Research and Instruction Librarian

About the role

Williams Libraries seeks a librarian to join the Research Services team. The Research Services department supports the academic mission of the college by providing research assistance, teaching information literacy skills, and developing opportunities for academic engagement with students and faculty. We are dedicated to innovation, creativity, and proactive user-driven services. We believe in meeting students where they are and helping them grow and develop into empowered, information-literate citizens.

What we're looking for

The successful candidate will: Share our passion for working with students and faculty and for teaching information literacy. Embrace our commitment to critical librarianship. Be excited about engaging with students who are broadly diverse. Value collegiality and collaboration, and thrive in a small, relationship-driven academic environment.

Responsibilities

As liaison librarian for the natural sciences:

• Support student and faculty by providing guidance on research methods and resources
• Teach course-related instruction sessions
• Support the research and publishing work of faculty
• Raise awareness of discipline-specific library resources
• Develop library collections
• Participate in the college's science community

As a member of the Research Services department:

• Provide general reference service through the Ask A Librarian service
• Teach co-curricular workshops
• Participate in departmental outreach activities (orientations, events)
• Work on library and college teams and committees as relevant

Librarians in Research Services are expected to maintain awareness of trends, tools, and methods in the field of library instruction, information literacy, and related areas. They are also expected to engage with the profession by contributing to national, regional, and/or local associations and professional groups. Williams Libraries provides support for continuing professional development.

Requirements

• Master's in Library Information Science from an ALA-accredited institution. Candidates with the ability to obtain this degree within 6 months from the date of hire will be considered
• At least one year of experience relevant to the role. This requirement can be fulfilled through several pathways: work as science librarian; experience as a reference/instruction librarian combined with a background in science education; a background as a scientist with instruction experience and library training, or through other similar combinations of knowledge and experience. Candidates are encouraged to share how their unique background meets this and other requirements in more detail in the cover letter that accompanies their application.
• Experience teaching research tools and information literacy
• Understanding of information literacy in the sciences
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with a proven ability to solve problems and build collaborative partnerships with faculty, students and staff colleagues
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a relationship driven environment
• Commitment to information ethics/justice, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility

Preferred qualifications

• Bachelor degree or higher in the sciences
• Knowledge of scholarly publishing landscape in the sciences (e.g. open science, open data, research impact, scientometrics)
• Academic library experience
• Experience using the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy
• Familiarity with the framework and methodologies of critical librarianship
• Familiarity with framework and methodologies for digital scholarship

We strongly encourage those interested in providing reference and instruction services in the sciences to apply regardless of how many of the preferred qualifications they meet. We are committed to helping our future colleagues develop skills.

Pay & schedule

• Pay range: $70,000 to $80,000, commensurate with experience
• Full time (37.5 hours/week), year-round, benefited position
• Involves a significant amount of on-site presence
• Qualifies for remote work for up to 1 day per week