Head Librarian

SUBJECT: Job opening: The Menil Collection Head Librarian

The Menil Collection is seeking a head librarian to plan and administer the acquisition of library materials, the use of the library by museum staff, scholars, and members of the general public, and the preservation of the collection in order to provide a program of comprehensive library services related to the arts. In addition, the head librarian will provide, in collaboration with the associate curator for collections and research, oversight and direction to the physical evolution of the Menil library.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following. Planning, assessing, and communicating library needs in all areas including budgeting, staffing, infrastructure, and technology. Overseeing the daily operations of the library. Taking responsibility for collection development and acquisitions, including weeding the collection. Supporting the integration of new technologies into the library. Overseeing cataloging and circulation services. Reviewing gifts for eventual accession or disposal. Creating and evaluating policies regarding procedures, means, and standards of service. Recording library circulation statistics and preparing reports for distribution. Supervising library staff and volunteers. Maintaining contact with other libraries, professional, and/or arts organizations. Preparing regular reports on current progress and future needs of the library. Keeping informed of academic and technological developments in the profession.

Considered one of the most important privately assembled collections of the twentieth century, The Menil Collection houses approximately 16,000 painting, sculptures, and prints, drawings, photographs, and rare books. Masterpieces from antiquity, Byzantium and the medieval period, the cultures of Africa, Oceania, and the American Pacific Northwest and the twentieth century, including significant surrealist holdings, are particularly well represented.

Required qualifications include ALA accredited master’s in Library Science, degree in art history preferred; functional literacy in least one modern European language; minimum of five years experience in an art library, including administrative and supervisory experience; demonstrated skills in collection development, research, communication, organization, administration, with a team-focused management style.

Please send resume and cover letter to: Manager of Human Resources, The Menil Collection, 1511 Branard Street, Houston, Texas 77006; fax 713.525.9444. Application materials may also be emailed to smaloch@menil.org.