program; bookstore and sporting event discounts; and optional fee-based membership in a state-of-the-art wellness center. Moving allowance is available. No state or local income taxes.
This is an excerpt of the complete announcement. Please read the entire announcement and apply at University of Miami Careers.
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