"Director for Resources & Discovery"

Job Details

Director for Resources & Discovery
Tenure Status: Tenure Track
Department: Library - 275000
Minimum Qualifications To be considered for this position, candidates will have the following:

• ALA-accredited master's degree or equivalent advanced degree.
• Five (5) years of experience managing, promoting, and/or assessing library collections.
• Three (3) years of supervising professional library employees.
• Meet the criteria for associate or full professor as stated in the Faculty Handbook, which includes recognized accomplishment in scholarship and professional service.

Areas of Interest (No Minimum Level Required) Successful candidates will have:

• Experience with collection management, acquisitions, cataloging, and/or other aspects of technical services; management of complex collections budgets; collaborative engagement and communication across various library divisions; and supervision of professional library employees.
• Awareness of trends and issues regarding collection management, digital scholarship, resource discovery, scholarly communication, and open access within the scope of higher education.
• Ability to negotiate contracts with publishers and vendors, on behalf of the library and collaboratively with consortial institutions.
• Ability and willingness to evaluate, investigate, and establish new workflows with library faculty and staff to enhance the use and knowledge of the University Libraries' collections.
• Demonstrated record of creative leadership and strong interpersonal communication.
• Willingness to collaborate with individuals and divisions to evaluate collections and set strategies for collection development.
• Demonstrated willingness to participate in institutional affairs.

Description of the Department or Unit The Appalachian State University Libraries are essential teaching and research partners, inspiring and guiding all who pursue knowledge. With over 80 talented and hard-working faculty and staff, the Libraries curate rich print and e-collections, teach information literacy skills, and steward thoughtful spaces for Appalachian State students, faculty, and staff. The University Libraries supports the University with its recent R2 designation through research support, collections, and scholarly communications. Through our digital spaces, scholarship, and service, our library colleagues impact the larger world of knowledge.
The Belk Library and Information Commons, the Nicholas Erneston Music Library, and the Hickory Library and Information Commons are our three libraries. We work closely with other UNC System libraries, NC LIVE, the Carolina Consortium, and the Western NC Library Network (WNCLN).
The Resources & Discovery (RAD) Division supports all three libraries through collection development, acquisitions, cataloging, and technical services and is responsible for a multi-million dollar collections budget. RAD works especially closely with the Instructional Materials Center, the Music Library, and the Digital Initiatives & Special Collections Divisions in support of their unique collections. The RAD Division currently employs 14 faculty and staff. Additional information about the Libraries, the University, and the surrounding area may be found at appstate.edu, library.appstate.edu/about, and appstate.edu/employment.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities Appalachian State University Libraries seek an experienced librarian to serve as the Director for Resources & Discovery (RAD). Reporting to the Associate Dean for Collections, this position collaborates with the Administrative Council and the staff and faculty of the RAD Division on strategic collection management practices and approaches to ensure that the collections meet the university's teaching, learning, and research missions.
The Director will oversee the Resources & Discovery Division, which includes acquisition, cataloging, access management, electronic resources management, physical processing, and repair/preservation. They lead the Collections Council, composed of members of the RAD Division and liaison librarians, and assign roles and projects to ensure the goals of collection management are met. They will define priorities, remove obstacles, advocate on behalf of the division, and maintain alignment with available funding and curricular needs of the University. This position focuses on implementing processes that improve the quality and breadth of University Libraries resources available for students and faculty.
Specific responsibilities include:

• Work collaboratively to establish clear expectations and processes around the annual collections calendar, including budget projections and scenario planning; prioritization of new subscriptions and acquisitions; and review of continuing subscriptions for cancellation in alignment with budget allocations and reductions.
• Supervise the Resources & Discovery Division and lead faculty and staff to accomplish collection management priorities.
• Coach and mentor early career faculty; coordinate projects and follow-through with goal setting, division planning, and assessment methods appropriate to the work of the division.
• Collaborate with division members to develop appropriate means to assess the collections, gather results, interpret and share results, and implement action plans.
• Communicate and collaborate with administrators and fellow directors to develop and implement University Libraries goals, objectives, policies, and services. Serve as a member of the Leadership Council. Report progress in and outside of the division.
• Support the assertive negotiation of vendor contracts, licenses, and pricing and the use of data for decision making in a regularized and participatory process.
• Incorporate appropriate knowledge from developments, trends, and news in scholarly publishing into processes and allocations. Regularly reassess allocation formulas based on up-to-date information about curriculum, research, and publishers.
• Establish positive relationships between the University Libraries and vendors, consortia, and colleagues in other libraries by providing opportunities for feedback, collaboration, and professional networking.
• Support the ongoing transition to the new integrated library system, ALMA, and incorporate training on analytics to support collection development decisions. Engage with UNC System libraries as additional institutions transition to ALMA to set policies and manage workflows.
• Revise and improve processes for selection and acquisition of print books and physical collections to include approval plans, blanket publisher plans, Demand-Driven Acquisition and Patron-Driven Acquisition models, e-books, and resource sharing agreements.
• Support major print management projects that align with the building master plan, including deselection projects and initiatives to transfer materials to off-site collections.
• Engage with print retention initiatives at the national and international level, including the Eastern Academic Scholars Trust.
• Maintain an active program of scholarship and professional service as a faculty member of the University Libraries.
• Other duties as assigned that align with the needs of the University Libraries.

Proposed Date of Hire: 07/01/2026
Suggested Salary Range: Base salary is $68,000 - 72,000 for associate professor and $85,000 - 97,000 for professor. A stipend for administrative duties will be determined depending on rank and experience.
Closing Date: 3/1/2026
Open Until Filled: No
Evaluation of Applications Begins: 02/15/2026
To apply, visit https://appstate.peopleadmin.com/postings/53110