Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Three Research Librarians With Subject And/Or Instructional Design Expertise

The University of California, Irvine Libraries seeks creative, flexible, and innovative librarians to join an enthusiastic staff in building a research library of excellence for a young and rapidly growing university ranked nationally among the top universities. Three research librarians will be appointed who will specialize in one or more subject areas and will perform a combination of collection development, reference, and instructional duties.  One of the research librarians will have special responsibility for instructional design and play a lead role in online education efforts. 

The exact combination of duties and the specific subjects to be assigned are flexible and will be influenced largely by the profiles of the most qualified applicants.  Subject areas that are needed include:  English, Comparative Literature, Critical Theory, Classics, German, Music, Drama, Dance, Latin American Studies, Logic and Philosophy of Science, Mathematics, Philosophy, Physics & Astronomy, Religious Studies, and Romance Languages (Spanish and Portuguese, French, Italian).

The Research Librarian specializing in instructional design and online education will be a member of the Education and Outreach Department.  The other Research Librarians will be members of either the Collection Development Department or the Reference Department depending on the subjects assigned and which types of duties predominate. 

Responsibilities

All research librarian positions

In the area of collection development, Research Librarians are responsible for the selection, assessment, and management of collections and resources in their subject areas.  They serve as liaisons to the faculty and students in their subject areas to ensure that their information needs are being met as well as to promote the Libraries’ services and resources.  They monitor budgets and make collections decisions that support the teaching and research needs on campus.  They develop and update subject webpages in support of research in their assigned subjects.  They help promote scholarly communication initiatives and digital scholarship services that support the research life cycle.

In the area of reference, Research Librarians provide specialized reference and research consultations in their subject areas, and they also maintain sufficient knowledge to provide effective general reference service at the reference desk including responding to in-person, telephone, and electronic inquiries. 

In the area of instruction, Research Librarians provide and promote specialized instruction services to students and faculty in their subject areas.  They also participate in the Libraries’ instruction program for students enrolled in lower-division writing courses and other information literacy initiatives.

Additional responsibilities of the research librarian specializing in instructional design and online education

In addition to the above responsibilities, the Research Librarian specializing in instructional design and online education will provide leadership in the development, implementation, and assessment of online learning tools, resources, and services for the UC Irvine Libraries.  This Research Librarian will monitor the development of online courses at UC Irvine and will actively pursue opportunities to integrate information literacy instruction into those courses. The incumbent will collaborate with library and campus staff and faculty on the design and development of online learning materials (tutorials, point of need demonstrations, how-to videos, etc.) that support instruction in information literacy skills and in the use of library resources and services.

Qualifications

Required (all positions):

  • Graduate degree in library science from an ALA-accredited institution or an equivalent combination of relevant advanced degree and library experience.
  • Educational background in the subject areas to be assigned or experience performing reference, instruction and/or collection development for the subjects.
  • Ability to assist and instruct users and students in specialized resources.
  • Commitment to continuous professional growth and development
  • Desire and ability to engage in creative and flexible approaches to the provision of assigned responsibilities.
  • Strong interest in working with students and faculty.
  • Commitment to user-centered library services.
  • Strong interest in instructional technology, and electronic resources, especially in the subject areas to be assigned.
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
  • Ability to work effectively in a team and in a dynamically changing environment.
  • Ability to work effectively and collegially with a diverse population of faculty, students and staff.
  • Ability to meet the University of California criteria for advancement and promotion.

Additional Required Qualifications for the Research Librarian for Instructional Design and Online Education position:

  • Experience teaching library instruction classes in an academic environment, preferably to undergraduate students.
  • Familiarity with concepts and goals of information literacy.
  • Understanding of instructional design principles in an online environment.
  • Familiarity with copyright and fair use principles as they relate to online and distance learning.
  • Knowledge of technologies that facilitate learning in an online environment.
  • Experience creating instructional and information materials such as online tutorials, surveys, and guides.
  • Ability to manage complex projects.
  • Ability to learn new technology tools and skills, to conduct training for users and staff, and strong desire to share this knowledge with others.

Preferred (all positions):

  • Experience assessing, evaluating, and negotiating digital resources in the subject areas.
  • Skill in developing, organizing, and maintaining web-based information resources.
  • Interest in Digital Humanities and/or eScience.
  • Experience managing or leading projects.
  • Knowledge of scholarly communication issues and trends in assigned subject areas.

The Education and Outreach Department

The Education and Outreach Department, which currently includes 2 librarians and a .25 library assistant, provides leadership for the Libraries’ outreach and instruction activities and programs which emphasize research skills, information literacy, scholarly communication, and critical thinking. The Department has a lead role in the coordination, integration, and assessment of all library instruction and outreach activities, including subject-based, graduate, and professional school instruction. The Department operates in a collaborative, team-based environment and works closely with members of the Libraries’ Reference and Collection Development Departments in order to fulfill its mission.

The Reference Department

The Reference Department consists of Langson Library Reference and Ayala Science Library Reference. Langson Library’s services and collections support research and teaching in the arts, education, humanities, social sciences and business and management. Ayala Science Library’s services and collections support research and teaching in biological and physical sciences, engineering and computer science, and the health sciences including medicine.  The Reference Department provides reference services including research consultations and virtual reference. Part of the Department’s mission is to provide expertise in research tools and information access to develop information literacy and critical thinking skills in a diverse interdisciplinary educational environment. The Reference Department operates in a team-based environment and the staff consists of 7-8 librarians and 8 FTE career staff.

The Collection Development Department

The Collection Development Department consists of 7-8 librarians and 1 FTE library assistant.  The Collection Development Department is committed to developing, delivering, and preserving the Libraries’ collection of significant and diverse research resources.  This department is dedicated to building a research library of excellence by overseeing and directing collection development activities, managing library collections, and fostering relationships with faculty, students and staff engaged in the production of knowledge.

The Libraries

The UCI Libraries are committed to innovation and excellence and are in a major period of change.  The Libraries consist of the Langson Library, the Ayala Science Library, the Library Gateway Study Center, and the Grunigen Medical Library.  These buildings contain over 3,600 public seats for study and research and provide more than 600 public access computers.  The UCI Libraries have a staff of approximately 140 FTE plus approximately 30 student assistant FTE.  The library collection consists of over 3.4 million volumes and over 86,000 journals and serial titles and an aggressively expanding electronic resources collection.  The UCI Libraries are a member of the:  Association of Research Libraries (ARL), California Digital Library (CDL), HathiTrust Digital Library, Center for Research Libraries (CRL), Coalition of Networked Information (CNI), Digital Library Federation (DLF), Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR), Scholarly Publishing & Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC), Pacific Rim Digital Library Alliance (PRDLA), and International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA).

University of California, Irvine

The University of California, Irvine, is nestled in over 1,500 acres of coastal foothills, five miles from the Pacific Ocean, between San Diego and Los Angeles.  Founded in 1965, UCI has more than 28,000 undergraduate and graduate students and about 1,100 faculty.  Nearly 67% of UCI students identify themselves as Asian American, African American, Chicano/Latino, or Native American.  The University offers graduate degrees in more than 100 academic disciplines and interdisciplinary programs in addition to the M.D. and J.D.  UCI’s academic programs are ranked nationally among the top universities; several doctoral programs are ranked in the top ten.

Librarians at the University of California Irvine are academic appointees and receive potential career status at the time of their initial appointment.  Librarians periodically receive administrative and peer review for merit increases based on the following criteria: 1) professional competence and quality of service within the Library; 2) professional activity outside the Library; 3) university and public service; and 4) research and other creative activity.

Salary & Benefits:  Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience.  Preferred appointment level is $47,544 - $70,956 (Assistant Librarian I – Librarian I).

Librarians are entitled to two days per month of annual leave, thirteen paid holidays, and one day per month sick leave.  The University has an excellent retirement system and offers a variety of group health, life, and disability insurance plans.  Benefits are equal to approximately 40% of salary.

Consideration will be given to applicants with a wide range of years of experience, including qualified early career librarians.

Deadline for Applications:  Applications received by April 15, 2013 will receive first consideration, but applications will continue to be accepted until the position is filled.

To ApplyElectronic applications are preferred.  Qualified applicants who wish to be considered for this position should send their application materials in one document that includes: cover letter; complete résumé; and the names, e-mail addresses, and phone numbers of three references, with a statement of each reference's professional relationship to the applicant, to: 

E-mail: libhr@uci.edu
Library Human Resources
UC Irvine, P.O. Box 19557
Irvine, CA 92623-9557
Confidential fax:  (949) 824-3270

Upon application, candidates should be in possession of proof of their legal right to employment in the U.S.  In compliance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, verification of legal right to work will be required between the time of final selection and hiring, and is absolutely essential in ultimately being hired.

This position description is listed on the UCI Libraries Web site at http://www.lib.uci.edu/about/jobs/librarian-vacancies.html with links to additional Web sites featuring campus and community information.

The University of California, Irvine is an equal opportunity employer
committed to excellence through diversity.

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