Toronto Public Library Manager, Service Development: Special Collections Service Development & Innovation- Toronto Public Library The Toronto Public Library is North America s busiest urban public library system. The library employs approximately 2,400 staff who provide high quality library services to the people of Toronto across 100 public locations. The Library organization is an independent Board of the City of Toronto. Every year more than 19 million people visit our 100 branches, there are more than 26 million visits to our website and over 32 million items are borrowed. Over 72% of Torontonians use the library and 1.2 million people are registered Library cardholders. Collections comprise over 11 million items including books, ebooks and DVDs, with 430 languages represented in the diverse library materials. Toronto Public Library s Special Collections Toronto Public Library s prestigious Special Collections include the Baldwin Room Collection of Canadiana; Special Collections in the Visual and Performing Arts; the Chinese Canadian Archive; the Osborne Collection of Early Children s Books; the Merril Collection of Science Fiction, Speculation and Fantasy; the Arthur Conan Doyle Collection; and the Library s archives. These collections also form the basis for the Library s active and multifaceted digitization program, preservation services, and the exhibition program in the Library s TD Gallery. From physical and virtual exhibitions, strategic partnerships and large-scale digitization, the Special Collections support the library s vision to create an outstanding virtual library supported by a robust suite of programs, collection animation, and community engagement. The Position Under the general direction of the Director, Service Development and Innovation, the Manager, Service Development: Special Collections is responsible for providing leadership, planning, and management of the Library s Special Collections including the Digital Archive, the TD Gallery exhibition program, and serving as liaison with the Toronto Public Library Foundation for donor initiatives relating to development of Special Collections. The successful candidate will work with their reporting Manager, Digitization and Preservation and Manager, Rare Books & Archives to develop, plan and promote services and programs for the Library s Special Collections and lead a team of almost 40 Special Collections staff responsible for delivering services to meet the diverse needs of customers. The successful candidate will develop innovative community engagement strategies for the Library s Special Collections; effectively communicate, collaborate, and partner with internal and external stakeholders; and participate in service development and delivery through leadership in system committees or initiatives. Job Qualifications Toronto Public Library seeks a creative, highly motivated, experienced, and technologically savvy leader to develop innovative services to meet the needs of and delight diverse communities. The position is suited to an individual with demonstrated successful experience in rare and special collections, including artistic and archival works; an understanding of the requirements for the preservation, maintenance and access to special and rare collections; and experience in developing partnerships with heritage organizations and funding partners. The successful candidate will have demonstrated experience in the management, storage and access issues related to special collections materials, as well as experience leading digital initiatives and working knowledge of best practices in digitization. In addition, the successful candidate will have a proven track record in donor relations, and the development and support of external partnerships.
Other Qualifications include: Post graduate university degree in library or information science from an accredited program, or a recognized library degree equivalent Experience in managing a team of professional staff, preferably in a public library environment. Demonstrated ability to establish effective working relationships and collaborative work approaches, Committed to providing efficient, responsive and innovative service to clients Demonstrated capacity for problem solving, results orientation and creativity Highly developed oral and written communication skills Superior facilitation and interpersonal skills. Knowledge of developments in library field and relevant legislation Proven ability in change leadership Current salary range is $ 109,574.40 - $ 128,752.00 (Wage Grade 8) This is a full-time position with an anticipated start date of 4 September 2018 Please apply to David Howes, Executive Search Consultant, WMC (416) 362-6863 ext. 230 or email: davidh@wmc.on.ca WE ARE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
Backgrounder Toronto Public Library - Special Collections Toronto Public Library s Special Collections collect, preserve and make available to all the documentary and cultural history of our nation. Specialized in scope, content, and format, these heritage collections that include books, manuscripts and art cover hundreds of years of history, and have been developed by the library since its inception in 1884. Major gifts from generous and farsighted donors have encouraged us to extend our collections to include subjects such as fantasy, science fiction, children s literature and book illustration. Toronto Public Library s Special Collections inspire research and exploration. Exhibitions from these wonderful resources are mounted quarterly in the TD Gallery in the Toronto Reference Library and regularly mounted on the Library s website for virtual enjoyment. There are six major Special Collections in Toronto Public Library- housed in two locations: Special Collections in the Arts (Toronto Reference Library)- performing and visual arts The Arthur Conan Doyle Collection (Toronto Reference Library)- works by and about Doyle and Sherlock Holmes The Baldwin Collection of Canadiana (Toronto Reference Library)- primary sources relating to Canada, including the Toronto Star Photograph Archive The Chinese Canadian Archive (Toronto Reference Library) The Merril Collection of Science Fiction, Speculation and Fantasy (Lillian H. Smith Branch) The Osborne Collection of Early Children s Books (Lillian H. Smith Branch) These collections number over 3 million items and feature rare, fragile and valuable books, manuscripts, art, pictures and, newspapers that require special care, cataloguing and use. Special Collections in the Arts The Marilyn & Charles Baillie Special Collections Centre at the Toronto Reference Library houses the Library s special collections in the performing and visual arts. Special Collections in the Performing Arts contains one of the foremost collections specializing in Canadian theatre history including stage and costume designs, photographs, posters, programs and production information. It also contains theatre archives and ephemera. The collections are enhanced by sheet music and Japanese theatre prints as well as materials on dance, opera and film. Special Collections in the Visual Arts contain many old and rare books including beautifully printed books and limited editions from the 15 th to 21 st centuries. In addition, there are exquisite art books, catalogues raisonnes and posters of every description. The rare books range from incunabula (printed before 1501) to 18th and 19th century travel narratives to Canadian classics like Maria Chapdelaine. The Marilyn & Charles Baillie Special Collections Centre is also home to the Library s rare first edition of John James Audubon s spectacular, Birds of America- - the wildlife artist s attempt to represent in colour every specie of bird living in North America in the early 19 th century. Painstakingly produced between 1826 and 1838, our copy of Audubon was purchased in 1903 from the estate of the Honorable George William Allan, Toronto's eleventh mayor. A landmark in the art of bookmaking, the Birds of America is perhaps the most valuable folio in the City.
Arthur Conan Doyle Collection The fiction of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has always given readers an escape from the humdrum routine of everyday life. The Toronto Reference Library's world famous collection devoted to Doyle s life and works includes everything from fine editions and manuscripts to posters, ephemera and eclectic memorabilia. Much of the Collection celebrates Doyle s most famous character, the Great Detective Sherlock Holmes. The Collection is housed in the Marilyn & Charles Baillie Special Collections Centre, in a room resembling a Victorian study, where people can browse along open shelves in a manner unusual in a special collection. The Arthur Conan Doyle Collection is supported by the Friends of the Arthur Conan Doyle Collection. Baldwin Collection of Canadiana The Baldwin Collection of Canadiana, housed in the Marilyn & Charles Baillie Special Collections Centre, was named for Robert Baldwin, the 19 th century statesman and father of responsible government in Canada, whose family donated his papers to the Toronto Public Library. Today, the Centre houses an extensive collection of primary source material on the history of Canada. It includes the pre-eminent collection of pre-1900 books about Canada, written by Canadians or printed or published in Canada. Prominently featured in the Baldwin Collection are historic Canadian manuscripts, ephemera, and newspapers. An important treasure of this collection is the Canadian Documentary Art Collection. It began with a gift from the Toronto philanthropist John Ross Robertson when, in 1910, he donated to TPL over 4,000 pictures and pictorial material illustrating the history of Canada. The collection has since grown to over 80,000 images in many genres and formats. A recent addition to the Collection is the Toronto Star Photograph Archive, over 1.2 million press photographs spanning the twentieth century. Chinese Canadian Archive The Chinese Canadian Archive, established in 2016, to collect and preserve historical records that document the Chinese Canadian experience in the Greater Toronto Area. Since its beginning, the Archive has accepted 48 accessions, representing 128 linear feet of archival records. The Chinese Canadian Archive is supported by the Chinese Canadian Archive Advisory Committee. Merril Collection of Science Fiction, Speculation & Fantasy The Merril Collection contains over 60,000 non-circulating items: science fiction, fantasy and non-fiction about speculative literature. Researchers using the Merril Collection can access periodicals ranging from the brilliantly illustrated pulp magazines of the early1900s to current issues of academic and popular periodicals. Special press publications, graphic novels (comics), fanzines, fantasy role-playing games, science fiction and fantasy art, and manuscripts are also available. Special exhibits drawn from the Collection are displayed in the reading room. The collection is named after science fiction writer and editor Judith Merril, who generously donated her collection to us in 1970. The Merril Collection is supported by the Friends of the Merril Collection. Osborne Collection of Early Children s Books In 1949, British librarian Edgar Osborne gave his collection of 2,000 English children s books to the Toronto Public Library creating the nucleus of today s Osborne Collection. The Osborne Collection traces the history of English-language publishing for children. It is a research collection whose holdings range from a 14 th -century manuscript of Aesop s fables through classics of fantasy and adventure, modern notable books, book-related toys, games, art, archives and ephemera. English Canadian children s book history is a particular area of focus. Within the Osborne Collection are
Florence Nightingale s childhood books, Queen Mary s Collection of Royal Children s Books, and a wide range of intriguing popular materials, from Penny Dreadfuls and early series books to novelty movables and miniatures. Regular exhibitions are mounted to highlight the Osborne Collection s treasures to its many visitors. The Osborne Collection is supported by the Friends of the Osborne and Lillian H. Smith Collections. Digital Archive The Digital Archive is the public facing repository of digitized collections. It contains over 130,000 assets including rare maps, photographs and works of art, books, printed ephemera, and stage designs. The content is drawn chiefly from the Library s special collections, but also includes publications created by the Library (e.g., local history walking tours), public domain materials from Branch collections of the Library, and user-contributed content. The digital content is repurposed and curated for an Ontario audience through the Virtual Reference Library as part of the Library s mandate to serve the Province of Ontario. These resources are available 24/7 and are accessed freely through the Library s website. TD Gallery The TD Gallery is the primary display area for the Library s Special Collections. It is a space where Torontonians and visitors alike connect with our collective cultural memory. The TD Gallery hosts four exhibits each year, curated by a team that includes librarians and subject experts including curators, designers, and professional conservators. Stories are told, and histories explored through rare and unique items curated from the Library s special collections. The TD Gallery averages 15,000 visitors annually.