Overview
BookOps is the innovative shared technical services collaboration between the New York Public Library (NYPL) and the Brooklyn Public Library (BPL). It coordinates the selection, acquisition, cataloging, processing and distribution of library materials for these two major public library systems, which includes NYPL’s Research Libraries and the Center for Brooklyn History. BookOps Acquisitions is responsible for order verification, invoicing, and payment for the libraries, including overseeing approval plan receipts, print and e-journal subscriptions, and e-resource acquisition, and  works with vendors all over the world. Under the general direction of the Deputy Director for Collection Management, the Assistant Director for Acquisitions leads the acquisitions staff at the Library Services Center in Long Island City in all aspects of the acquisitions process for the member libraries of all formats, from mass-market to specialized academic resources, including the critical and rapidly evolving world of electronic resources.

Key Responsibilities
Reporting to the Deputy Director for Collection Management, the Assistant Director for Acquisitions:

• Oversees the strategies, processes, and workflows of acquiring and paying for library content in all formats, ensuring that we are obtaining resources in the most timely, fiscally responsible, and effective way.
• Manages and provides leadership for BookOps Acquisitions staff in all aspects of the acquisitions process, paying close attention to opportunities to improve work processes and the staff’s professional development.
• Collaborates on NYPL Research Library acquisitions activities, for both print and digital, with NYPL’s Associate Director for Collection Development in order to maintain effective relationships with research materials’ vendors and evaluate vendors’ performance on fulfillment and value-added services.
• Coordinates electronic resource and serials acquisition in cooperation with colleagues at the member libraries, including vendor eBook platforms, vendor eBook and eSerial packages, and maintaining institutional technical services standards for serial acquisition, cataloging, and processing.
• Engages with institutional partners and vendors for the successful planning and execution of innovative projects, i.e. opening day collections, incorporating new formats and services, integrated library system (ILS) changes. 
• Monitors and reports on spending for each library’s systems materials budgets, which combined can exceed $40 million; oversees the order management of more than 100,000 orders for the over 1.7 million items purchased annually. 
• Contributes to the development of staff training for vendor-based tools that facilitate materials acquisitions.
• Oversees quality management for vendor processed materials, ensuring that vendor adheres to agreed upon standards and that the member libraries are properly compensated for vendor errors and omissions.
• Collaborates with finance staff at NYPL and the Brooklyn Public Library on activities and issues related to processing and payment, vendor relationships, expenditures reporting, and audits.
• Administers use, maintenance, troubleshooting, and improvements of acquisitions workflows and functionalities for each member library’s ILS.
• Prepares monthly, quarterly, annual, and member library requested  reports with Acquisitions team members and other BookOps managers for partner libraries
• Analyzes and evaluates departmental workflows to improve operational efficiency and makes adjustments in work plans to align with member libraries’ strategic initiatives and BookOps’ goals.

Required Education, Experience & Skills

Required Education & Experience

• 2-3 years supervisory and team management experience
• 2-3 years experience with information management systems (i.e. acquisitions, ILS, procurement, inventory) 
• 2-3 years of project management experience including coordinating vendor and staff activities, formulating and documenting workflows and procedures, and staff training.

Required Skills

• Familiarity with one or more major integrated library system’s acquisitions system and/or other management information systems
• Proven abilities in team management and in fostering a strong collaborative teamwork ethic
• Demonstrated commitment to the principles of diversity in the workplace

Preferred Qualifications

• ALA accredited Master’s degree in Library and Information Studies or other appropriate accredited secondary degree, such as Business or Administration
• 2-3 years experience with library acquisitions or other information management work
• Familiarity with electronic resources and digital collections work.
• 2-3 years managerial experience with budget management, fund accounting principles, and invoice processing workflows.
• 2-3 years experience in managing vendor fulfillment and/or vendor relations
• 2-3 years supervisory experience in a union environment

 

More...

Please Note: Effective August 2, 2021, absent a qualifying exception for medical or religious reasons, newly hired employees of the New York Public Library must present proof of receipt of a COVID-19 vaccination and may not begin employment at the Library until 14 days after their receipt of their second dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or 14 days after their first dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.  Newly hired employees who need additional time to receive their vaccination prior to their start date may request an adjournment of their start date with their hiring manager.  The Library will consider such requests on a case by case basis, depending upon the Library’s operational needs, among other factors.  The Library will further consider exemptions for prospective employees who cannot become vaccinated due to a qualifying medical condition or a sincerely held religious belief or practice.  Candidates who receive a conditional offer of employment and who seek a medical or religious exemption to the Library’s vaccination policy will be provided with additional instructions at the time of the conditional offer.

Core Values
All team members are expected and encouraged to embody the NYPL Core Values:

• Be Helpful to patrons and colleagues
• Be Resourceful in solving problems 
• Be Curious in all aspects of your work

Physical Duties

• Lifting up to 40 lbs. Required
• May require travel within NYC

Physical Required?
No

Union/Non Union
Non Union

Schedule

35 hours a week; requires onsite work - this is not a remote work role

About The New York Public Library

The New York Public Library is a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With 92 locations—including research and branch libraries—throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, the Library offers free materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions, programming and more to everyone from toddlers to scholars, and has seen record numbers of attendance and circulation in recent years. The New York Public Library serves more than 18 million patrons who come through its doors annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources at www.nypl.org. 

Apply online here

Submit specified application materials to craigsenecal@nypl.org.