Humanities and Social Sciences Librarian

Job Description Summary

Organization's Summary Statement:

As the largest university library system in the Washington D.C.-Baltimore area, the University of Maryland (UMD) Libraries serve more than 41,000 students and 14,000 faculty and staff of the flagship College Park campus. The Libraries’ extensive collections, programs, and services enable student success, support teaching, research, and creativity, and enrich the intellectual and cultural life of the community. A member of the Big Ten Academic Alliance and the Association of Research Libraries, the UMD Libraries were honored with the 2020 Excellence in Academic Libraries award in the university category from the Association of College and Research Libraries.

NATURE OF WORK:
The Humanities and Social Science Librarian (HSSL) is a member of the HSSL unit and reports to the Head of HSSL. The successful candidate will serve as a Humanities and Social Sciences subject librarian with responsibilities for collections management, general reference, and subject area research consulting, library instruction and other learning engagements, outreach and engagement, and scholarly communications and research data services. A robust understanding of computational and data research methods such as those in the digital humanities, statistical data analysis and use methods, text mining, or other quantitative and qualitative methods relevant to social science and humanities fields is desirable. Exact liaison responsibilities will depend on the successful candidate’s experience, qualifications, and unit needs.

Additionally, the HSSL Librarian will develop programs benefiting their academic departments and scholarly communities to expand the Libraries’ research-related programs and services. Programming may focus on issues relevant to Humanities and/or Social Sciences in the following categories: information literacy, scholarly communication, digital humanities, open access, GIS, and more. Along with other subject librarians, the successful candidate is in a key position to help the University of Maryland Libraries define a role for subject librarians that will allow the Libraries to be more closely integrated into the entire educational and research process at the University of Maryland. The Humanities and Social Sciences Librarian will help envision and shape new approaches to faculty/library relationships.

The HSSL Librarian is an active member of the Research, Teaching, and Learning (RTL) department of the Research and Academic Services (RAS) division, contributing to departmental and divisional initiatives and leading specific projects in collaboration with colleagues and other units in the Libraries. The HSSL Librarian participates in developing and maintaining a departmental culture that is inclusive, equitable, diverse, customer-centered, and responsive to changes happening in academic libraries and higher education.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Education:
-Master's degree in Library and/or Information Science from an ALA-accredited institution or a non-USA equivalent; or a graduate degree relevant to the position's duties.

Experience:
-Understanding of current and emerging trends in the assigned subject areas and in academic librarianship; knowledge of electronic resources and information technologies. The exact liaison responsibilities will be dependent on the successful candidate’s experience and qualifications and the unit’s needs.
-Demonstrated experience with reference, instruction and collection development in humanities and social sciences.
-Demonstrated experience with or demonstrated aptitude for working effectively and creatively with faculty and students.
-Subject background in assigned disciplines demonstrated through academic degrees, course work, or substantive experience.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs):
-Ability to provide instruction, reference support, research support, and other forms of communication in both an online and physical environment.
-Excellent oral and written communication skills, and ability to produce published scholarship.
-Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills.
-Demonstrated excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to function independently and in groups, build and maintain relationships with partners and library staff, and the ability to provide exceptional services to a diverse clientele.
-Demonstrated commitment to fostering a just, equitable, and inclusive workplace evidenced through work experience, education, professional development, professional service, and/or scholarship. Strong commitment to the principles of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

PREFERENCES:
Education:
-Significant coursework, bachelor’s degree, or second advanced degree in related fields.

Experience:
-Experience or aptitude for developing new teaching or research-based programs and services in the assigned disciplines with appeals to diverse audiences.
- Experience or education in the areas of English literature, Philosophy, or area studies such as Latin American studies or related subjects.
-Demonstrated knowledge of computational or data research methods, digital humanities, or data analysis in the humanities and/or social sciences
-Experience with designing measures and assessments to determine value, experience with a variety of assessment tools.
-Familiarity with major collections in assigned disciplines or other related fields (e.g., scholarly journals, databases, digital libraries, and other resources).
-Knowledge of data management planning and/or data curation, visualization, scholarly communications, and open access tools.
-One year of experience in an academic research library.
-Evidence of teaching/instruction experience.
-Evidence of ability to meet promotion and permanent status requirements of the University of Maryland at College Park Libraries.
-Significant coursework, bachelor’s degree, or second advance degree in related fields

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
-Sedentary work involving remaining in place for long periods.
-Light work that includes moving objects up to 20 pounds
-Possible travel across campus

FACULTY REQUIREMENT:
This position is appointed to Library Faculty Ranks as established by the University System of Maryland Board of Regents. Rank at appointment is based on the successful applicant’s experience and relevant credentials. Library Faculty at the University of Maryland must demonstrate accomplishments and/or evidence of potential for future accomplishments in three areas: 1) librarianship, which includes the assigned area(s) of responsibility and professional development; 2) service, which includes participation in library, university, local, and national committees and professional organizations beyond the assigned area(s) of responsibility; and 3) research, scholarship, and/or creative activities, which includes self-directed inquiry and results dissemination to advance the state of the profession. Library faculty who are successful in meeting these criteria are awarded continuous employment in the form of Permanent Status. For additional information on faculty status at the University of Maryland Libraries, consult: http://www.president.umd.edu/policies/2014-ii-100b.html .

Additional Job Details

Financial Disclosure Required

No

Department

LIBR-Libraries

Worker Sub-Type

Faculty Regular

Salary Range

$70,000-$80,000

EEO Statement

Resources