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Research Support Librarian

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Position description

Department: Social Sciences and Humanities Division
Rank and Salary: Assistant – Associate Librarian ($47,722-$77,128)
Position Availability: Immediately
Application deadline for first consideration: January 4, 2017

Description of Institution and Library
As one of the world's great public research universities, UCLA integrates education, research, and public service so that each enriches and extends the others. From its beautiful neighborhood campus in a uniquely diverse and vibrant city on the Pacific Rim, teaching and research extend beyond the classroom, office, and lab through active engagement with communities, organizations, projects, and partnerships throughout the region and around the world.

UCLA’s diverse community of scholars encompasses nearly 30,000 undergraduates pursuing 125 majors, 13,000 graduate students in fifty-nine research programs, and 4,000 faculty members including Nobel Laureates; Rhodes Scholars; MacArthur Fellows; winners of the Fields Medal, National Medal of Science, Pritzer Prize, and Pulitzer Prize; and recipients of Oscars, Emmys, Tonys, and Golden Globes. UCLA ranks tenth in the Times of London Higher Education World Reputation Rankings, twelfth in the Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and fifth in the U.S. by Washington Monthly. The National Research Council ranks forty of its graduate and doctoral research programs among its top ten.

To enable these accomplished students, faculty, and staff to create, disseminate, and apply knowledge for the benefit of global society, the UCLA Library is re-envisioning how it is acquired, synthesized, and shared across academic audiences and with the public. It was among the first academic libraries to develop subject-specialist librarians and to launch a program to enhance students’ research skills. Its Special Collections pioneered the acquisition by public institutions of rare and unique books, children’s literature, pulp and detective fiction, works by or about women and minorities, screenplays, architectural plans, and Los Angeles-related materials and today leads the way in collecting archival resources in digital format such as emails and manuscripts. It has launched innovative data management services and an affordable course materials initiative that have served as models for other libraries.

The Library serves UCLA students, faculty, and staff whenever and wherever they need its resources and expertise. Reconfigured, high-tech spaces and services in its ten campus libraries enable users and librarians to explore and work with print and digital materials collaboratively or individually, pursue new lines of inquiry, and develop new pedagogical approaches as well as novel forms of scholarship. More than 3.5 million people visit annually, while an additional 3.4 million visitors enter online through its virtual front doors.

Whether on campus or online, the Library forms the intellectual heart of UCLA, a hub for cutting-edge discovery, scholarship, and instruction.

The Social Sciences and Humanities Division, Charles E. Young Research Library, provides instruction, collections, research assistance, and academic outreach. The division is home to subject specialists in the humanities and social sciences, including government information, and cartographic resources. These subject specialists serve as liaisons to academic departments, research units and inter-disciplinary programs in their areas of responsibility, partnering with faculty and students on a wide variety of research projects and teaching initiatives. Librarians and staff serve the faculty and students in these disciplines by cultivating research-level collections in a variety of formats, as well as providing high-level research services, in person, via e-mail, and digital reference. This team works collaboratively within the User Engagement portfolio to guide and coordinate the strategic directions, programs, services, collections, facilities, and policies associated with all units of the UCLA Library.

Position Duties
Reporting to the Director of Rosenfeld Library, Social Sciences and Humanities Division within the User Engagement Division of the UCLA Library, the Research Support Librarian works with library colleagues and UCLA instructors to design, develop, deliver, and assess outreach and instructional services to faculty, teaching assistants, undergraduates, graduate students, staff, and others in support of the discovery and effective, efficient, and ethical use of research resources and tools. The incumbent works closely with UCLA faculty and instructors to design, develop, and provide course-related/course-integrated instruction to upper-division undergraduates and graduate students. The Research Support Librarian participates in enterprise-wide planning of research and instruction services, providing particular leadership for advanced research as conducted in undergraduate seminar and Honors classes, graduate programs and by UCLA’s ladder and adjunct faculty, in collaboration with other teaching and learning services and staff within the UCLA Library. The incumbent also provides in-depth reference services, both in-person and virtually, and works with other librarians to train, supervise, and evaluate graduate student reference assistants.

Additional duties may include:

• Serves as library liaison to the English and History departments, including working with instructors and students in assigned departments to determine collection priorities.
• Provides input and information to the collections manager, especially in regards to the English-language approval plan and its parameters.
• Works with the collections managers to manage endowed gift funds in their liaison areas.
• Contributes to projects and initiatives in the department as needed and collaborates with other units as-needed on projects.

Required Qualifications
• ALA-accredited Master's Degree in Library or Information Science OR significant graduate-level coursework toward such a degree OR equivalent education and experience (subject expertise combined with professional library education and/or experience).
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in relevant social sciences or humanities field, or relevant work experience.
• Understanding of the academic library’s role in research, teaching, and learning.
• Knowledge of established and emerging teaching/learning methods and technologies and their application to university-level instruction.
• Experience consulting and working with instructors, support staff, or others on course and assignment design.
• Demonstrated proficiency and capabilities with personal computers and software, the Web, and library-relevant information technology applications.
• Ability to initiate and maintain cooperative working relationships with co-workers, supervisors, and managers. Ability to work harmoniously and as a team player, thrive in a team-based environment, and skill in fostering teamwork among others.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, time and project management skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and interpersonal skills.
• Commitment to fostering a diverse educational environment and workplace and ability to work with a diverse student and faculty population.
• Capacity to thrive in the exciting, ambiguous, future-oriented environment of a world-class research institution and to respond effectively to changing needs and priorities.

Desired Qualifications
• Advanced degree or equivalent relevant social sciences or humanities field, or relevant work experience.

General Information

Professional librarians at UCLA are academic appointees. Librarians at UCLA are represented by an exclusive bargaining agent, University Council – American Federation of Teachers (UC-AFT). This is a represented position. They are entitled to appropriate professional leave, two days per month of vacation leave, one day per month of sick leave, and all other benefits granted to non-faculty academic personnel. The University has an excellent retirement system and sponsors a variety of group health, dental, vision, and life insurance plans in addition to other benefits. Relocation assistance may be provided.

Appointees to the librarian series at UC shall have professional backgrounds that demonstrate a high degree of creativity, teamwork, and flexibility. Such background will normally include a professional degree from an ALA-accredited library and information science graduate program. In addition to professional competence and quality of service within the library in the primary job, advancement in the librarian series requires professional involvement and contributions outside of the library, and/or university and community service, and/or scholarly activities. Candidates must show evidence or promise of such contributions.

Candidates applying by January 4, 2017, will be given first consideration for this position. UCLA welcomes and encourages diversity and seeks applications and nominations from women and minorities. UCLA seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce as a reflection of our commitment to serve the people of California, to maintain the excellence of the university, and to offer our students richly varied disciplines, perspectives, and ways of knowing and learning.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see: UC Nondiscrimination and Affirmative Action Policy at http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct

Under federal law, the University of California may employ only individuals who are legally authorized to work in the United States as established by providing documents specified in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Employment is contingent upon completion of satisfactory background investigation.

Visit the UCLA Library Employment and Human Resources website at: http://www.library.ucla.edu/about/jobs-ucla-library

Application Requirements

Document requirements
  • Cover Letter - Describing qualifications and experience.

  • Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V. detailing education and relevant experience.

  • References - Names and contact information for three professional references, including current or previous supervisor; contact information only.

Job location

Los Angeles, CA