Lead Technical Services Librarian

Bard College’s Stevenson Library seeks a collaborative, creative, and user-centered librarian for the position of Lead Technical Services Librarian. Reporting to the Associate Director of the Library, this position oversees the technical services department and all aspects of the description, organization, and management of library resources for Bard students, faculty, staff, and the community through the effective operation of the library’s catalog and discovery systems. This position supervises one FTE and student employees.

About Bard:

Bard College’s main campus is in Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y., with 1,900 undergraduate students; the College also includes multiple graduate programs. The 1,000-acre campus sits along the Hudson River and offers the Fisher Performing Arts Center, and Hessel Museum of Art, and is the home of the Bard Prison Initiative, the largest college-degree-granting prison education program in the U.S. The Bard Network also includes several Bard High School Early Colleges across the country as well as international campuses and partnerships. Bard College is a private institution working in the public interest. Bard faculty and staff lead their students by example, building upon the existing network of boundary-breaking programs focused on rethinking who can and should be included in a liberal arts education. 

Responsibilities:

Core duties

• Develop, initiate, and interpret policies, practices, workflows, and goals relating to bibliographic access and evolving metadata practice
• Manage and maintain administration of OCLC WorldShare Management Services and discovery tool, WorldCat Discovery
• Serve as the primary point of contact for system-related issues
• Periodically generate statistical reports on cataloging, acquisitions, and collections
• Perform original and complex cataloging of library materials in all formats and a variety of languages; maintain batch processing of metadata for electronic resources
• Ensure overall compliance with national and local library standards (MARC, RDA, AACR2, NACO, LCSH, and LCC) for cataloging and classification practices; as well as any other appropriate cataloging or metadata standards for all resource description throughout the libraries
• Oversee the technical services workflows relating to acquisitions, cataloging, and e-resources
• Supervise 1 FTE copy cataloguer, some student assistants, and occasional outside contractors
• Other projects as assigned

Reference, instruction, and subject liaison responsibilities

• Provide research help services and instruction to students, faculty, and staff via walk-up desk, chat services, email, phone, and by appointment
• Provide course support in library research skills as requested by faculty, such as leading class workshops, consulting on assignment design, and developing online research guides and handouts
• Cultivate relationships with faculty in assigned liaison areas to develop library instructional support and collections recommendations

Required Qualifications:

• An ALA-accredited Master’s in Library and Information Science (MLIS) or Master’s in Library Studies (MLS) degree
• Experience managing ILS systems, OCLC WMS strongly preferred
• Demonstrated experience managing technical services workflows in an academic Library
• Demonstrated experience with monographic and serials cataloging adhering to AACR2, RDA, and/or DCRM, and the application of appropriate Library of Congress Subject Headings and Classification
• Strong analytical skills and experience with spreadsheets and statistical analysis, including producing reports and effectively communicating findings
• Experience supervising staff and collaborating across departments
• Ability to communicate with and train library staff of varying technical abilities to use the ILS and other technical services workflows
• Commitment to providing engaging and inclusive bibliographic instruction and reference services to a diverse student body 
• Demonstrated ability to work collegially and collaboratively with faculty, students, and staff

Desired Qualifications:

• PCC NACO and/or BIBCO training
• Knowledge of non-MARC metadata standards
• Experience initiating and maintaining relationships with vendors
• Experience with library system migrations
• Working knowledge of at least one foreign language

We expect the successful candidate to be stronger in some qualifications listed above than others; we are committed to helping our future colleague expand their skills, and hope to learn from their areas of strength. 

This work is firmly grounded in the Library’s commitment to expand diversity, equity, access, and inclusion in all aspects of our research collections, and we seek a flexible and creative thinker who is eager to contribute to a reimagining of the Library. The ideal candidate will be able to work collaboratively, to develop their own ideas, and to grow professionally within this position. 

Application reviews will begin on July 6, 2026 and applications will be accepted until the position is filled. 

Compensation: $70,000-$75,000 annually

This salary range reflects the College's good faith and reasonable estimate of the compensation for the position at the time of the job posting. Salary decisions are dependent on several factors including but not limited to market and organizational considerations, experience, and qualifications of a selected candidate as well as internal and external equity.

Benefits Overview:

We are pleased to offer our full-time employees an excellent benefit package which includes; multiple health insurance options; TIAA retirement plans; generous vacation, sick, and personal time; and more. To learn more about employee benefits and eligibility at Bard College, please visit https://www.bard.edu/humanresources/benefits/.