Humanities & Social Sciences Librarian

As the largest university library system in the Washington D.C.-Baltimore area, the University of Maryland (UMD) Libraries serve more than 41,000 students and 14,000 faculty and staff of the flagship College Park campus. The Libraries’ extensive collections, programs, and services enable student success, support teaching, research, and creativity, and enrich the intellectual and cultural life of the community. A member of the Big Ten Academic Alliance and the Association of Research Libraries, the UMD Libraries were honored with the 2020 Excellence in Academic Libraries award in the university category from the Association of College and Research Libraries. The University of Maryland Libraries are committed to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. We support university and library efforts to create a more just campus environment, understanding the unique, interdisciplinary focus of libraries and archives as collectors and curators of the historical, literary, artistic, and scientific record. We provide collections, services, and programs that reflect the diversity of our community, heighten cultural awareness, and incorporate the histories, experiences, and expressions of those who have been historically marginalized and/or underrepresented. We work to ensure equitable access to our facilities, resources, and services. NATURE OF WORK: The Humanities and Social Science Librarian (HSSL) is a member of the HSSL unit and reports to the Head of HSSL.  The Humanities and Social Sciences Librarian has responsibilities for collections management, general reference, subject area research consulting, and library instruction. The HSSL will also participate in outreach and engagement, scholarly communications, research data services, and other learning engagements. The successful candidate’s subject assignment will include Journalism. Therefore, a robust understanding of computational and data research methods is desirable.  Exact liaison responsibilities will depend on the successful candidate’s experience, qualifications, and unit needs.  The HSSL Librarian will develop programs benefiting their academic departments and scholarly communities to expand the Libraries’ research-related programs and services. Programming may focus on issues relevant to Humanities and/or Social Sciences in the following categories: information literacy, scholarly communication, digital humanities, open access, GIS, and more. Along with other subject librarians, the successful candidate is in a key position to help the University of Maryland Libraries define a role for subject librarians that will allow the Libraries to be more closely integrated into the entire educational and research process at the University of Maryland. The Humanities and Social Sciences Librarian will help envision and shape new approaches to faculty/library relationships.   The HSSL Librarian is an active member of the Research, Teaching, and Learning (RTL) department of the Research and Academic Services (RAS) division, contributing to departmental and divisional initiatives and leading specific projects in collaboration with colleagues and other units in the Libraries.  The HSSL Librarian participates in developing and maintaining a departmental culture that is inclusive, equitable, diverse, customer-centered, and responsive to changes happening in academic libraries and higher education. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES  Subject Liaison Duties 

• Serves as library liaison to specified academic units/departments, which involves, but is not limited to, promoting services available through the Libraries, supporting information literacy efforts and faculty research, creating web and digital content, and developing and managing print and electronic collections. 
• Proactively supports researchers with computational and data research,  scholarly communication models, digital humanities, development of new digital tools, open scholarship, Open Educational Resources (OER), and data services in assigned fields. Builds internal and external partnerships to support this activity. 
• Actively engages with faculty, students, and staff in assigned subject areas, developing strong working relationships and partnerships. Develops a strong understanding of research and teaching needs of assigned units/departments, and develops and enhances services in anticipation of these needs.   
• Provides general and subject-specific information and research service in person, by phone, and online (through chat, instant messaging, and email); finds new ways of communication and challenges existing limitations. 
• Provides general and subject-specific instruction in the use of library resources and develops innovative approaches. Assumes leadership responsibility for developing, in partnership with other groups on campus when applicable, library-based curricular educational programming. 
• Develops programs benefiting Arts, Humanities, and/or Social Sciences disciplines to expand research-related programs and services, including but not limited to identifying and coordinating topics and speakers for the Speaking of Books, STEAM Salons and Interdisciplinary Dialogues Series, and developing workshops on issues related to digital humanities, OER, authorship, bibliographic management software, etc. 
• Identifies and implements new, innovative, or enhanced services using emerging technologies. 
• Works collaboratively with faculty and colleagues in the Libraries and on campus to achieve goals.
• Participates in the activities of the unit, RTL and RAS.  
• Participates in library and campus committees as appropriate. 
• Participates in professional development activities, such as continuing education, and service to the library community and scholarship. 
• Contributes to advancing the University’s and the Libraries’ goals related to inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Ability to provide instruction, reference support, research support, and other forms of communication in both an online and physical environment.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, and ability to produce published scholarship.
• Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to function independently and in groups, build and maintain relationships with partners and library staff, and the ability to provide exceptional services to a diverse clientele. 
• Demonstrated commitment to fostering a just, equitable, and inclusive workplace evidenced through work experience, education, professional development, professional service, and/or scholarship. Strong commitment to the principles of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

EDUCATION  Required: Master's degree in Library and/or Information Science from an ALA-accredited institution or a non-US equivalent; or a graduate degree relevant to the position's duties. Preferred: Significant coursework, bachelor’s degree, or second advanced degree in related fields. EXPERIENCE  Required: 

• Understanding of current and emerging trends in the assigned subject areas and in academic librarianship; knowledge of electronic resources and information technologies. The exact liaison responsibilities will be dependent on the successful candidate’s experience and qualifications and the unit’s needs.
• Demonstrated experience with reference, instruction and collection development in humanities and social sciences.  
• Demonstrated experience working effectively and creatively with faculty and students.  
• Subject background in assigned disciplines demonstrated through academic degrees, course work, or substantive experience.

Preferred:  

• Subject qualifications in Journalism, Communications, Hearing and speech, and/or Anthropology.
• Experience or aptitude for developing new teaching or research-based programs and services in the assigned disciplines with appeals to diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated knowledge of computational or data journalism, digital humanities, or data analysis in the humanities and/or social sciences
• Experience with designing measures and assessments to determine value, experience with a variety of assessment tools.
• Familiarity with major collections in assigned disciplines or other related fields (e.g., scholarly journals, databases, digital libraries, and other resources). 
• Knowledge of data management planning and/or data curation, visualization, scholarly communications, and open access tools. 
• One year of experience in an academic research library.
• Evidence of teaching/instruction experience. 
• Evidence of ability to meet promotion and permanent status requirements of the University of Maryland at College Park Libraries. 

Faculty Requirements  This position is appointed to Library Faculty Ranks as established by the University System of Maryland Board of  Regents. Rank at appointment is based on the successful applicant’s experience and relevant credentials. Library  Faculty at the University of Maryland must demonstrate accomplishments and/or evidence of potential for future accomplishments in three areas: 1) librarianship, which includes the assigned area(s) of responsibility and professional development; 2) service, which includes participation in library, university, local, and national committees and professional organizations beyond the assigned area(s) of responsibility; and 3) research,  scholarship, and/or creative activities, which includes self-directed inquiry and results dissemination to advance the state of the profession. Library faculty who are successful in meeting these criteria are awarded continuous employment in the form of Permanent Status. For additional information on faculty status at the University of  Maryland Libraries, consult: http://www.president.umd.edu/policies/2014-ii-100b.html . 

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