Research & Instruction Librarians (2), Amherst College, Amherst, MA
Posted September 30, 2014
Research, Instruction, & Outreach Librarian
Research, Instruction, & User Experience Librarian
https://jobs.amherst.edu/view/
Position Details
Amherst College, a highly selective liberal-arts college, seeks two talented librarians for newly created positions in the library’s Research & Instruction department. Amherst has profoundly transformed its student body in terms of socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and nationality, among other areas. Today, nearly one quarter of Amherst’s students consists of Pell Grant recipients, and many more are first-generation students; nearly half of our students are non-immigrant minorities. We seek candidates who have experience working in a multicultural environment, are interested in mentoring a diverse student body, and/or who have a record of teaching a diverse student population.
As part of a collaborative and dynamic team of seven Research & Instruction librarians, both positions will teach in the library’s program of course-integrated research instruction; build relationships with faculty, students, and staff to support their information needs; serve as subject librarian for several departments, acting as research instructor, liaison, and selector; and provide general research help and guide library users in identifying, retrieving, and evaluating information in all formats. Additionally, the Research, Instruction, & Outreach Librarian will focus on strategies to support student success through library instruction, resources, and services. The Research, Instruction, & User Experience Librarian will take the lead for R&I in working with other library departments to continuously assess research services, resources, and user experience.
Principal Duties and Responsibilities
- Creates responsive, disciplinary-specific research instruction for classes; teaches how to use information in a variety of settings; and supports students pursuing independent research projects.
- Serves as subject specialist and liaison to several academic departments in the humanities or social sciences, possibly in foreign languages/literature or disciplines with quantitative needs [may include Economics, Psychology, French, Spanish, Russian, or Math & Statistics, depending on strengths and fit]: provides in-depth consultations about resources and research strategies; develops and manages relevant collections in all formats; connects faculty and students with library services.
- Provides research assistance in the main Robert Frost Library.
- Incorporates emerging information technologies and new uses of resources in response to evolving patterns of publishing and information dissemination.
- Actively participates in outreach activities, committees, and work groups of the Library, the College, Five Colleges, and at regional and national organizations.
- Demonstrates and facilitates effective communication throughout the Library and across the College.
Additional areas of focus
Research, Instruction, & Outreach Librarian: Develops outreach strategies to promote library instruction, resources, and services; liaises with student groups and other departments and offices on campus supporting student success.
Research, Instruction, & User Experience Librarian: Takes the lead for R&I in working with other library departments to continuously assess research services, resources, and user experience; anticipates and supports changes in scholarly communication, including digital scholarship.
Qualifications
- Master’s degree from a program accredited by the American Library Association or foreign equivalent.
- A history of excellent teaching; a commitment to undergraduates and undergraduate education; and a record of rapport and collaboration on assignments, course design, and pedagogical strategies.
- Experience in an academic library or research institution with a focus on teaching, resource selection, or other public services.
- Strong academic background and intellectual curiosity; additional graduate degree and fluency in a foreign language preferred.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills; ability to advocate for the Library to a variety of constituents.
- Commitment to work closely with colleagues, undergraduates, faculty, staff, and college administrators.
- Willingness to tackle challenges in an academic library with energy and enthusiasm, showing patience, tact, and good humor in providing user-focused public service.
- Competence and sensitivity in working at a college in which students are broadly diverse with regard to gender, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, and religion.
Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, and the names and contact information of three professional references at https://jobs.amherst.edu/view/