Middle Eastern Studies Librarian

MIDDLE EASTERN STUDIES LIBRARIAN
The University of California, Santa Barbara is one of ten campuses that comprise the University of California system and is a member of the exclusive Association of American Universities (AAU).  In addition, the University Library at UC Santa Barbara is a member of the prestigious Association of Research Libraries (ARL).

The UC Santa Barbara Library seeks a collaborative, dynamic, service-oriented librarian to foster excellence in scholarship and teaching by facilitating access to scholarly information resources in Middle Eastern Studies. The successful candidate will actively engage and build relationships with campus scholarly communities in the assigned areas, serving as an expert resource to support traditional and emerging research practices and curricular development. The effective date of the position is the 2016-17 academic year.

RESPONSIBILITIES
Reporting to the Head of the Area Studies Department, the Middle Eastern Studies Librarian enhances research, teaching, and learning by shaping the library's general and distinctive research collections in Middle Eastern studies and related interdisciplinary areas; participates in the library's general reference services and contributes to instructional programs; provides specialized instructional sessions and research services for faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates in the assigned areas, including consultation on scholarly communication issues and new methodologies and practices in digital scholarship; works collaboratively with the library's data services team including curators and librarians to support evolving needs of relevant user communities in conducting data-intensive research; advocates, promotes, and contributes to the library's new services in digital scholarship; contributes to area-specific consortial activities of the UC Libraries; builds and sustains trusted relationships with key campus constituencies to further the library's strategic goals and advance the research, teaching, and service mission of the university. The Middle Eastern Studies Librarian will also manage workflows for cataloging Middle Eastern language materials in all formats and subjects; depending on interest and previous experience, the incumbent may be assigned original cataloging work for materials in one or more Middle Eastern languages.

Collection development and access responsibilities include selection, assessment, and life-cycle management of scholarly information resources that support scholarship and teaching in Middle Eastern studies, including resources in Middle Eastern languages, as well as in English and other languages. Through responsible stewardship of collection funds allocated to the assigned areas, the incumbent ensures maximum effectiveness of the library's investment in collections in order to provide the greatest value for successful research and learning outcomes. Recognizing the unique strength of interdisciplinary scholarship on the UC Santa Barbara campus, the incumbent works collaboratively with subject librarians in related areas to develop scholarly collections and provide access to resources that cross traditional disciplinary boundaries and support new fields of inquiry. In partnership with curators in Special Research Collections, the incumbent contributes to developing distinctive physical and digital collections and integrating the library's rich primary source materials into campus curricula in the relevant subject areas.

UC Santa Barbara librarians are expected to participate in library-wide planning, governance, and shared decision making. Advancement is partially based on professional contribution beyond the primary assignment. The successful candidate will demonstrate evidence of, or potential for, such contribution to the campus, UC system, and profession.

QUALIFICATIONS
Required:
ALA-accredited Masters in Library or Information Science
Graduate-level study, or equivalent experience, in a field directly relevant to Middle Eastern studies
Experience with teaching in a library or academic setting
Proficiency in Arabic

Additional:
Research-level knowledge of Middle Eastern literature and scholarship in the humanities and social sciences
Excellent written and oral communication skills in English
Excellent interpersonal, analytical, assessment, problem solving, and project management skills
A strong commitment to excellence in public service and the ability to work effectively in a collaborative and culturally diverse environment
Demonstrated commitment to professional development and service

Preferred:
Advanced degree in Middle Eastern studies or relevant fields
Two years of experience in Middle Eastern studies librarianship
Proficiency in additional Middle Eastern languages, preferably Persian, Turkish, or Hebrew
Experience with cataloging Middle Eastern language materials
Demonstrated knowledge of scholarly communication and publishing issues
Experience conducting or supporting digital scholarship or data-intensive research
Demonstrated knowledge of academic and popular publishing industries relevant to the Middle East and North Africa

SALARY AND BENEFITS
Salary commensurate with experience and qualifications.  Librarians at the University of California, Santa Barbara are professional academic appointees who accrue vacation at the rate of two days per month and sick leave at the rate of one day per month.  The University has excellent retirement plans and a selection of group health, dental, vision, and life insurance plans.

The incumbent will be a member of the LX Collective Bargaining Unit represented by the American Federation of Teachers.

TO APPLY:
This position will remain open until filled with primary consideration of complete applications, including a CV and cover letter, received by January 16, 2016.
Applications will be accepted online through UC Recruit:  https://recruit.ap.ucsb.edu/apply/JPF00922
Help for UC Recruit is available at https://recruit.ap.ucsb.edu/help/applicants
For additional assistance, contact Ryan George with Library Human Resources at (805) 893-3841 or ryan.george@ucsb.edu
Appointment and/or continued employment is contingent on successful completion of a background check.

The Library is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the diversity and excellence of the academic community through research, teaching and service.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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