Visiting Government Information Librarian - Research and Information Services

Visiting Government Information Librarian Visiting Assistant Professor, University Library University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign   Position Available: Position available immediately. This is a three-year, 100%, twelve-month, visiting appointment.   The University Library of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign values diversity of thought, perspective, experience and people, and is actively committed to a culture of inclusion and respect. We are dedicated to the practices of social justice, diversity, and equality, and strive to overcome historical and divisive biases in our society and embrace diverse points of view as assets to the fabric of our community. All positions will be called on to contribute to building this environment in the Library and throughout the campus community, and we encourage candidates to apply who share these values.   The University of Illinois is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer. Minorities, women, veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For more information, visit http://go.illinois.edu/EEO.   Duties and Responsibilities The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library seeks a dynamic and collaborative librarian to serve as the Government Information Librarian in the Library’s Research & Information Services unit.  Research & Information Services works in concert with a variety of units in the Main and Undergraduate libraries to provide research support, instruction, and outreach to patrons both locally and at a distance.   This position requires a professional with interest in leading and innovating the curation, enrichment, and promotion of an extensive government documents collection, and in supporting researchers’ access and use of government information.  Working closely with the Head of Research & Information Services and the Associate University Librarian for User Services, the successful candidate will monitor and choose appropriate federal and state government documents, and work with other subject specialists when making selection decisions for both current and historical materials in all formats. As a designated member of the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP), the University Library is required to provide public access to its FDLP collection and support for locating and accessing these materials. Other collections included in the Library’s government documents area are the State of Illinois and United Nations depository collections and collections from Canada and the United Kingdom.   This position serves as liaison to the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP), ensuring that the University of Illinois Libraries collection meets FDLP requirements, working with other federal depository libraries in the state, and providing reference and instruction services to University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign affiliates and the larger community. This position also supports the Libraries’ participation in the State Government Depository Program.   Position Description Reporting to the Head of Research & Information Services, the Government Information Librarian contributes to the research support, instruction, and outreach efforts of the University Library.   Specific duties include:

• Maintain government document depository arrangements as mandated by state and federal laws and regulations and monitor trends in the management and provision of government documents resources and related issues.
• Develop, manage, and assess print and digital government document collections to support research, teaching, and learning.
• Coordinate the Library’s FDLP collection, ensuring compliance with FDLP procedures and obligations and managing content to meet the needs of primary Library users and the general public.
• Provide reference services for the University’s students and faculty as well as members of the community at the Main Library Information Desk and through various information and communications technologies.
• Provide reference services and collection support for European Union and United Nations documents.
• Collaborate with departmental libraries that hold government information based collections.
• Participate in the development and delivery of general and course-integrated library instruction for relevant classes.
• Develop, maintain, and manage learning objects and research guides to support access to and use of government information.
• Work collaboratively with subject librarians to develop and support courses with a focus on government information.
• Support the mission, goals, and objectives of the Library and the University.
• Contribute to the work of relevant Library and University committees and workgroups.

  Qualifications Required:

• Master’s degree from an ALA-accredited library school or equivalent.
• Experience working with government information resources.
• Demonstrated ability to work cooperatively and effectively with all elements of an academically and culturally diverse community.
• Strong leadership skills and demonstrated ability to work both independently and collegially on a team in a demanding and rapidly changing environment.
• Well-developed analytical, organizational, and communications skills (oral, written, and interpersonal).

  Preferred:

• Preference will be given to candidates with experience working with government information in an academic library or government setting.
• At least one year of post-graduate experience working in an academic library.
• Experience in at least two of these areas: serving as a liaison to academic or functional departments; teaching or training; delivering reference services; collection development.
• Demonstrated knowledge of and experience with FDLP regulations, guidelines, and practices for Depository Libraries.
• Experience with library collections budget management.
• Experience supervising the work of student assistants.

  Environment: The University of Illinois Library at Urbana-Champaign is one of the preeminent research libraries in the world. With more than 14 million volumes and significant digital resources, it ranks second in size among academic research libraries in the United States and first among public university libraries in the world. As the intellectual heart of the campus, the Library is committed to maintaining the strongest possible collections and services and engaging in research and development activities in pursuit of the University’s mission of teaching, scholarship, and public service. The Library currently employs approximately 80 faculty and 300 academic professionals, staff, and graduate assistants.   Research & Information Services (RIS) is the University Library’s central hub for research assistance, leading patrons to the discovery of library resources and expert help. RIS provides assistance to researchers working in all disciplines, helps people to locate difficult to find items, and makes referrals to subject specialists when appropriate. While other departmental libraries focus on the disciplinary position of researchers or the undergraduate student experience, RIS supports all groups in their work as scholars. Fully acknowledging the salience of unique disciplinary approaches, we recognize there are nevertheless common needs shared among all scholars. RIS is dedicated to increasing the research skills of faculty, staff and students, and educating the campus regarding the many ways in which the Library supports research and teaching, while also assuring that scholars are connected to their subject liaisons and disciplinary libraries. RIS supports the educational mission of the university by approaching research support services from an instructional perspective, and by fostering user independence and the development of information literacy skills.   Campus and Community:  The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a comprehensive and major public land-grant university (Doctoral/Research University-Extensive) that is ranked among the best in the world. Chartered in 1867, it provides undergraduate and graduate education in more than 150 fields of study, conducts theoretical and applied research, and provides public service to the state and the nation. It employs 2,765 faculty members who serve more than 33,000 undergraduates and 15,000 graduate and professional students. More information about the campus is available at www.illinois.edu.   The University is located in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana, which have a combined population of 207,000 and are, situated about 140 miles south of Chicago, 125 miles west of Indianapolis, and 180 northeast of St. Louis. The University and its surrounding communities offer a cultural and recreational environment ideally suited to the work of a major research institution. For more information about the community, visit: https://illinois.edu or https://www.champaigncounty.org.   Salary and Rank: Salary and rank commensurate with credentials and experience.   Terms of Appointment: Twelve-month appointment; 24 annual vacation days; 11 annual paid holidays; 12 annual sick-leave days (cumulative), plus an additional 13 sick-leave days (non-cumulative) available, if needed, each year; health insurance requiring a small co-payment is provided to employee (with the option to purchase coverage for spouse and dependents); required participation in State Universities Retirement System (SURS) (8% of annual salary is withheld and is refundable upon termination), with several options for participation in additional retirement plans; newly-hired employees are covered by the Medicare portion of Social Security and are subject to its deduction.   To Apply:  To ensure full consideration, please complete your candidate profile at https://jobs.illinois.edu and upload a letter of interest, resume, and contact information including email addresses for three professional references. Applications not submitted through this website will not be considered. For questions, please call: 217-333-8169.   Deadline: In order to ensure full consideration we urge candidates to submit application materials on or before December 6, 2019. Interviews and offers may take place before the closing date. All applications received by the closing date will receive full consideration.   The University of Illinois conducts criminal background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer.

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