Caribbean Basin Librarian

POSITION VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

POSITION: Caribbean Basin Librarian

RANK:    Assistant University Librarian

REPORTS TO: Head, Latin American Collection
    Department of Special and Area Studies Collections

SALARY:  Minimum Salary $42,000
    Actual salary will reflect selected professional’s experience and credentials

REQUISITION #:    0806392 

DEADLINE DATE:January 15, 2011 - review of applications will begin December 1, 2010


Please note that this posting has specific instructions for the submission of application materials - see our website at: http://web.uflib.ufl.edu/pers/careers.htm  or the APPLICATION PROCESS section below for further details.  Failure to submit the required documents may result in the application not being considered.

JOB SUMMARY:

The Department of Special and Area Studies Collections at the University of Florida’s George A. Smathers Libraries seeks a creative and service-oriented individual to develop and manage library collections and activities related to the Caribbean Basin region (including, but not limited to, Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Panama, and Mexico). The incumbent will work with a variety of materials including archival materials, rare books, and contemporary imprints. S/he will work collaboratively on group efforts and maintain close professional relationships with faculty, students and colleagues. The Caribbean Basin Librarian will promote awareness of and access to these collections, and will provide direct assistance to library users (at department public service desks). The library encourages staff participation in reaching management decisions and consequently the Caribbean Basin Librarian will serve on various committees and teams. The incumbent will pursue professional development opportunities, including research, publication, and professional association activities, to meet library-wide criteria for tenure and promotion

RESPONSIBILITIES:

1.Oversees and promotes use of collections in the Department of Special and Area Studies Collections related to the Caribbean Basin region (including Spanish Florida). Communicates within and beyond the University to create awareness and use of these unique resources.
2.Works closely with colleagues in the department, the Smathers Libraries, and the university to identify relevant primary source collections and materials, and develop plans for the acquisition, processing, and digitization of these materials. 
3.Leads processing of acquired archival collections. Trains and supervises staff and students involved in this processing. Creates and updates finding aids to these collections as needed, and insures that appropriate records exist in the Library Catalog.
4.Works closely with the UF Digital Library Center and other entities (e.g. commercial vendors and the Digital Library of the Caribbean) on relevant digitization projects.
5.Works with library development personnel to locate and obtain funding for the support of Caribbean Basin and other departmental initiatives from donors and granting agencies.
6.Staffs the Latin American Collection (LAC) and Special Collections Research Room service desks (including some weekend hours in LAC).
7.Delivers guest lectures to classes providing guidance for accessing department collections.
8.Collaborates with the Head, Latin American Collection on development of current print and other collections related to the Caribbean Basin region.
9.Serves as resource regarding other Latin American archival materials.
10.Participates in other department projects or initiatives as needed.
11.Participates in appropriate professional library organizations on the state, regional and national levels. Pursues professional development goals, including publication.

QUALIFICATIONS:
Required:
1.An advanced degree in Latin American history or another appropriate field.
2.A master’s degree in library science with concentration in archival processing from an ALA-accredited library school, or 3 years of professional work experience with archival materials. 
3.Fluency in Spanish (reading, writing, speaking) and a working knowledge of French
4.Ability to provide reference assistance on materials from the Spanish colonial period.
5.Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills.
6.Demonstrated organizational and planning skills.
7.Ability to work effectively in teams and individually with faculty, staff and students. 
8.Initiative, flexibility, and the ability to adapt and work creatively in a complex, rapidly changing academic environment.
9.Strong potential for meeting the requirements of tenure and promotion (described at http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/pers/cdh/). 

Preferred:
1.Previous experience working in an academic or research library.
2.Experience working with archival materials. Aptitude for processing primary source materials.
3.Ability to teach paleography (especially Spanish paleography).
4.Supervisory experience.
5.Experience creating and maintaining Web page content.
6.Ability to design and create exhibits.
7.Working knowledge of other relevant languages.
8.Experience with grants and private fundraising.

THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
The University of Florida (UF) is a major public, comprehensive, land-grant, research university. The state's oldest and most comprehensive university, UF is among the nation's most academically diverse public universities. UF has a long history of established programs in international education, research and service. It is one of only 17 public, land-grant universities that belong to the Association of American Universities. UF traces its beginnings to a small seminary in 1853 and is now one of the largest universities in the nation, with more than 50,000 students. For more information, please consult the UF homepage at http://www.ufl.edu.
The George A. Smathers Libraries is a member of the Association of Research Libraries, the Center for Research Libraries, the Research Libraries Group, and LYRASIS. The library staff consists of more than 400 FTE librarians, technical/clerical staff and student assistants.
The George A. Smathers Libraries organizational chart is available at: http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/backpage.html. For more information about the Libraries, please visit http://www.uflib.ufl.edu.

Special and Area Studies Collections encompasses two units: the Area Studies Collections and the Special Collections of the University of Florida.

The Area Studies Collections are the Latin American Collection, the Africana Collection, the Asian Studies Collection, and the Price Library of Judaica.

Special Collections include Baldwin Library of Historical Children's Literature, the P.K. Yonge Library of Florida History, the General Manuscript Collection, the Harold and Mary Jean Hanson Rare Book Collection, the University Archives, the Architecture Archives, and the Popular Culture Collections (including the Belknap Collection for the Performing Arts and the Suzy Covey Comic Book Collection).

The Latin American Collection is among the largest and most distinguished collections of Latin American materials in the U.S. and has been described as the finest collection of Caribbeana in the world. Because of Florida's cultural past, the University of Florida has a long tradition of Latin American studies, dating back to the establishment of the University's Inter-American Institute in 1930. In 1951, the Libraries accepted national responsibility for collecting Caribbean material, aided by Federal and private support. Librarians in the 1950s and 1960s traveled extensively acquiring rare books and microfilming newspapers and official gazettes from many national archives. There is also deep coverage of Brazil, Mexico, Central America, Andean nations and the Southern Cone. Among the Special Collections is the P.K. Yonge Library of Florida History, which contains over 2.5 million pages of Spanish Florida archival materials, gathered from years of microfilming in Spain's Archivo General de Indias. Special Collections also houses the Rochambeau and Jeremie papers on colonial Haiti, and the Braga Brothers Sugar Collection, one of the premier archival sources on the development of the Cuban sugar industry, comprising over 1.2 million business and social history documents from the late 19th century and the 20th century. The Rare Books Collection holds many unique and scarce Latin American imprints, with notable Cuban holdings.  Additionally, the Architecture and Fine Arts Library, the Music Library, the Health Science Center and UF's Law School Library coordinate with the Latin American Collection in areas of collecting and user services.   
   
COMMUNITY:
Gainesville, Florida and the surrounding community are home to approximately 240,000 people and both the University of Florida and Santa Fe College.  Situated just over an hour from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, the city is surrounded by over 40 nature parks, including many spring-fed lakes and rivers. In 2007, Gainesville was ranked as the “Best Place to Live and Work” by Frommer’s Cities Ranked and Rated and as one of the “Best Places to Live and Play” by National Geographic Adventure. Gainesville is known as an innovative municipal government and an innovative city. Gainesville continues to receive national recognition as a top-rated city. Some of Gainesville's accolades are listed at the following link: http://www.cityofgainesville.org/VISITOR/GainesvilleAwardsRecognition/tabid/494/Default.aspx. The area has numerous cultural institutions and is a haven for sports fans. Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, Tallahassee, and St. Augustine are all within a two hour drive.

BENEFITS:
Twenty-six vacation days, nine paid holidays, and thirteen sick leave days annually; retirement plan options; insurance benefits; tuition fee waiver program; no state or local income tax. Prospective employees should review the information about employment at UF available at http://www.hr.ufl.edu/training/neo/default.asp.

APPLICATION PROCESS:
The University of Florida is an equal opportunity employer and is strongly committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff. Applicants from a broad spectrum of people, including members of ethnic minorities and disabled persons, are especially encouraged to apply. As part of the application process, applicants are invited to complete an on-line confidential and voluntary demographic self-disclosure form which can be found at: http://www.hr.ufl.edu/job/datacard.htm. This information is collected by the University of Florida's Faculty Development Office to track applicant trends and is in no way considered by the Smathers Libraries in the selection process.

Please submit application materials via e-mail. Send, as attachments (MS-Word format preferred), a cover letter detailing your interest in and qualifications for this position; a written statement regarding the impact of digital technology on the management of Caribbean collections, especially in regards to preservation and access (250 words); your current resume and a list of three references.  Include address, telephone and email information for references.  Apply by January 15, 2011 (applications will be reviewed beginning December 1, 2010). Send all required application materials to Bonnie J. Smith, Smathers Libraries Human Resources Office, at: bonniesmith@ufl.edu.