Job Description

Position Title
Special Collections Manager
About the University

Western Washington University, with over 15,000 students in seven colleges and the graduate school, is nationally recognized for its educational programs, students and faculty. The campus is located in Bellingham, Washington, a coastal community of 90,000 overlooking Bellingham Bay, the San Juan Islands and the North Cascades Mountain range. The city lies 90 miles north of Seattle and 60 miles south of Vancouver, British Columbia. Western has additional sites in Anacortes, Bremerton, Everett, Port Angeles, and Poulsbo. Western is recognized nationally for its successes, such as being named one of the top public master's-granting institutions in the Pacific Northwest for 25 years in a row by U.S. News & World Report.

Western Washington University is committed to achieving excellence through advancing inclusive success, increasing our Washington impact, and focusing on transformational education grounded in the liberal arts and sciences and based on innovative scholarship, research, and creative activity. Western's greatest strength is the outstanding students, faculty, staff, and alumni/ae who make up its community. Western supports an inclusive governance structure for all and provides a learning and working environment in which everyone can thrive. In pursuit of this excellence, individual employees are expected to establish and maintain productive and effective inclusive working relationships amongst diverse populations including staff, faculty, administration, student, and external constituents. Further, individual employees are expected to have the ability to operationalize sustainability concepts (economic, societal, environmental) into all aspects of performing their job duties.

About the Department

Western Libraries Archives & Special Collections division supports Western's mission, which states that together with our students, staff, and faculty, we are committed to making a positive impact in the state and the world with a shared focus on academic excellence and inclusive achievement. We encourage applications from women, people of color, people with disabilities, veterans, and other candidates from underrepresented backgrounds and with diverse experiences interested in this opportunity.

The three units of Archives & Special Collections develop and manage teaching and research collections that document the culture and history of Western Washington University, the local community, the Pacific Northwest, and the world. These collections, dating from antiquity through the present, include content critical to the study of historical trends, social justice, the changing environment, and the impact of settler colonialism. Together, these vital resources and the division support the teaching and research mission outlined in Western’s goals, including to advance a deeper understanding of and engagement with place.

About the Position

Under the supervision of the Special Collections Librarian and in collaboration with the Director of Archives & Special Collections, this position participates in the overall management of the Special Collections unit (one of the three programs of Western Libraries Archives & Special Collections (A&SC) division). The Special Collections Manager provides public services and coordinates the use, storage, and security of rare books and archival collections, including ensuring that the Special Collections area is open during advertised hours. The position supports the instructional, outreach, and programming activities of Special Collections. The Special Collections Manager also catalogs and processes materials in accordance with professional standards in the Special Collections unit of Western Libraries, and hires, trains, and supervises student employees.

Detailed Description of Position Duties

Public Services (35%)

• Coordinates daily operations for the Special Collections unit: registering researchers, responding to reference inquiries, student staffing, and use of facilities.
• Monitors the Special Collections Research Room to ensure proper use, security, and preservation of materials.
• Provides and supports intensive mediated public and reference services to diverse user groups, including students, faculty, staff, donors, and members of the public.
• Performs searches of complex archival collections relevant to program and division holdings using a variety of platforms.
• Educates patrons about search and retrieval tools relevant to program and division holdings.
• Responds to in-person and remote reference and duplication requests in accordance with established division policies and procedures for the access and use of archival holdings.
• Ensures necessary documentation and internal communication about public service requests, while maintaining confidentiality and privacy of users.
• Updates and maintains accurate records and statistics on users, circulation of materials, and instruction sessions in consultation with the Special Collections Librarian, division and library staff.

Collection Management (30%)

• Manages new acquisitions, including the monitoring of collections documentation and donor files, processing and preservation activities, and shelf locations.
• Serves as primary liaison to Cataloging & Metadata Services regarding the development and implementation of cataloging policies and procedures, catalog maintenance, and inventory control.
• Manages records in the library Alma system, enhances existing catalog records and performs copy cataloging for Special Collections materials, including rare books, archival collections, and historic photographs.
• In the creation and enhancing of bibliographic records, adheres to established standards such as Resource Description and Access (RDA), Library of Congress Classification, LC Subject Headings Manual, DCRM(B), and others; proactively and independently sustains and builds expertise in these standards.
• Performs or provides oversight for arrangement and description of archival collections (including development of archival finding aids)
• Monitors and oversees stacks maintenance and environmental conditions in Special Collections and plans for future storage and preservation. Coordinates with Facilities Management as needed.
• Provides basic conservation treatments and participates in preservation.
• Identifies and digitizes resources for addition to digital collections in consultation with the Special Collections Librarian, other Archives & Special Collections staff, and the Digital Collections Roundtable, and in accordance with appropriate standards, best practices and workflows.
• Creates, edits and/or reviews metadata for digital resources in accordance with appropriate best practice guidelines and standards.

Instruction and Outreach (15%)

• In collaboration with the Special Collections Librarian, prepares Special Collections resources for use in instructional sessions, public presentations, and other events.
• Assists in promoting Special Collections holdings to internal and external audiences.
• Establishes and maintains relationships with library users, including students, faculty, community groups, and prospective donors to raise awareness of Archives & Special Collections holdings and needs, in collaboration with the Special Collections Librarian and other division staff.
• Provides orientations and tours of Special Collections to visiting individuals or groups.

Hires, trains, and supervises student employees (10%)

• In consultation with division colleagues and Library Administration, promotes employment opportunities, interviews and recommends hires for student employment.
• Effectively communicates responsibilities and expectations to student employees in a clear and concise manner
• Develops project plans and training materials; assigns, supervises and performs quality control for work of student employees.
• Participates in supervisory training and related committee work (e.g. Student Supervisors Group)

Engage in professional development activities related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) (5%)

• Fosters integration of DEI practices into all other position duties and participates in library and division social justice discussions and activities.

Other Duties (5%)

• Collaborates with the Director of Archives & Special Collections, the Special Collections Librarian, and other staff on strategic planning, policy development and implementation, and special projects, as assigned.
• Prepares reports as requested.
• Attends library and division meetings, serves on library committees, and participates in professional development, as appropriate to job duties.

The State HR classification for this position is Library and Archives Professional 2.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from an ALA-accredited library school or an advanced degree in related discipline.
• Knowledge of and ability to articulate archives and library functions, practices and procedures, standards and vocabularies (e.g. EAD, MARC, RDA, LCSH, DCRM(B)).
• Demonstrated experience working in a professional archives and/or special collections, performing duties in accordance with professional standards and best practices.
• Ability to provide courteous, efficient, and effective service to patrons of diverse backgrounds, experiences, and needs.
• Experience directing the work of others.
• Strong and effective communication style, both written and verbal, with excellent interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work in a team environment and collaborate effectively with colleagues in a workplace setting.
• Proficiency with standard software tools such as databases, spreadsheets, and shared information environments.
• Strong attention to detail and demonstrated ability to organize time, data and projects effectively.
• Demonstrated commitment to furthering accessibility, diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace and through archives and special collections practice.

Preferred Qualifications

• Specialized coursework or training in archives and/or rare books and special collections.
• Experience working with Ex Libris’ Alma and Primo, Archives Space or other archival and library management systems.
• Experience working with digital collections and management system(s).
• Bibliographic knowledge of one or more non-English languages represented in the collections (such as Latin, Hebrew, German, and Yiddish).
• Experience in the supervision of student workers.
• Knowledge of preservation and conservation as related to archives and rare books.
• Experience with original and complex copy cataloging; familiarity with cataloging standards for rare materials (e.g., DCRMB, DCRMMss).

Conditions of Employment
All employees must comply with our Immunization policies, including Proof of Rubeola Measles Immunity within 60-days of hire. Please reach out to HR@wwu.edu if you need information regarding medical or religious exemption and applicable accommodations.
Salary
Monthly Salary: Range 50, $4,678, - $6,290, (Step A through M). Successful candidates typically begin at/near the beginning of the salary range and receive scheduled salary increment increases.
Benefits Information Benefits Overview for Classified Positions
Bargaining Unit
This position is part of bargaining unit D and is covered by the collective bargaining agreement with Public School Employees of WWU.
Application Instructions

Application materials must include:

• Letter of interest that addresses how your experience relates to the position responsibilities and requirements.

• Resume or curriculum vitae

• Names and contact information of three professional references (notice will be provided before references are contacted).

Closing Date Notes

Application review begins May 26, 2026; position is open until filled.

Western Washington University (WWU) is an equal opportunity employer. In compliance with applicable laws, WWU does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, age, citizenship or immigration status, pregnancy, use of protective leave, genetic status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, creed, religion, veteran or military status, disability or the use of a trained guide dog or service animal (including a service animal in training) by a person with a disability, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law, in its programs or activities, including employment, admissions, and educational programs. See WWU’s Policies on Prohibiting Discrimination Based on A Protected Class and Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Sex Inquiries may be directed to the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance, Title IX and ADA Coordinator, Western Washington University, Old Main 126 (MS 9021), 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225; 360.650.3307 (voice) or 711 (Washington Relay); crtc@wwu.edu

WWU is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. To request this document in an alternate format or to request an accommodation, please contact Human Resources Disability Services, 360.650.3751 or 711 (Washington Relay).

Annual Security and Fire Safety Report: This report is provided pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act ("The Clery Act"). It includes statistics for the previous three calendar years concerning reported crimes that occurred on Western's campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by Western; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security, such as policies concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. You can obtain a copy of this report in printed or alternate formats by contacting the Office of Student Life at student.life@wwu.edu The report can be found at: Annual Security and Fire Safety Report

All new employees must comply with the immunization policy and show employment eligibility verification as required by the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service before beginning work at WWU. A thorough background check will be conducted on all new hires which includes a sexual misconduct background check