South Asian Studies Librarian, Indiana University Bloomington Libraries, Bloomington IL
Posted October 8, 2013
The Indiana University Bloomington Libraries seek a dynamic, innovative, and collegial individual to serve in the position of South Asian Studies Librarian.
Founded in 1820, Indiana University Bloomington has grown from a small state seminary into the flagship campus of a great public university with over 42,000 students and almost 3,000 faculty. Innovation, creativity, and academic freedom are hallmarks of IU Bloomington and its world-class contributions in research and the arts. The campus covers over 1,800 wooded acres and is distinctive for both its park-like beauty and an architectural heritage inspired by local craftsmanship in limestone.
The Indiana University Bloomington Libraries (http://www.libraries.iub.edu) are among the leading academic research library systems in North America, having recently been named the top university library by the Association of College and Research Libraries. The IUB Libraries provide strong collections, quality service and instructional programs, and leadership in the application of information technologies. The IU Libraries system consists of twenty libraries on the Bloomington campus, five libraries in Indianapolis, and a library at each of the other six campuses across the state. The collections support every academic discipline on campus and include more than 6.6 million books, journals, maps, films, and audio/visual materials in over 900 languages. Users can access more than 400 databases, 43,000 electronic journals, and 224,000 electronic books, as well as locally developed digital content.
The IUB Libraries are active members of regional and national associations and consortia including the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC), the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), the Digital Library Federation (DLF), and is a founding member of HathiTrust, a shared digital repository. IU is the principal investigator for Kuali Open Library Environment (OLE) and is working with academic library partners to develop a next generation open source library management system.
The Area Studies Department of the Indiana University Libraries includes six librarians and four 0.5 FTE support staff positions who are responsible for all aspects of collection development/management, reference, and outreach to students and faculty in African, Latin American, Spanish & Portuguese, Latino, Slavic and East European, East Asian, Middle Eastern, Islamic and Central Eurasian, Jewish, India and South Asian, and Tibetan Studies. The department’s mission is to support and strengthen teaching, learning, and research by providing the collections, services, and environments that lead to intellectual discovery. For more information, see http://www.libraries.iub.edu/
RESPONSIBILITIES
Reporting to the Head of the Area Studies Department, the individual in this position will provide reference and instructional support for, and oversee collection development and management in the areas of India and South Asia Studies and provide collection development for Foreign/International Documents. Additional responsibilities include:
- Serving as an active member of the Libraries’ Area Studies Department.
- Managing and developing interdisciplinary library collections in the areas of India and South Asian and, to a lesser degree, South East Asian Studies.
- Managing and developing library collections in the area of Foreign and International Documents.
- Supporting research and scholarly communication in the above subject areas through outreach to faculty and students.
- Actively supporting the teaching of India and South Asian Studies by consulting with faculty on teaching information literacy skills and teaching library instruction sessions.
- Serving as liaison to the Dhar India Studies Program. The individual in this position may also serve as a member of the Dhar India Studies Program’s core faculty.
- Learning and understanding the continually evolving research practices and teaching needs of India and South Asian Studies faculty, students, and instructors.
- Providing reference services and research consultations and support to faculty, students, staff, and the community at large.
- Keeping abreast of developments related to the book trade in India and South Asia.
- Contributing to developments in the field of area studies librarianship through active professional engagement and research, presenting and publishing in appropriate venues.
- Developing regional, national, and international partnerships and collaborations, representing IU in forums such as the Committee on South Asian Libraries and Documentation (CONSALD) and the South Asia Microform Project (SAMP).
QUALIFICATIONS
Required
- ALA-accredited Master’s degree in Library Science (MLS) or equivalent education or experience.
- A second Master’s degree (Ph.D. preferred) in a South Asian Studies discipline.
- Solid command of the history and major trends in research and scholarly publishing in the South Asian world area.
- Ability to work in a team environment and build working relationships with campus colleagues.
- Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work well with diverse populations of faculty, students, and academic colleagues.
- Experience in collection development and a broad knowledge of information resources for India Studies, South Asian Studies, and Foreign/International Documents.
- Experience in information literacy instruction. Demonstrated ability to deliver in-person and online reference services.
- Excellent communication skills in English.
- Ability to meet the requirements of a tenure-track librarian position.
Preferred
- Experience as an India or South Asian Studies Librarian, or a comparable combination of academic and professional experience.
- Strong language skills in at least one key Indic language, such as (but not exclusively) Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, or Sanskrit.
- Ph.D. in India or South Asian Studies discipline.
- Ability to handle multiple responsibilities in a rapidly changing environment.
- Knowledge and understanding of key issues and trends that affect academic libraries and higher education.
- Ability to identify and work with materials in Indic languages outside the candidate’s core area of expertise.
SALARY AND BENEFITS
Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience and education; benefits include a university healthcare plan, university-funded base retirement plan, a 100% university paid group life insurance plan, and a generous paid time off plan. This is a tenure-track academic appointment that includes eligibility for sabbatical leaves. A link to additional information about benefits can be found at https://indiana.peopleadmin.
TO APPLY
Review of applications will begin on October 18, 2013. The position will remain open until filled. Interested candidates should review the application requirements and submit their application at: https://indiana.peopleadmin.