Data and Digital Scholarship Librarian

Description

(General Librarian, full-time, confirmation track)

DESCRIPTION:

The Library at UBC’s Okanagan campus invites applications from innovative, collaborative librarians committed to supporting research excellence and transformative student learning experiences for a full time ongoing position as Data and Digital Scholarship Librarian. This is an exciting time to join UBC’s Okanagan Campus Library! With a major renovation and expansion to the campus Library that opened in January 2019 we have doubled in size, and are growing our team to animate new services and spaces. We are a vibrant and diverse group that values collaboration, flexibility, and creativity, and we are looking for candidates who welcome an opportunity to work closely with staff, faculty, and colleagues. The Okanagan Library prides itself on being an inclusive place, a service-oriented team, and a nexus of scholarly engagement. We lead by example, and empower by design.

Reporting to the Associate Chief Librarian, Research & Administration this position will:

·       Develop strategies for collaboration, program planning, and support for interdisciplinary digital projects. Conduct environmental scans in conjunction with subject librarians to identify current and emerging scholarly projects for which digital tools and methodologies are appropriate.

·       Serve as a strategist and resource person for the Library on trends in data and digital scholarship, working closely with other librarians and keeping abreast of emerging areas of interest such as data accessibility, software, hardware, and analysis and visualization techniques.

·       Provide expertise to scholars on digital techniques, tools and software (i.e. R, Python, and GIS), including emerging digital tools, that will advance their research and provide the technical expertise necessary to enhance the Library’s contributions to faculty and student research projects.

·       Coordinate and disseminate information about digital scholarship on campus and connect scholars across disciplines to facilitate interdisciplinarity.

·       Provide user supports for tools and platforms related to scholarly publishing and digital scholarship, including DOI, ORCID, OJS, Open Science Framework, and Pressbooks and work with other employees on their development and implementation.

·       Provide specialized research assistance, consultation, and support to students, faculty, staff, and other library users related to locating, acquiring, managing, analyzing, and visualizing data.

·       Increase visibility of available data resources and services through outreach efforts, and support access and use of the resources.

·       Design and teach workshops, and develop online learning materials, related to data and digital scholarship topics, including data access and use, data visualization, open and licensed data resources, and other data tools. In collaboration with liaison librarians, provide course-integrated instruction and/or learning objects on subject specific data and digital scholarship needs.

·       Liaise with Collections portfolio to ensure that collections meet information needs of researchers in emerging areas, including requirements for text and data mining.

·       Serve as Library resource for planning, development and coordination of spaces providing specialized digital tools and software. Liaise with UBC IT staff in assessment of space, hardware, software, and associated technology needs.

·       Collect evidence, and prepare reports, environmental scans, and other documents and briefs in support of data and digital scholarship, related to proposals and initiatives as appropriate.

·       Engage with professional communities interested in data, digital scholarship, and related topics through participation in conferences, committees and other professional development activities.

The nature and scope of responsibilities for this position may change as the Library evolves.

A job description can be viewed at https://library.ok.ubc.ca/about/work-at-the-library/

ENVIRONMENT:

The University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus is situated in Kelowna, about 400 km east of Vancouver in the heart of the Okanagan Valley. Please have a look at the Tourism Kelowna website for more information about the area http://www.tourismkelowna.com/.

Currently, there are approximately 10,700 UBC Okanagan undergraduate and graduate students and 700 faculty at UBC’s Okanagan campus. Administratively, the Okanagan campus Library is led by the Chief Librarian & Associate Provost, Learning Services who reports to the Provost & Vice President Academic. Additionally, the Okanagan campus Library’s collections are integrated with UBC Library and library employees contribute to activities of the UBC Library. UBC’s Okanagan campus is an intimate learning environment with an excellent library infrastructure. Check out the campus website for more information www.ok.ubc.ca.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Graduate degree from an accredited school of library, archival or information science, or equivalent internationally accredited degree. An academic background in a discipline related to data and/or digital scholarship or equivalent knowledge gained through practical experience is required. Familiarity with electronic information technologies and their applications to reference and research services used in an academic environment are required. Reference and research services and instructional experience in an academic library, or equivalent experience, is desirable.

Excellent oral, written and interpersonal communication skills; ability to work effectively as a team member; ability to make decisions based on problem solving skills; and the ability to prioritize issues that are time sensitive are essential.

TERMS OF APPOINTMENT:

This position will be filled as a full-time, ongoing General Librarian position with an anticipated start date of April 1, 2021. The start date is flexible depending on candidate requirements. This successful candidate for this position will be a member of The University of British Columbia Faculty Association and the terms and conditions of appointment are governed by a collective agreement.

If eligible and qualified, the successful applicant may be appointed with a confirmed appointment.

Otherwise, there will be an initial three-year probationary appointment. Normally, such an appointment is reviewed by the end of the second year of the appointment, and a recommendation is made at that time to grant or not to grant a confirmed appointment.

This position is anticipated to be filled at an annual starting salary that is in accordance with the Collective Agreement between UBC and the UBC Faculty Association

(http://www.hr.ubc.ca/faculty-relations/collective-agreements/).

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Applications for this exciting opportunity are to be submitted in one consolidated file (PDF or Microsoft word format) and will include: a letter of application, including a statement of citizenship/immigration status, indicating the candidate’s education, training, and work experience in the areas listed above; a detailed and current curriculum vitae; and the names of three referees with their email addresses.

To ensure full consideration, complete applications are to be submitted by 11:59 pm PDT on October 25, 2020.

To apply for this position, please visit the following link:

• http://www.hr.ubc.ca/careers-postings/faculty.php and select Job ID 38371

Please direct your questions to:

Lois Marshall

lois.marshall@ubc.ca

Manager, Planning and Operations | Library

The University of British Columbia | Okanagan Campus

3287 University Way Kelowna BC V1V 1V7

Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expressions, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.