Occidental College (https://www.oxy.edu/) seeks a visionary and collaborative leader to serve as the next College Librarian and Director of the Academic Commons (CLDAC).
Founded in 1887, Occidental is a small, highly selective, and diverse residential liberal arts college in Eagle Rock, a creative and vibrant neighborhood in northeast Los Angeles. The distinctive interdisciplinary and multicultural focus of the College's academic program seeks to foster both the fulfillment of individual aspirations and a deeply rooted commitment to the public good. The College is distinguished by excellence in teaching and learning; undergraduate research; consortial partnerships; and community engagement locally, nationally, and globally. Deep collaborative partnerships with community organizations such as Caltech and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Huntington Library, the Autry Museum of the American West, and Art Center College of Design provide faculty and students with rich research opportunities. The small size of the campus, together with its proximity to the vast resources of Los Angeles, make Occidental College intimate in scale but infinite in opportunities.
The Mary Norton Clapp Library at Occidental College opened on Founder’s Day in April 1924. The building was expanded in 1955 and again in 1971, bringing the total square footage to 107,000, making it the largest academic building on campus. An ever-evolving space, the building serves as the College’s Academic Commons, bringing together students, faculty, and staff with access to extensive technologies, deep levels of service, flexible teaching and learning spaces, and distinctive Special Collections and College Archives, including a vibrant book arts and letterpress printing program. The Academic Commons is currently home to the Gaming Room, Disability Services, Information Technology Services, Peer Tutoring, the Undergraduate Research Center, and the Writing Center.
In 2022, Oxy completed its WSCUC Thematic Pathway to Reaffirmation (TPR) process that resulted in reaccreditation. The theme of the TPR was the Urban Liberal Arts Experience. Building upon this effort, in April 2023, the College unveiled its new integrated strategic plan, The Occidental Promise (found at https://www.oxy.edu/sites/default/files/Oxy_ISP_2023_Doc_V7.pdf). Academic leaders are aligning their programs to the three main themes of The Promise: Ensuring Academic Excellence, Forging Unique and Mutually Beneficial Relationships with the City of Los Angeles, and Educating the Whole Student and Renewing Community. The College Librarian and Director of the Academic Commons will have an extraordinary opportunity to advance The Promise by creating and developing exciting new physical facilities, resources, services, and programs within the Commons in support of teaching, learning, research, student academic success and excellence, and engagement with Los Angeles partner organizations and institutions.
Reporting to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College, the CLDAC is the chief administrator of the Library and the Academic Commons. The position is a voting member of the faculty without tenure. The CLDAC will further the College’s and Library’s deep commitment to equity and justice by facilitating the development of diverse and inclusive scholarly information resources, services, and programs. The CLDAC will provide leadership in envisioning the ways in which the Library and the Academic Commons support the curriculum as well as faculty and student scholarship; oversee a materials and operations budget in excess of $1.3 million; and lead a staff of 19 (16 FTE), including four direct reports: the Senior Director of Administration; the Director of Collections, Systems, and Services; the Director of Special Collections and College Archives; and the Director of Teaching, Learning, and Research Support. The majority of staff members (other than the direct reports) are represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). The CLDAC will also serve as the College’s primary representative to regional and national membership organizations, such as ALA (ACRL, RBMS); APTrust; CLIR/DLF; HathiTrust; Lever Press; Oberlin Group of Libraries; SCELC; and SPARC. An MLIS from an ALA-accredited program, or earned doctorate, or the equivalent in work experience, education, and training is required as is five years of progressive senior leadership experience in an academic or research library.
All applications, nominations and inquiries are invited. Applications should include, as two separate documents, a CV or resume and a letter of interest addressing how your experience and skills align with the role, qualifications, and qualities articulated in the leadership profile.
WittKieffer is assisting Occidental College in this search. For fullest consideration, candidate materials should be received by Tuesday, March 12, 2024.
Application materials should be submitted using WittKieffer’s candidate portal: https://candidateportal.wittkieffer.com/description?jobID=25545
Nominations and inquiries can be directed to:
Jessica Herrington and Corin Edwards
OxyCollege-Librarian@WittKieffer.com
The anticipated salary range for this position is $160K to $170K.
Occidental is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not unlawfully discriminate against employees or applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, breastfeeding or related medical condition, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic characteristic or information, military and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. Occidental is strongly committed to increasing the diversity of the campus community and the curriculum, and to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and just environment within which students, staff, administrators, and faculty thrive. Candidates who can contribute to this goal through their work are encouraged to identify their strengths and experiences in this area. Individuals advancing the College’s strategic equity and justice goals and those from groups that are underrepresented in the field are particularly encouraged to apply. Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications. A comprehensive benefits package is available that includes: excellent health, dental, life, and retirement benefits; tuition benefits for the employee, spouse, domestic partner, and dependents; additional extras including use of gym facilities and the College Library. For a detailed description of benefits, please visit https://www.oxy.edu/offices-services/human-resources/benefits-information.
All qualified applicants will be considered for employment, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance. Occidental College is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with qualifying disabilities. If you need reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the application or employment process, please contact Human Resources (hr@oxy.edu). As a condition of hire for a staff position and for appointment to a faculty position, Occidental College requires that all candidates who have received a conditional offer of employment complete an application form (if they have not already done so) and consent to a background check. Satisfactory completion of a background check, along with pre-employment verifications and references are required as a condition of employment, but only as permitted by federal, state, and local law, including the City of Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.