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Digital Literacies Librarian - Library

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Position description

Digital Literacies Librarian

Instruction Services Division - Library
University of California, Berkeley Library
Hiring range: Associate Librarian
$65,942 - $81,606 per annum, based on qualifications
This is a full time appointment available starting March 2019.

The University of California, Berkeley seeks a creative, collaborative, and user-oriented colleague as the Digital Literacies Librarian. The person in this role will join a team committed to teaching emerging scholars to approach research with confidence, creativity, and critical insight, empowering them to access, critically evaluate, and use information to create and distribute their own research in a technologically evolving environment. This position also has a liaison role with the School of Information, building collections and supporting research methodologies such as computational text analysis, data visualization, and machine learning.

The Environment

The UC Berkeley Library is an internationally renowned research and teaching facility at one of the nation's premier public universities. A highly diverse and intellectually rich environment, Berkeley serves a campus community of 30,000 undergraduate students, over 11,000 graduate students, and 1,500 faculty. With a collection of more than 12 million volumes and a collections budget of over $15 million, the Library offers extensive collections in all formats and robust services to connect users with those collections and build their related research skills.

The Instruction Services Division (ISD) is a team of seven librarians and professional staff who provide leadership for all issues related to the Library’s educational role such as student learning, information literacy, first-year and transfer student experience, reference and research services, assessment of teaching and learning, instructor development, and the design of physical and virtual learning environments. We support course-integrated instruction, drop-in workshops, online guides, and individual research. Our work furthers the Library’s involvement in teaching and learning initiatives and emphasizes the opportunities associated with undergraduate education. We cultivate liaison relationships with campus partners and academic programs.

The School of Information (I School) offers: professional masters degrees in information management, data science, and cybersecurity; a doctoral program in Information Management & Systems; and a Graduate Certificate in Information and Communication Technologies and Development. Research areas include: natural language processing, computer-mediated communication, data science, human-computer interaction, information policy, information visualization, privacy, technology for developing regions, and user experience and design.

Responsibilities

Reporting to the Head of the Instruction Services Division, the Digital Literacies Librarian will further the Library’s digital literacy initiative (Level Up) by working with colleagues in the Library and engaging with campus partners. This librarian will play a key role in supporting information literacy and emerging research methods across the disciplines, partnering with colleagues who have expertise in these areas (e.g. Data Initiatives Expertise Group, Data and GIS Librarians, Digital Humanities Librarian) and campus partners (e.g. D-Lab, Academic Innovation Studio, Research IT, Research Data Management). Collaborations will be leveraged to identify, implement, and promote entry-level research support services for undergraduate users. This librarian will actively participate in the Library’s reference and instructional services—providing in-person reference, virtual reference, individual research consultations, in-person classes, and the development of online instructional content. This librarian will provide consultation and training to students, faculty, and librarians on using digital tools and techniques to enhance their research and to improve teaching and learning. Serving as a liaison to the I School, this position will establish strong relationships with faculty and graduate students and gain insights into trends in information studies that can be incorporated into the library’s instructional portfolio, with a special focus on undergraduates.

Working with colleagues in ISD and across the Library, the Digital Literacies Librarian will develop innovative programs and services. A key pedagogical tactic is promoting peer-to-peer learning for undergraduates, including administering the Library Undergraduate Fellows program. The Fellows program provides students with training and networking opportunities while helping the Library experiment and pilot service models to best support emerging scholars. New service models are piloted in the Center for Connected Learning (CCL) beta site in Moffitt Library. Currently in the design phase, the CCL is a hub for undergraduates to engage in multidisciplinary, multimodal inquiry and creation. Students learn from peers and experts as they ask, seek, and find answers to their questions in an environment unbound by disciplines or domain expertise. Students discover possibilities for learning and research by experimenting directly with new methods and tools. The space is run in partnership with students, and they are empowered to influence service and space design, structure, and policies. The Digital Literacies Librarian will contribute to this ethos by ensuring that emerging scholars are supported to experiment and be connected to the Library’s wealth of scholarly resources and programs.

Qualifications

Minimum Basic Qualification required at the time of application:

● Bachelor’s degree

Additional Required Qualifications required by start date of position:

● Master’s degree from an ALA accredited institution or equivalent international degree.
● Two or more years experience providing reference and/or instruction services in an academic or research library.
● Two or more years experience using digital scholarship methodologies.

Additional Preferred Qualifications:

● Experience applying current developments in information literacy, instructional design, digital initiatives, and assessment.
● Demonstrated understanding of methods and tools related to text mining, web scraping, text and data analysis, and visualization.
● Experience with data visualization principles and tools.
● Demonstrated ability to plan, coordinate, and implement effective programs, complex projects, and services.
● Demonstrated analytical, organizational, problem solving, interpersonal, and communication skills.
● Demonstrated initiative, flexibility, creativity, and ability to work effectively both independently and as a team member.
● Knowledge of the role of the library in supporting the research lifecycle.
● Participation in Digital Humanities Summer Institute (DHSI), ARL Digital Scholarship Institute, Library Carpentry, or other intensive program.

● Experience with or coursework in collection development in an academic or research library.
● Knowledge of licensing issues related to text and data mining.
● Familiarity with data science principles and programming languages such as Python or R.

The UC Berkeley Library is committed to supporting and encouraging a multicultural environment and seeks candidates who can make positive and imaginative contributions in a context of ethnic and cultural diversity.

UC professional librarians are academic appointees and are represented by an exclusive bargaining agent, University Council – American Federation of Teachers (UC-AFT). This position is in the bargaining unit. UC Berkeley librarians are expected to participate in library-wide planning and governance and work effectively in a shared decision-making environment. Librarian advancement is partially based upon professional contributions beyond the primary assignment; the successful candidate will show promise or evidence of such contributions to the Library, campus, UC system, and profession.

Librarians are entitled to appropriate professional development leave, vacation leave, sick leave, and all other benefits granted 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.

This recruitment will remain open until filled.

Submit applications online at https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/apply/JPF01991

Applications must include a cover letter detailing a statement of qualifications, curriculum vitae noting degrees and relevant work experience, and the names and contact information of three references who are knowledgeable about the applicant's qualifications for this position. References will only be contacted for individuals under serious consideration.

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:
http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct (link is external).

Send inquiries to:
Susan E. Wong
Director, Library Human Resources
Email: librec@library.berkeley.edu

Application Requirements

Document requirements
  • Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.

  • Cover Letter - cover letter detailing a statement of qualifications

Reference requirements
  • 3 required (contact information only)

Job location

Berkeley, CA