Assistant Director, Head, Research & Education

at  Virginia Commonwealth University

The Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries invites applications and nominations for the position of Assistant Director and Head, Research and Education for the VCU Health Sciences Library. The Assistant Director and Head, Research and Education will provide innovative, collaborative leadership and overall management and administration of the Research and Education department, including the VCU Medical Center Health and Wellness Library, and collaborate on efforts to develop and deliver programming and outreach for the Health Sciences Library. The department consists of six faculty liaison librarians, the Health and Wellness Librarian, one staff member, and several student and hourly employees supporting both locations. In the absence of the Associate Dean and Director, the Assistant Director and Head is responsible for the Health Sciences Library. The successful candidate will join an exceptionally talented, culturally and academically diverse community. VCU Libraries, one of Virginia’s outstanding research library systems, advances the University’s teaching, research, service, and patient care mission with comprehensive digital and print collections and nationally recognized innovation in its facilities, advanced media and technology resources for its community. In February 2018, the Association of College and Research Libraries recognized VCU Libraries with the ACRL Excellence in Academic Libraries Award. In 2020, the Health Sciences Library received the Medical Library Association’s Research Advancement in Health Sciences Librarianship Award. Additionally, the Health Sciences Library consistently ranks in the top ten for overall expenditures and collection expenditures in the AAHSL Annual Statistics of Medical School Libraries in the United States and Canada.

Reporting to the Associate Dean, VCU Libraries and Director, VCU Health Sciences Library, the Assistant Director and Head, Research and Education, will:

• Lead the Research and Education department in developing, promoting, and delivering knowledge-based support to Medical College of Virginia (MCV) Campus programs through a faculty liaison librarian model, enabling University members and externa

Reporting to the Associate Dean, VCU Libraries and Director, VCU Health Sciences Library, the Assistant Director and Head, Research and Education, will:

• Lead the Research and Education department in developing, promoting, and delivering knowledge-based support to Medical College of Virginia (MCV) Campus programs through a faculty liaison librarian model, enabling University members and external

partners to locate, access, and organize information using the most appropriate tools.

• Oversee operations of the VCU Medical Center Health and Wellness Library and work with partners VCU Medical Center Auxiliary and VCU Health in its management.
• Lead outreach programming efforts to local, external communities primarily through the Health and Wellness Library.
• Collaboratively develop programming for the Health Sciences Library and the Health and Wellness Library.
• Manage the Health Sciences Library in the absence of the Associate Dean and Director.
• Develop and sustain relationships that advance the VCU Libraries’ mission.

This position is an essential member of the Health Sciences divisional leadership team and is expected to play an integral role in the success of division-wide operations and collaborative initiatives. As a member of VCU Libraries, the Assistant Director and Head will work with colleagues to advance the strategic initiatives of the Libraries.
The Assistant Director and Head, Research and Education is expected to be active professionally and to contribute to developments in the field. Faculty with the VCU Libraries are evaluated and promoted on the basis of job performance, scholarship, and service. Health Sciences Library faculty librarians are encouraged to pursue and maintain membership in the Academy of Health Information Professionals (AHIP).