Manager, Collections and Resource Sharing

Job Summary

Summary

Location: Yellowhead Regional Library (YRL), 433 King Street, Spruce Grove, Alberta

Reports To: Director

Salary: $92,286 to $105,313 annually based on the 2025 salary grid and 35 hours per week.

Benefits: This position is eligible for a Local Authorities Pension Plan. YRL offers health and dental care (which must be part of the group plan), extended health benefits, and a healthcare spending account.

Other Benefits

• Vacation: Four weeks per year to start.
• Manager time in lieu: An extra six paid days off per year instead of overtime.
• YRL is closed between December 25 and January 1; staff receive an additional three days of paid time off unless operationally required to be on site.
• Provision of paid sick leave as well as paid time off for appointments.
• This position will have funds available for professional development opportunities.

Job Type: Permanent Full-time; 35 hours per week.

About Yellowhead Regional Library

Yellowhead Regional Library (YRL) is a “library for libraries.” We are a dynamic and forward-thinking library system, founded in 1971, that provides quality library services to 54 urban and rural municipalities and three school divisions in west-central Alberta. Our member libraries support a population of over 300,000 Albertans and almost 9,800 full-time equivalent students.

Located in Spruce Grove, our regional area stretches from the metro-Edmonton area west to Jasper, north to Swan Hills, Whitecourt, and Westlock, southeast to Wetaskiwin and New Sarepta, and southwest to Drayton Valley and Alder Flats.

YRL participates in several collaborative projects with other regional systems and is an active participant in partnerships (TRAC) along with provincial and national consortia (The Alberta Library, Canadian Urban Libraries Council).

YRL is a certified Living Wage Alberta employer.

Our mission: YRL provides materials and services to public and school libraries, and other organizations, to assist them in meeting the informational, educational, cultural and recreational needs of their communities. Our values: collaboration, inclusion, responsiveness, value for investment. We promote innovation, intellectual freedom, literacy and lifelong learning, and service and organizational excellence.

To see our mission and values in action, please review our current strategic plan.

Position Overview

The Manager, Collection and Resource Sharing (CRS) is responsible for providing professional expertise, guidance and support to Yellowhead Regional Library (YRL) member libraries in all areas related to physical and digital collections and resource sharing. This position supports the development of sustainable, efficient, and responsive collections and access services aligned with YRL’s strategic goals. This position manages the CRS team to provide operational excellence in collection and access services and contributes to ongoing service innovation and member satisfaction.

Essential Functions

This position is responsible for:

• Providing professional leadership and managing CRS staff.
• Ensuring alignment of collections and access services with YRL’s goals and member needs.
• Supporting shared systems, including ILS, resource sharing platforms, and consortia tools.
• Representing YRL on sector-wide committees, projects, and vendor relationships.
• Supporting member libraries through training, troubleshooting, and coaching in areas such as acquisitions, cataloguing, and system navigation.

For details on how these functions are measured, please refer to the job description.

Qualifications

Education: An ALA-accredited degree in Library and Information Studies.

Experience:

• Minimum three (3) years of progressively responsible experience in public libraries.
• Demonstrated leadership and change management experience.
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships with vendors, consortia, and external stakeholders.
• Experience working with boards is preferred.
• Supervisory experience preferred.

Other Skills

• Comprehensive understanding of Alberta’s public library legislation, governance structures, and service models.
• High proficiency with bibliographic services (cataloging and acquisitions), data-informed decision making, vendor negotiations, interlibrary loan and collection assessment.
• Proficient in modern technological library environments.
• Solid conflict resolution and people management skills.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills across diverse audiences, settings and formats.
• Strong organizational, problem-solving, and facilitation skills.
• Valid Alberta driver’s licence and the skills and aptitude for frequent travel to rural and outlying communities.

Working Conditions

• Standard office environment. Note: YRL is not open to the public.
• Working hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Eligible to participate in the YRL Working from Home Policy.

Compensation:  $92,286 to $105,313 annually

How To Apply

If our mission and values resonate, you are intrigued by the work and think your skills are what we need, then please submit a cover letter outlining your qualifications and experience, resume and the contact information of three (3) references to Laurie Haak at lhaak@yrl.ab.ca by Monday, July 7 with the subject line Manager.

By applying for this position, you consent to the collection, use and necessary disclosure of the personal information provided during the application and selection process. We thank all applicants however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.