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Agricultural Sciences Information Specialist

Agricultural Sciences Information Specialist

Purdue University Libraries Job Location: Indiana Date Created: 12-01-2017

Agricultural Sciences Information Specialist
Assistant or Associate Professor
 
 
Purdue University Libraries, recognized leaders in information literacy, scholarly communication initiatives, and research data management, seek an Agricultural Sciences Information Specialist (ASIS) to join our faculty.  With an emphasis on teaching and scholarship, the ASIS will join a collaborative team of information professionals who participate in a well-established program of information literacy, research data management services, scholarly publishing services, and will contribute to the research and scholarship in these areas.  The successful candidate will be the Libraries liaison to designated academic departments and research centers in the College of Agriculture, working with faculty and students to teach and to respond to trends in learning and scientific research in those disciplines.  Recently ranked in the top ten agriculture programs in the US and the world, the College includes among its award-winning researchers and teachers two World Food Prize laureates.
 
Responsibilities:  The Agricultural Sciences Information Specialist, the Libraries liaison to several departments in the College of Agriculture, teaches information-related courses, workshops, and single sessions; collaborates on scholarly communication, research data management, and digital scholarship initiatives related to agriculture; and participates in collaborative research projects, including sponsored research, within the Libraries and the College of Agriculture.  The ASIS will support teaching and learning needs of assigned departments; mentor undergraduate students; monitor collections in assigned subject areas; participate in Libraries committees and projects; and contribute to the profession through research, publication, and professional engagement.  The Agricultural Sciences Information Specialist will develop strong connections with faculty and students to teach and to address service needs; seek opportunities for collaborative partnerships with designated departments providing research lifecycle support.  The ASIS will represent Purdue Libraries in professional library/information organizations, including AgNIC and USAIN.
 
Required qualifications: Master's degree from an ALA-accredited library school or equivalent combination of doctoral degree and relevant discipline.  Demonstrated commitment to and excellence in teaching; familiarity with trends in instructional best practices.  Strong interest in and ability to mentor undergraduate students effectively; excellent interpersonal and communication skills; and demonstrated ability to work collaboratively. Ability to adapt to changing organizational environment. Commitment to engage in research and scholarship and potential to achieve promotion and tenure.
 
Further information about Purdue University Libraries, the University and the community will be found at:  www.lib.purdue.edu/about/employment.
 
Desired qualifications: Two years recent experience in agricultural sciences (e.g., agronomy, plant sciences, entomology, agricultural education, etc.); experience teaching using active learning methods; knowledge of research data management practices. For applicants with the MLS degree, a degree in a life science or experience in a life/biological sciences library is desired.  For applicants who do not have the MLS degree, knowledge of library and information science principles and practices is desired.
 
Environment:  Purdue University Libraries (PUL), recipient of the 2015 Award for Excellence in University Libraries from the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), is at the forefront of academic librarianship and redefining the role of the academic, research library in learning, discovery, and engagement activities of the University.  Libraries faculty and staff are deeply involved in information literacy instruction and instructional design, redefining of learning spaces, scholarly communication, data management, and global outreach.    Purdue Libraries faculty have expanded their collaborative endeavors with disciplinary faculty in integrating information literacy into the core curriculum.  PUL is home to the first endowed chair in information literacy in the United States, established in 2008.  
 
Purdue University Libraries is committed to advancing diversity in all areas including scholarship, instruction, and engagement.
 
Opened in August 2017, the Thomas S. and Harvey D. Wilmeth Active Learning Center brings together six science and engineering libraries into a building that also houses 27 active learning classrooms that will seamlessly integrate learning and classroom spaces at the very heart of the campus.  For a video introduction to the Wilmeth Active Learning Center, please see:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D36R3t3Hc
 
Purdue Libraries is a leader in the areas of data curation and library publishing services.  Accomplishments in data curation include the development of the Data Curation Profiles Toolkit and the Purdue University Research Repository (PURR).  PURR provides an online, collaborative working space and data-sharing platform to support the data management needs of Purdue researchers.  
 
¬Purdue Libraries is an active member of state, regional, national, and international associations and consortia, including the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), the Center for Research Libraries (CRL), the Coalition for Networked Information (CNI), SPARC, the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR), the Digital Library Federation (DLF), the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), and the Research Data Alliance (RDA).  
 
Purdue Libraries is a founding member of both HathiTrust and DataCite. Purdue was one of four universities that collaborated with Ex Libris, Inc., on its Alma integrated library system, the next generation library management system.  Collaboration and partnerships are hallmarks of Purdue Libraries both on and off campus, including partnership with ITaP (Information Technology at Purdue) and the Purdue Office of Research and Partnerships to provide assistance with funder data requirements.  
 
Purdue University (http://www.purdue.edu/), located in West Lafayette, Indiana, in the historic Wabash River valley, is one hour from Indianapolis and two hours from Chicago. Renowned nationally and internationally for its programs in engineering, science, agriculture, and business, the University has over 40,450 students and 16,400 employees. Purdue is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), and the Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTTA). Purdue has the fourth highest enrollment of international students among public U.S. universities, with 9,255 undergraduate, professional, and graduate students in 2016. 
 
The greater Lafayette area (http://www.homeofpurdue.com/) provides diverse cultural, social, and recreational activities.  
 
"Purdue University prohibits discrimination against any member of the University community on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, genetic information, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, or status as a veteran."  From Nondiscrimination Policy Statement, Purdue University http://www.purdue.edu/purdue/ea_eou_statement.html.
 
Salary and benefits: 
Salary commensurate with experience in the context of Purdue University's salary structure. 
 
Faculty tenure-track position with a twelve-month appointment.  Rank of assistant professor or associate professor dependent upon qualifications.  Start-up funds in support of research are provided for computer/software/equipment, for travel/professional development, and for a half time graduate assistant for two years. 
 
Purdue provides a generous fringe benefit package that includes retirement benefits as well as health, disability and life insurance, 22 annual vacation days, and tuition support for employee, children, and spouse/same sex domestic partner.  Purdue University is responsive to the needs of dual career couples.  
 
Relocation funding will be available and discussed on a case-by-case basis.
 
A background check will be required for employment in this position
 
Application process: 
 
To apply, please send a resume, cover letter, and the names and contact information of at least three references via email Carole Tolley, HR Coordinator at libhr@purdue.edu. 
 
When applying:
* Place "ASIS" in the subject line of the email.
  
In the cover letter:
* Describe your interest in agricultural sciences librarianship;
* Address the required qualifications;
* In keeping with Purdue Libraries commitment to advancing diversity in all areas of faculty effort, including scholarship, instruction, and engagement, the cover letter must address at least one of these areas, indicating past experiences, current interests or activities, and/or future goals to promote a climate that values diversity and inclusion.  
Nominations for the position will be accepted and should be sent to libhr@purdue.edu.  Review of applications will continue until the position is filled.  Questions may be directed to Carole Tolley at 765-494-2899 or the above email address.
 
This position announcement will be found at:  www.lib.purdue.edu/about/employment.
 
Purdue University is an EOE/AA employer.  All individuals, including minorities, women, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply.  
 
 
 

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