Head, Access Services and Resource Sharing

Position description

Reporting to the Dean of Libraries & Archives, the Head of Access Services and Resource Sharing leads a team of approximately six employees and coordinates the library’s resource fulfillment and patron experience services. This includes but is not limited to: ensuring a welcoming environment and offering knowledgeable assistance to students, faculty, and visitors; accurately maintaining circulation accounts, records, and departmental statistics; coordinating collection and stacks maintenance; overseeing print and digital course reserves; and supporting the library’s public-facing web, social media and marketing initiatives. This position also supervises the library’s print and electronic resources sharing services.

The head of AS&RS serves as a building supervisor and as a member of the library’s leadership team. This position assists with staffing coverage and requires the ability to work on holidays, during inclement weather, and on evenings and weekends as needed. It also requires the ability to bend, stretch, push heavy carts of books, and lift library materials.

Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day operations of the Access Services & Resource Sharing department. Departmental activities in addition to those listed above include but are not limited to: managing patron room and event bookings, providing basic tech help, supporting librarians with research and other projects, and participating in digitization projects.
  
• Hire, train, supervise, mentor and assess the work of the AS&RS team. In collaboration with the assistant department head, develop and maintain up-to-date onboarding, training, and procedures manuals, coordinate daily and project-based work, track progress and provide regular feedback, create and manage the schedule, and ensure effective communication and positive relationships inside and outside the department.
  
• In collaboration with the assistant department head, hire, schedule, train, supervise, and mentor departmental student assistants. Coordinate with other student supervisors to ensure consistent training and equitable practices across the Libraries & Archives.
  
• Provide welcoming, helpful, and knowledgeable front-line information services to students, faculty, staff, colleagues, and visitors; answer questions about and assist patrons in accessing library services and resources; provide basic information help following established guidelines and interpret library policies as needed.
  
• Plan, organize, and monitor collection care and stacks maintenance activities; coordinate the creation and maintenance of displays in partnership with librarians and colleagues; collaborate with technical services and librarians on collection care and stacks maintenance projects.
  
• Develop and maintain a high degree of comfort with Alma analytics and other collection management and patron account tools; maintain departmental statistics and create reports as needed; stay current on, implement, and recommend best practices and platforms in access services and resource sharing; develop and recommend policy updates in collaboration with the Dean.
  
• Assist librarians in assessing user needs and recommending new policies, services, programs, and procedures to enhance the learning and user experience for all library patrons. Provide research support to librarians as needed.
  
• In collaboration with staff and librarians responsible for systems and web services, enhance online access to library collections and information about library services. This includes ensuring accurate and timely informational elements on the library’s website, collaborating with a team to produce social media and other communications and events, and assisting with the maintenance and configuration of the ILS discovery layer (Primo).
  
• Serve as a key member of the team responsible for library outreach and promotional activities. Represent the library at campus events, collaborate on the development of social media and other promotional content, partner with librarians to provide extra-curricular programming to students, and participate in other outreach and engagement activities
  
• This position is part of the library leadership team and represents the library at Novanet, CAAL, and in other professional capacities as appropriate. With the permission of the department head and taking into consideration the needs of the unit, this position is encouraged to participate on internal and external committees and to pursue other professional development opportunities. Participation in activities that promote and enhance the libraries, collections, and services, including representing the Libraries & Archives at campus events, is welcome.
  
• Serve as building supervisor. Monitor the library’s safety and security systems including fire alarms, exit and electronic door alarms. Co-ordinate initial response and reports alarm situations. Serve as the point of first contact in the event of emergency or other unplanned after-hours situations.
  
• Other duties as assigned; may perform all AS&RS duties as needed and assist other members of the Libraries & Archives team within and across departments as appropriate.

Qualifications/skills

• A university degree and a minimum of 2 years of library experience, preferably in an academic library, that includes training and knowledge of library science principles and practices is required. An additional Library Technician diploma is strongly preferred. Candidates with an equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.
  
• A minimum 2 years of supervisory/managerial experience is required.
  
• Strong oral and written communication and interpersonal skills. Strong service orientation as well as the adaptability and sensitivity to meet the needs of a diverse user population. Ability to maintain good working relationships in a team environment.
  
• The incumbent serves as a role model in the department and must demonstrate strong leadership and decision-making capacity, excellent interpersonal skills, technological savvy, and the ability to learn and apply new skills, approaches, and ways of thinking.
  
• Experience with Library ILS (Alma preferred) and proficiency with Microsoft Office is required, as is the ability to learn and implement new technologies and platforms.
  
• Attention to detail and the ability to prioritize and switch between multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment. Must be able to manage projects from start to finish.
  
• Knowledge of copyright and digitization practices in the academic library environment is an asset.
  
• Web design, back-end discovery layer, and/or social media communications experienced preferred.
  
• Must be available to work in rotation evenings, weekends, and statutory holidays as well as inclement weather; may be required to serve as backup staff or respond to emergency situations outside of normal work hours.

Only those already eligible to work in Canada need apply. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Application materials will be collected for recruitment purposes only and handled in accordance with the University’s privacy and records-management practices. If you experience any difficulty accessing the link, please contact for assistance. Review of applications will begin on June 25, 2026.

Mount Allison is committed to diversity and inclusiveness. We encourage applications from members of racialized communities, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, and persons of all sexual and gender identities. We seek candidates with qualifications and knowledge to contribute specifically to the further diversification of our campus community.

At Mount Allison, we are committed to ensuring your interview experience is as comfortable and accessible as possible. If you require any accommodations or adjustments during the interview process, please do not hesitate to inform us. Your needs are important to us, and our dedicated team is here to support you by reaching out to People and Culture at

Visit our website at www.mta.ca/employment for other employment opportunities at Mount Allison University or to register to receive e-mail notification of new opportunities.