Systems Librarian

Description

The Grinnell College Libraries seek a user-oriented Systems Librarian committed to critical experimentation with new technologies in support of undergraduate learning, starting summer or fall 2011. Appointment as Assistant or Associate Professor possible. Grinnell College is a highly selective undergraduate liberal arts college. The College’s curriculum is founded on a strong advising system and close student-faculty interaction, with few college-wide requirements beyond the completion of a major. The College places a high priority on information literacy and the Libraries are integrally involved with student education through teaching, consultation, and development of the collections and tools necessary for conducting inquiry. As a member of the Libraries’ Technology Team and the College’s Academic Technology Development Team, the Systems Librarian will share leadership and responsibility for planning, developing, integrating, implementing, and maintaining the digital systems and services through which the Libraries support users in finding and using information. The Systems Librarian’s primary focus will include (but will not be limited to) the Libraries’ integrated management system (currently Innovative Interfaces), interlibrary services system, and digital repository systems. Together with the Library Systems Support Specialist (whom the Systems Librarian supervises) the Systems Librarian also serves as the primary technology liaison with the Libraries’ cataloging, acquisition, circulation, reserve, and interlibrary/document delivery services, to ensure excellent service to users and operational efficiency in these operations. In consultation with Information Technology Services, the Archivist of the College, the Catalog Librarian, and others, the Systems Librarian will also take primary technology responsibility for the Libraries’ digital content initiatives through research and policy-development on standards, repositories, and storage and preservation strategies.

The Grinnell College Libraries work closely with the College’s Information Technology Services, Curricular Technology, and Web Services departments. A cross-departmental Academic Technology Development Team helps coordinate our work and ensure an integrated user experience, and the Systems Librarian is a key member of that team. The Libraries and the College use a mixture of proprietary and open-source systems, including the III Millennium ILS, SubjectsPlus, Drupal (for the College Web site), MDID (the James Madison Digital Image Database), and DSpace (remotely hosted by Longsight.com).

The Grinnell College Libraries are organized into four functional clusters, each co-managed by a team of librarians and senior staff. Reporting to the Librarian of the College, the Systems Librarian will share co-management responsibility for the Technology Cluster and will serve on the Libraries’ Management Council. All librarians at Grinnell College also participate in the Libraries’ reference and instruction program, with regularly scheduled hours at the reference desk and some instructional responsibilities. Grinnell College librarians hold faculty status and rank with renewable multi-year contracts; they are evaluated on job performance (including teaching), scholarship, and service. For more information about the Grinnell College Libraries, see our website at http://www.grinnell.edu/library. Salary range $52,000 or higher, depending on qualifications and experience.

Required qualifications (pre-MLS experience is acceptable):

MLS from an ALA-accredited institution Work experience in an academic library Experience with and interest in reference service or information literacy instruction Work experience in systems administration OR library technical services Working knowledge of an ILS (Millennium preferred but not required) Familiarity with the MARC cataloging format Working knowledge of the technologies used to store, manipulate, and query structured data

Preferred qualifications:

Working knowledge of one or more non-MARC metadata standards (e.g., Dublin Core, VRA) Working knowledge of UNIX, and some experience managing UNIX-based servers Some familiarity with one or more image-based or text-based digital repositories (MDID, ContentDM, DSpace, Fedora) Supervisory experience

In letters of application, candidates should discuss their interest in developing as a teacher and scholar in an undergraduate, liberal-arts college that emphasizes close student-faculty interaction. They also should discuss what they can contribute to efforts to cultivate and wide diversity of people and perspectives, a core value of Grinnell College. To be assured of full consideration, all application materials should be received by December 10, 2010. Please submit applications online by visiting our application website at https://jobs.grinnell.edu. Candidates will need to upload a letter of application, curriculum vita, and provide email addresses for three references, including current supervisor. Official transcripts will be required of candidates selected for an on-campus interview. Questions about this search should be directed to the search chair, Richard Fyffe, Librarian of the College, at LibrarySearch@grinnell.edu or 641-269-3351. Grinnell College is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer committed to attracting and retaining highly qualified individuals who collectively reflect the diversity of the nation. No applicant shall be discriminated against on the basis of race, national or ethnic origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital status, religion, creed, or disability. For further information about Grinnell College, see our website at http://www.grinnell.edu.