Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Eugene Garfield Residency in Science Librarianship

The University of Pennsylvania Libraries is seeking a dynamic, service oriented individual to join its Science Libraries team in this *two-year* entry level position. Reporting to the Assistant Director for Engineering and Physical Sciences Libraries, the Eugene Garfield Minority Residency will provide a new librarian the opportunity to develop as a Science & Technology Librarian at a premiere research institution in a supportive environment.

The Resident will be an integral member of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Libraries team with a variety of substantive responsibilities and learning opportunities. This position will be actively engaged in user instruction initiatives, including the Engineering & Physical Sciences Libraries’ workshop series and the Engineering Technical Communication Program (TCP). The workshop series is geared primarily towards graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, providing them with exposure to the wide array of resources and services available to them at Penn. The TCP offers the opportunity to help Penn Engineering undergraduate students develop a structured and logical exposure to the organization of information resources in the field of engineering through a curriculum integrated program. The Resident is expected to participate in the planning, marketing, delivery and assessment of these programs.

Working closely with colleagues, this position will include collection development and liaison duties within the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. This will provide the Resident with the opportunity to interact and respond to the needs of a research and teaching community. It will also provide experience in resource allocation and management.

While based in the Engineering and Physical Sciences Libraries cluster, the Resident will be encouraged to explore collaborative projects with other departments in Penn Libraries. Potential departments to collaborate with include, but are not limited to, the Health Science
Libraries cluster, Information Technologies & Digital Development, Information Processing Center, and the Weigle Information Commons. Projects and assignments will be designed with the professional interests of the Resident and the needs of the Physical Science Libraries Cluster in mind.

In addition to colleagues within the Physical Sciences Libraries, the Resident will be encouraged to meet with an established mentor outside of the cluster. The program mentor will provide the Resident with the opportunity to gain perspective, guidance and support outside of their day to day activities.

The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League comprehensive research university in Philadelphia founded in 1740 by Benjamin Franklin and his circle. It comprises twelve schools, 3,800 faculty and an enrollment of 20,000 students, equally divided between undergraduate and graduate/professional school students.

The Penn Libraries include fifteen libraries and an off-site high density storage facility. System-wide scholarly resources number nearly 6 million books, 44,000 current serials (of which 16,000 are e-journals) and 700 databases. The library is a leader in the development of digital library services and collections and is aggressively experimenting with and adopting new technology in research and teaching, including courseware.

Position Responsibilities Include

  • Liaison and Collection Development duties for Engineering Departments as assigned. Manage the materials budgets for these departments. Make collection access decisions, including transfer of materials to off-site storage and participate in consortial resource-sharing and document delivery initiatives.
  • Provide specialized reference and research support to assigned departments as well as collaborate in the planning and development of services across the Engineering & Physical Sciences Libraries.
  • Collaborate with colleagues in the Engineering & Physical Sciences Libraries in the planning, promotion implementation and assessment of the user instruction program. This will include participation in the Engineering Technical Communication Program and the workshop series.
  • Participate in the maintenance of the Engineering & Physical Sciences Libraries’ websites including designing tutorials and other resources for user instruction.
  • Investigate new technologies that may be used to effectively respond to changing information needs (e.g. e-science and data curation).
  • Participate in the Penn Libraries LiveChat Reference Service.
  • Pursue collaborative opportunities with other Library and University departments.
  • Participate in library, university and professional activities as appropriate.
  • Perform other duties and projects as assigned.
Requirements

  • Master’s Degree from an ALA-accredited information and library science program or equivalent awarded between May of 2007 through August of 2009.
  • Ability to work successfully in a team environment.
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills.
  • General knowledge of information literacy and instruction practices and a strong desire to participate in the Engineering & Physical Sciences Libraries’ instructional program.
  • Experience with relevant print and electronic reference sources.
  • Willingness to learn and a desire for professional growth.

Preferred

  • Academic background in science or related experience in an academic science library.
  • Experience with course management software and web design software.
  • Knowledge of current trends and practices in scientific scholarly communication.

Compensation and Benefits

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. Includes a generous benefits package, additional information available at http://www.hr.upenn.edu/jobs/benefits.asp.

To Apply - Potential candidates are invited to submit a letter of application that addresses the needs and qualifications of the position, along with their resume and the names, addresses, and phone numbers of three references who can address the suitability of the candidate for the position described, as well as complete an on-line employment application at https://jobs.hr.upenn.edu/applicants/Central?quickFind=190271

Alternatively, you may search by reference number 090827165 at http://jobs.hr.upenn.edu/

Applications will be accepted immediately and until the position is filled; however, applications submitted before September 15, 2009 will receive priority consideration.

The University of Pennsylvania values diversity and is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.

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