Librarian for Special Collections and Archives Instruction

Description

To work as part of a team of librarians devoted to the ongoing preservation and access of the College’s distinctive collections and ensure that the goals and objectives of the Libraries are met with regard to Special Collections and College Archives. This position works collaboratively with NAHA, the Norwegian-American Historical Association. Additionally, this position defines new approaches to teaching in Special Collections and Archives, develops creative outreach practices, engages with new pedagogies, and supports digital scholarship across interdisciplinary communities.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: 

Instruction and Instructional Support - 45% of time

• Develop a dynamic outreach program that integrates special collections and archives into the curriculum, making rare and unique books, archival objects, and other unique collections accessible to our campus community.
• Partner with faculty and other library staff to design learning experiences and provide innovative instruction experiences that facilitate varied teaching, learning, and research, including interdisciplinary projects, new pedagogical models, and original undergraduate student research.
• Create libguides and other educational materials.
• Offer research support to students and faculty throughout the research cycle, from discovery to the development and dissemination of research.

Campus Outreach and Collection Exposure - 45% of time

• Partner with campus stakeholders to develop innovative ways to use the collections.
• Work collaboratively in a team environment with staff in Research & Instruction, Instructional Technology, and the DiSCO (Digital Scholarship Center at St. Olaf), and academic departments on a range of ongoing projects and new initiatives in Special Collections and College Archives which includes partnering with departmental liaisons, and may include serving as a primary liaison to departments as the work and programming evolve.
• Continuously work to bring underexposed portions or areas of the collections into the classroom and the community through the use of displays, special events, digital media, and other emerging formats.

Collaboration in the Bridge Consortium - 5% of time

• Work collaboratively and in tandem with peers for Carleton College to ensure that work is not duplicated and that costs are contained or reduced.
• Provide services to Carleton College as needed and participate in all appropriate Bridge working groups, meetings and functions.
• Participate in Carleton collaboration teams and task forces

Library Staff Work - 5% of time

• Participate in staff meetings and Library Team Assignments
• Preform other duties as assigned
• Represent the department on library committees and councils as appropriate

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES: 

• Ability to be accessible and visible to the St. Olaf community
• Ability to communicate effectively in both oral and written form
• Ability to demonstrate positive, service-oriented demeanor
• Skill in public speaking and delivering presentations to individuals and/or groups
• Ability to adjust communication styles to different audiences
• Knowledge of student development theory, techniques and research associated with ensuring the success of diverse student populations
• Ability to work effectively and patiently with students
• Ability to establish and maintain a good rapport, work collaboratively, and build strategic relationships with college faculty and staff, students, and the general public
• Ability to explain policies and procedures to faculty, staff, students and the general public
• Ability to handle difficult and stressful situations with professional composure
• Ability to exchange ideas, information and opinions with others to formulate policies and programs and arrive jointly at decisions, conclusions, or solutions
• Ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences
• Ability to be creative by proposing ideas and finding new and better ways of doing things
• Skill in responding flexibly to changing needs and priorities
• Ability to continually prioritize the workload to determine what must be done first in order to complete work in a timely manner
• Ability to plan, implement and evaluate programs
• Ability to implement new systems and procedures and to evaluate their effectiveness
• Ability to process information logically
• Ability to analyze complex information and develop plans to address identified issues
• Ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem
• Ability to work independently or with minimal supervision
• Ability to take action when answers to a problem are not readily apparent in equivocal circumstances
• Ability to problem solve by exercising proper judgment and timely decision-making skills, especially when making critical decisions
• Ability to pay attention to detail in context of big picture
• Knowledge of, or ability to learn, policies, procedures, best practices and guidelines established by professional organizations
• Skill in the use of standard tools and equipment of the profession
• Ability to learn office and college-specific software and to implement new technology
• Ability to process and handle confidential information with discretion
• Ability to take responsibility for own work and maintain personal and professional standards
• Ability and willingness to support, respect and commit to embracing diverse backgrounds, values and points of view to build a strong and inclusive community including faculty, staff, students and constituents

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Education: Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from a program accredited by the American Library Association, or an advanced degree with relevant experience; maintain a valid driver’s license and meet St. Olaf College driver authorization criteria with a satisfactory driving record

Experience:  1+ year of professional experience (or extensive volunteer experience) working in a library setting with a focus on teaching in special collections and/or archives

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Education:  Bachelor’s degree in humanities; graduate education in Archives, Special Collections or a teaching track; background in pedagogy, instructional technology, primary source research

Experience:  Professional experience in Archives, with teaching in Special Collections; familiarity with Rare Books, Artist’s Books, and other types of distinctive collections; familiarity with history of the book in both eastern and western culture; formal teaching experience; experience working with historians and archivists in public history initiatives; reading fluency in Norwegian, Danish, or Chinese

Staff - Full-time Regular

FTE: 1.0

Months per Year Position Will Work:  12

Shift (Days/Hours):  Monday – Friday, 8:00 am -5:00 pm; occasional evenings or weekends may be required for special events; travel up to 2% of work schedule, which includes local (Twin cities metro area) travel; overnight trips average 1-2 trips per year

Classification:  Salaried