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Jewish Studies Librarian, Librarian I/II

Jewish Studies Librarian, Librarian I/II

University of Toronto Libraries Job Location: Ontario Date Created: 08-16-2017

POSITION:        Jewish Studies Librarian, Librarian I/II

DEPARTMENT:         Fisher Rare Book Library, University of Toronto Libraries

DATE REQUIRED:    ASAP

Are you looking for challenging, meaningful work in a supportive and diverse environment? Are you looking for a career at one of Canada's top employers? Work where the world comes to think, discover and learn. Consider a career at the University of Toronto.

About the University of Toronto Libraries

The University of Toronto Libraries (UTL) system is the largest academic library in Canada and is ranked fourth among peer institutions in North America. The system consists of 44 libraries located on three university campuses: St. George, Mississauga, and Scarborough. This array of college libraries, special collections, and specialized libraries and information centres supports the teaching and research requirements of 215 graduate programs, over 60 professional programs, and more than 700 undergraduate degree programs. In addition to more than 12 million print volumes, the library system currently provides access to millions of electronic resources in various forms and over 29,554 linear metres of archival material. More than 150,000 new print volumes are acquired each year.  The Libraries' data centre houses more than 200 servers with a storage capacity of 1.5 petabytes. 

The Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library is one the largest repositories of publicly accessible rare books and archives in Canada. The library holds manuscripts dating back to the 10th century, Canada's only copy of the 1623 Shakespeare First Folio, and the archives of Margaret Atwood and Leonard Cohen. The Fisher Library has several significant collections of Hebraica and Judaica, including the Friedberg Collection of Hebrew manuscripts and early printed books, the Price Collection of Rabbinics, the Otto Schneid Archive of Twentieth-Century Jewish Art, and the Druck Collection of Kibbutz and Secular Haggadot.

THE OPPORTUNITY: 

The University of Toronto Libraries seeks an energetic, innovative, creative, and service- oriented librarian to serve as the Library's Judaica and Hebraica Studies Librarian.  Reporting to the Head of the Fisher Rare Book Library and working closely with the teams in Collection Development and Metadata Services, the incumbent will provide specialized support for the planning, development, acquisition, cataloguing, and management of collections in all aspects of Jewish Studies.  This includes selecting and cataloguing a wide range of resources, such as traditional scholarly publications (print and digital), rare books, and materials published via emerging forms of scholarly communication.  The Jewish Studies Librarian will also provide  reference service and research support for all faculty and students at the University of Toronto and will serve as the liaison between the Library and the Centre for Jewish Studies.  Additional responsibilities include the selection of religious studies material for the main humanities and social sciences library.

REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES:

*    Manages vendor relationships and approval plans in the areas of Jewish Studies and Religious Studies.
*    In consultation with faculty and the Centre for Jewish Studies, plans, develops, and manages collections in support of the programs offered and research undertaken at the University of Toronto.
*    Creates original catalogue records as needed for Jewish Studies collection materials, including rare books and other special collections materials.
*    Provides general reference for the Fisher Library.
*    Provides a range of public services to Jewish studies communities at the University of Toronto, including advanced reference and instruction.
*    Acts as a liaison and maintains close contact with faculty and students of appropriate departments and programs.
*    Promotes the use of the University of Toronto Libraries' collections and resources through a range of in-person and online outreach activities.
*    Provides instruction, including teaching classes, workshops, and seminars.
*    Collaborates with colleagues to support interdisciplinary collections and services, including identifying and managing digital library projects and initiatives.
*    Participates in development activities in support of the Libraries, including fundraising, grant writing and representing the University of Toronto at appropriate national and international meetings.
*     Encourages and cultivates close relations with colleagues in the field, and with donors of funds and materials relating to the Jewish Studies collections.
*    Assumes responsibilities for the selection of Religious Studies materials for the Robarts Library; may include selection of additional subjects based on needs and/or candidate expertise.
*    Participates in library and other committees as appropriate.

Required Qualifications:

1.    ALA accredited Master of Library Science degree (or equivalent) and an undergraduate degree in a relevant subject area
2.    Reading knowledge of and communication skills in Hebrew and another  Jewish language, such as Yiddish or Ladino.
3.    Demonstrated knowledge of and ability to apply the following cataloguing tools: Resource Description and Access (RDA), the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules (AACR2r), Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) and Library of Congress classification (LCC), FAST headings, and MARC21 formats for bibliographic and authority data.
4.    Demonstrated interest in and exposure to rare books and special collections.
5.    Demonstrated knowledge of the distribution and sources of materials in Jewish Studies; knowledge of the principles and practices of collection development and management for both print and electronic resources.
6.    Knowledge related to providing assistance to students and faculty in the design and execution of research projects.
7.    Self-motivated and detail-oriented, with good team-building skills, a strong service orientation, and a demonstrated commitment to staff development and diversity in the workplace.
8.    Excellent analytical abilities; evidence of high productivity and problem solving skills when working independently and in groups.
9.    Ability to respond effectively to changing needs and priorities showing initiative and flexibility and an ability to thrive in a multifaceted environment. 
10.    Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills.

Preferred Skills:

1.    An advanced degree in a relevant subject area
2.    Working knowledge of French, German and other European languages

Salary and Terms of Appointment

This is a permanent status stream be filled at the Librarian I/ II, rank. Rank and salary will be commensurate with experience and academic/professional qualifications.

NOTE: Librarians at the University of Toronto are members of the University of Toronto Faculty Association.

Application Materials Required: A cover letter, curriculum vitae, and contact information for three references of which at least two have supervised your work. Please send a single electronic file (MS Word or pdf) with a file name convention of [Surname, FirstName.RAREBOOK] to Library Human Resources at utlhr@utoronto.ca; or to Room 1140, 130 St. George Street, University of Toronto Libraries, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A5; or by fax to (416) 946-5543 by September 17, 2017.

The University of Toronto is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from racialized persons / persons of colour, women, Indigenous / Aboriginal People of North America, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

The University strives to be an equitable and inclusive community, and proactively seeks to increase diversity among its community members. Our values regarding equity and diversity are linked with our unwavering commitment to excellence in the pursuit of our academic mission. The University is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). As such, we strive to make our recruitment, assessment and selection processes as accessible as possible and provide accommodations as required for applicants with disabilities. If you require any accommodations at any point during the application and hiring process, please contact utlhr@utoronto.ca 
 
The University of Toronto Libraries thanks all applicants but will only contact applicants selected for an interview.

University of Toronto Library System: http://onesearch.library.utoronto.ca/
University of Toronto: http://www.hrandequity.utoronto.ca/site3.aspx
Policies for librarians:  http://www.hrandequity.utoronto.ca/faculty-librarians.htm

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