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Politics and Social Policy Librarian - Library

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Position overview

Salary range: $64,930-$84,754
Percent time: 100%

Position description

The University of California, Berkeley Library seeks a collaborative and user-centered librarian to join a team supporting world-class research and teaching in the social sciences through active engagement with collection development, data and information literacy initiatives, course-related library instruction and individual research assistance.

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 Library’s mission and strategic plan can be viewed at the link below.

The Library’s Social Sciences Division consists of four subject libraries – Anthropology, Business, Environmental Design, and Social Research – and the collections and services located in Doe Library/Gardner MAIN Stacks. Collectively, the staff – 10 librarians, 9 library staff, and over 50 student library employees – support the research, teaching, and study needs of students and faculty in twelve social science departments within the College of Letters & Science, six professional schools, three International and Area Studies programs, and an array of Organized Research Units.

Responsibilities

The Politics and Social Policy Librarian helps students and researchers analyze the use, abuse and distribution of power, and develop policies and practices to address social and environmental problems. UC Berkeley has a proud history of engagement with Free Speech and Civil Rights, Disability Rights, Anti-Racism and Queer Activism and is committed to becoming a Hispanic Serving Institution. The Charles and Louise Travers Department of Political Science is one of the largest social science majors at Berkeley, with one third of students from underrepresented groups - Black, Latinx and Native American. The Goldman School of Public Policy (whose motto is “Truth to Power'') prepares graduates to engage society’s most complex issues, including poverty, racial inequality, criminal justice, and climate change. The successful candidate will collaborate across disciplines, and have a quarter-time secondary assignment based on the needs of the library and candidate interests.

The librarian establishes strong relationships with faculty and students and conducts analysis and assessment of user needs, provides virtual and in-person research consultations, offers course-related library instruction, creates instructional materials in a variety of formats, and promotes library resources and services.

The Politics and Social Policy Librarian collects information in a variety of formats including books, videos, journals, databases, and state and local documents to support teaching and research in politics and policy. Developing research level collections requires collaboration with other librarians on campus and within the UC System on interdisciplinary and/or system-wide collection decisions, and working with librarians at other institutions nationally and internationally on improving access for legacy collections, including open access initiatives.

The position works closely with other subject librarians in the interdisciplinary social sciences, collaborates with librarians with language and country expertise to support global and international studies, and reports to the head of the Library’s Social Sciences Division. The successful candidate will also work with library-wide functional specialists including those responsible for assessment, research data management, digital scholarship, and scholarly communications; and will assume responsibility in one of these areas as lead within the Social Sciences Division.

UC Berkeley librarians and academic staff participate in library-wide planning and governance, and work effectively in a shared decision-making environment. Advancement is partially based upon professional contributions beyond the primary assignment; the successful candidate will show evidence or promise of such contributions to the Library, campus, UC System, and profession.

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, the University Council – American Federation of Teachers (UC-AFT). This position is in the bargaining unit.

Librarians are eligible for professional development leave, vacation leave, 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.

Qualifications

Basic qualifications (required at time of application)

● Advanced degree or enrolled in an advanced degree program

Additional qualifications (required at time of start)

● Advanced degree

Preferred qualifications

●Master’s degree from an ALA-accredited institution or equivalent international degree
●Experience providing reference and/or instructional services in a library
●Demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion
●Familiarity with social science research methods
●Demonstrated written communication skills
●Demonstrated presentation skills
●Experience with quantitative and/or qualitative data
●Experience with, or course work in, collection development

Application Requirements

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

  • Cover Letter

  • Statement on Contributions to Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - Statement on your contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion, including information about your understanding of these topics, your record of activities to date, and your specific plans and goals for advancing equity and inclusion if hired at Berkeley (for additional information go to https://ofew.berkeley.edu/recruitment/contributions-diversity).

Reference requirements
  • 3 required (contact information only)
Apply link: https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF03316

Help contact: hrd-library@berkeley.edu

About UC Berkeley

UC Berkeley is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. The excellence of the institution requires an environment in which the diverse community of faculty, students, and staff are welcome and included. Successful candidates will demonstrate knowledge and skill related to ensuring equity and inclusion in the activities of their academic position (e.g., teaching, research, and service, as applicable).

The University of California, Berkeley 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

In searches when letters of reference are required all letters will be treated as confidential per University of California policy and California state law. Please refer potential referees, including when letters are provided via a third party (i.e., dossier service or career center), to the UC Berkeley statement of confidentiality prior to submitting their letter.

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

Job location

Berkeley, CA