Head of Collections

Permanent, full-time post based in Central London, WC1

The Wiener Library is Britain’s largest archive on the Holocaust and Nazi era and modern genocide. Founded in 1933 in Amsterdam the Library’s holdings span all types of resources, focusing on the Holocaust, its causes and consequences. The collections are continuing to grow through donations and acquisitions.

In the past five years the Library has undergone major transformation and expansion. Our digital collections have grown dramatically and our outreach and research activities have also expanded. The Head of Collections will provide a strategic vision in a role where digital technology, digitised archive materials, web and social media marketing and outreach and research activities are closely integrated with collections work.

The strategic goal of The Wiener Library is to serve as Britain’s Holocaust Archive. This means that the collections of the Library must be developed in such a way as to promote the institution’s reputation as the nation’s premier specialist collection for research and learning about the Holocaust and other genocides. The Library’s Head of Collections will need to support, sustain and shape the growth of the Library’s collections accordingly, both physical and digital.

Organisational relationships

The Head of Collections reports to the Director of The Wiener Library. Together with the Director and the Heads of Digital and Research, the Head of Collections forms part of the Senior Management Team (SMT). The Head of Collections leads the Library’s team of professional Librarians and Archivists.

Main objective of the post

The Head of Collections is responsible for the management, development and preservation of all collections at the Wiener Library and making the collections accessible to readers.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Collection management

The Head of Collections is ultimately responsible for the management and future development of all types of resources. The Wiener Library currently holds ca. 1,500 catalogued document collections, 45,000 photographs, 70,000 books and pamphlets, 3,000 periodical titles including 100 subscriptions, press cuttings, audio-visual resources and digital assets. In recent years a number of major digital archives have been acquired, in particular the International Tracing Service Archive and the United Nations War Crimes Commission Archive. The Library is ambitious in terms of expanding its collections still further in the coming years.

Collection development tasks include:

Lead on the development of the collections, identifying areas for development in line with the Library’s strategic plan and priorities of the SMT.
Review the development of the Library collections to ensure they fit the Collections Development Policy and facilitate future research in our fields.
Set and maintain collection management policies and procedures, establishing best practices and efficient, integrated workflows within the Library’s cataloguing software, Soutron, and workflow software as well.
Work with the Collections team and the future Digital Assets Manager to ensure that the creation and enhancement of metadata are carried out to agreed standards.
A key goal for the institution at this juncture will be the achievement of a seamless integration between the Library’s physical collections and its digital assets, creating a coherent workflow from the point of digitisation to public access across multiple platforms. It is planned that in 2018, when these changes have been fully implemented, we will appoint a Digital Asset Manager who will become part of the Collections Team.

Strategic management

As a member of the Library’s SMT, the Head of Collections contributes to the strategic planning for the whole organisation.

Strategic management tasks include:

Participating in resource enhancement activities, including identifying funding or grant sources to support the department’s work and projects.
Leading on writing applications to grant givers regarding collections management activities and development.
Fully supporting the Library’s fundraising activities.
Leading (with the support of the wider SMT) on developing, communicating and implementing a strategic vision for the collection as a whole, in particular regarding acquisitions.
Ensuring that key strategic goals are reflected and implemented in the day-to-day work of the Collections Team.
Developing key partnerships and stakeholder relationships, including with potential funders, to ensure that overall collections development strategy is understood and supported outside the organisation where relevant.
Team management

The Head of Collection manages the Collections team currently consisting of the Cataloguer, an Acquisitions Librarian, an Archivist, a Photo Archivist, and a Library and Visitor Assistant.

Team management tasks include the following:

Plan the work of the Collections team and ensure that these plans are translated into individual actions for team members in accordance with priorities set by the Senior Management Team and the Strategic Plan.
Supervise the work of the Collections Team to ensure maintenance of standards and efficiency.
Manage the annual appraisal process for the Collections team to ensure that its activities contribute to meeting the Library’s strategy and develop individual members of staff to achieve their potential.
Preservation

Preservation practices at the Wiener Library have to ensure protection and long-term preservation of the materials whilst encouraging use by diverse readers. The Wiener Library is looking at digitisation to maximise access whilst preserving the originals.

Preservation tasks include:

Manage storage and conservation requirements for preserving the physical collections according to BS 5454:2000, liaising with the National Conservation Service.
Make recommendations as to storage capacity and space needs and use
Determine appropriate preservation priorities and actions to ensure long‐term access to information content and security of originals.
Liaise with the Digital Assets Manager regarding digital preservation.
Reader services

The Reading Room is open to the public five days a week and always staffed by someone from the Collections team. We have over 2000 visitors and readers annually: students and academics, interested members of the public, and family historians.

Managing reader services includes the following tasks:

Ensure a welcoming and supportive study space for diverse audiences
Oversee all activities concerning the circulation of Library materials including systems to support this.
Market the collections to researchers.
Representing the Library

The Wiener Library is currently a member of several national and international Holocaust and library and archive organisations, for example the European Holocaust Research Infrastructure (EHRI), History Libraries in London, and Gedenkstättenbibliotheken in Germany.

Effectively engage with professional networks to support partnership and collaborative working.
Represent the Library on relevant committees internally and externally, as required.
General

Maintain a high level of continuing professional development to update your awareness of relevant external developments and best practice for similar organisations.
Monitor developments and innovations in technology likely to impact on the work of the Library.
Liaise with the Education and Outreach team regarding the use of collections in exhibitions and other outreach efforts.

Selection criteria

Essential

Postgraduate qualification in archive or library studies, collections management or equivalent.
A degree in a relevant subject, such as modern European history or Jewish studies.
Fluent or near-fluent German.
Significant experience of staff management with the ability to lead and manage effective teams, motivate and develop colleagues, and manage organisational change.
Significant collection management experience.
Familiarity with archival arrangement, cataloguing and preservation standards, such as ISAD[G] and ISAAR[CPF].
Project management experience and ability to deliver projects to high standard, on time and on budget.
Experience with digital asset management.
Ability to take initiative in developing new practices and procedures.
Excellent people management skills and the ability to apply policies and procedures appropriately.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills including the ability to be able to write reports, policies and procedures.

Desirable

Knowledge of the Holocaust.
Other European languages.
Experience of mixed resource collections.
Experience of working with volunteers.
Familiarity with RDA.

Applicants must be able to demonstrate their legal right to work in the UK. Please note that The Wiener Library cannot apply for a Certificate of Sponsorship for this post under Tier 2 of the UK Border Agency’s Points Based System.

Salary will be commensurate with the CILIP recommendation for Head of Service in not for profit organisations.

How to Apply

Please send your CV and a cover letter outlining your relevant experience to:

Ben Barkow

The Wiener Library, 29 Russell Square, London WC1B 5DP or

bbarkow@wienerlibrary.co.uk.

The closing date for applications is Friday, 30 June 2017. Applications must be received by 5.30pm.

For an informal talk about this position, please contact Ben Barkow, Director, on 020 7636 7247 or bbarkow@wienerlibrary.co.uk.