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Deadline to apply: The Advisory Search Committee will begin reviewing applications as of January 7, 2026. The posting will remain open until the position is filled.

Full-time, tenure-track librarian position (three years, with possibility of renewal), with an administrative appointment (five-year renewable term)
Salary minimum: salary commensurate with experience

The McGill Library seeks a forward-thinking, collaborative and energetic leader with a keen sense of the evolving 21st-century research library, to lead and to assume overall responsibility for the portfolio of Collection Services

The Associate Dean, Collection Services contributes to the development of McGill Libraries by providing strategic leadership and oversight of library collections across all formats and disciplines. The incumbent ensures that collections support the university’s teaching, learning, and research priorities, and leads initiatives in collection development, acquisitions, resource description, interlibrary loans, licensing and preservation strategies. Reporting to the Trenholme Dean of Libraries, the Associate Dean plays a key role in advancing McGill Libraries as a leading research library with inclusive, sustainable, and user-centered collections. The Associate Dean serves as an active member of the Library Cabinet, sharing responsibility for strategic planning and resource allocation.

THE McGILL LIBRARIES

Located in Montréal, one of the world’s great multicultural and multilingual cities, McGill University is internationally recognized for its excellence as a leading institution of higher education and research. For nearly 200 years, through the work of dedicated people, McGill has been breaking ground in diverse fields and contributing solutions to some of the world’s most significant issues. McGill is also the most internationally diverse research-intensive university in Canada, with over 32% of its students coming to McGill from more than 150 countries. The University systematically appears on the annual list of the best employers in Montreal.

The McGill University Libraries contribute to society by advancing teaching, learning, and research in a supportive and welcoming environment. We anticipate and respond to the needs of users by providing outstanding collections, excellent services, and spaces that inspire. We work in collaboration with global scholarly and library communities to enhance and facilitate access to knowledge.

The McGill Libraries has the largest collection in Quebec and is one of Canada’s largest academic libraries with over six million monograph titles and 150,000 e-journals and databases. The Libraries are a member of the Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL), the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), the Partenariat des bibliothèques universitaires du Québec (PBUQ), the Center for Research Libraries (CRL), and the HathiTrust Digital Library.

INFORMATION FOR PROSPECTIVE STAFF

Information about the

University

and the McGill

Libraries

can be found on the University’s web site. The McGill Libraries have developed

Strategic Priorities for 2025-2030

to guide its actions. As a tenure stream appointee, the successful candidate is expected to satisfy the requirements in the

Regulations Relating to the Employment of Librarian Staff.

DUTY STATEMENT

Primary Purpose of Position

The Associate Dean, Collection Services will provide strategic leadership and oversight for all aspects of library general collections across formats and disciplines, ensuring they effectively support the university’s teaching, learning, and research priorities while advancing McGill Libraries as a leading research institution.

Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Leads the strategic planning, management, assessment, and implementation of the general collection development, acquisitions, licensing, and preservation strategies across McGill Libraries ensuring alignment with research and teaching needs.
• Oversees the collections budget, including approval plans, vendor negotiations, and license agreements, ensuring fiscal responsibility and alignment with institutional priorities, processes and regulations.
• Oversees, plans, administers and leads the operations of the Collection Services division units and staff responsible for all library acquisitions, collection management and assessment, budget management, electronic resources management, resource description (general collection and rare books and special collections), interlibrary loans, and the McGill University Collections Centre.
• Recruits, supervises, evaluates, provides mentorship and supports unit heads, librarians, professionals and support staff, fostering a culture of equity, diversity, inclusion, and professional growth.
• Collaborates with librarians and faculty to assess and develop collections that support emerging research areas and interdisciplinary scholarship.
• Develops and implements policies and programs that solidify the Libraries’ commitment to inclusive collections, reflect the diverse needs of the academic community and align with inquiries and research conducted by McGill.
• Promotes organizational effectiveness through strategic leadership, policy development, planning, and resource management.
• In collaboration with the Manager, Budget and Finance, provides budget analysis, budget forecasting and strategic budget planning for collections.
• Cultivates relationships with academic leadership, engages in campus-level initiatives, and builds partnerships with University and external communities.
• Represents McGill Libraries in consortial partnerships and national/international forums related to collections.
• Coordinates and plans for appropriate collection spaces that meet the needs of both preservation and access.
• Coordinates and is responsible for the conservation and preservation strategy for all analog library materials, including the emergency preparedness plan on all sites and at any scale.
• Participates in advancement activities and cultivates relationships with donors to support collection development and strategic initiatives.
• Serves as an active member of Library Cabinet, sharing responsibility for library-wide planning, resource allocation and all other matters and questions Library Cabinet is responsible for.
• Promotes and fosters a supportive environment built on appreciation, recognition, learning, and professional growth. Creates a supportive and positive environment where everyone is able to listen, contribute and engage with colleagues and ideas, and provide and receive timely, constructive feedback.
• Contributes to creating an environment that embraces curiosity, ideas, and creativity and the ability to flourish within an organization that values experimentation, risk-taking, and bold thinking.
• Takes responsibility for other strategic initiatives as assigned.

Reporting relationship

The position reports to the Trenholme Dean of Libraries.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Required:

• Master’s degree in library or information science accredited by the American Library Association or recognized equivalent.
• Evidence of at least 5 years in a position with managerial responsibilities (services and staff), preferably in an academic library.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, manage and build teams of librarians, archivists, professionals, and support staff, preferably in a unionized environment.
• Active scholarship and professional service sufficient for appointment at the Associate or Full Librarian level.
• Experience with provincial, national, or international large-scale collaborative projects such as shared-print and shared digitization initiatives. Experience working within a consortium setting.
• Proven ability to develop, in a consultative style, a clear vision for the portfolio within the context of McGill’s strategic objectives and plans.
• Demonstrated successful record of leadership, planning, project management, and budgeting in managing library collections and related services.
• Deep understanding of the full lifecycle of collections in digital, print, and other formats, including off-site storage collection management.
• Knowledge of the current library services platform landscape, as well as scholarly communication trends, copyright, licensing, and open access.
• Experience with resource description, digital scholarship, archives, and special collections.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility of services or work environment.
• Knowledge of the history of Indigenous communities in Canada, including residential schools, and commitment to reconciliation.
• Excellent interpersonal communication and presentation skills, both written and verbal. Knowledge of French is an asset. McGill University is an English-language university where day-to-day duties may require English communication both verbally and in writing. The level of English required for this position has been assessed at level #(4) on a scale of 1-4.
• Ability to meet with donors, alumni, and representatives from granting agencies, to develop and maintain long-term relationships, and to attract funding.

Desired:

• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to function effectively as a member of a senior management team working within a collegial environment.
• Ability to exercise a high level of diplomacy, tact, and discretion when working with information of a confidential or sensitive nature and in dealing with various levels of senior administration and external agencies.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Applications should address the above selection criteria, be accompanied by a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, and the names and addresses of three referees.

The Advisory Search Committee will begin reviewing applications as of January 7, 2026. The posting will remain open until the position is filled.

We anticipate conducting in-person interviews between February 16 and March 6, 2026.

McGill University is committed to equity and diversity within its community and values academic rigour and excellence. We welcome and encourage applications from racialized persons/visible minorities, women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to engage productively with diverse communities.

At McGill, research that reflects diverse intellectual traditions, methodologies, and modes of dissemination and translation is valued and encouraged. Candidates are invited to demonstrate their research impact both within and across academic disciplines and in other sectors, such as government, communities, or industry.

McGill further recognizes and fairly considers the impact of leaves (e.g., family care or health-related) that may contribute to career interruptions or slowdowns. Candidates are encouraged to signal any leave that affected productivity, or that may have had an effect on their career path. This information will be considered to ensure the equitable assessment of the candidate’s record.

McGill implements an employment equity program and encourages members of designated equity groups to self-identify. It further seeks to ensure the equitable treatment and full inclusion of persons with disabilities by striving for the implementation of universal design principles transversally, across all facets of the University community, and through

accommodation policies and procedures

. Persons with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodations for any part of the application process may contact, in confidence,

accessibilityrequest.hr@mcgill.ca

.

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply; however, in accordance with Canadian immigration requirements, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.