Located in Bostons historic Fenway area Simmons University has a strong tradition of empowering women and challenging traditional gender roles. Simmons was founded for equality 125 years ago as one of the first higher education institutions dedicated to helping women become leaders. Today our university continues to grow and evolve and now offers Bostons only womens undergraduate program and graduate programs open to all.
Youre joining our community at an especially exciting time as we continue to innovate for the future. Simmons recently launched a six-school academic structure that leverages our expert faculty and longstanding expertise in professions that make our communities addition we continue to highlight our high-value education proposition that is delivering greater ROI to students and putting them on the fast track to career growth and success. Youll find that people who work here truly believe in our mission of preparing students to become social justice-oriented leaders who excel in their professions and their communities. This commitment and pride make for a dynamic workplace.
As a university that values diversity equity and inclusion Simmons encourages applications from all under-represented groups. Simmons is committed to creating developing promoting and enhancing inclusive hiring practicesat all levels for all positionsensuring diverse talent pools and the delivery of a consistent positive candidate experience. Simmons is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to continuing to develop a more diverse faculty staff student body and curriculum.
JOB SUMMARY
The Research and Learning Librarian supports the core academic missions of Simmons University and the University Library through the development and delivery of targeted and relevant strategies tools services and practices which directly and indirectly support student learning and academic excellence. The Research and Curriculum Librarian develops subject expertise and engages faculty in order to effectively advocate for library resources and services; designs and implements research services and instruction strategies; and supports the integration of information literacy concepts and skills into the curriculum for assigned academic departments/ Research and Learning Librarian provides direct patron services including staffing reference desk and chat reference as well as supporting training for student workers in service delivery.
As part of the University Librarys ongoing commitment to celebrating the humanity dignity lived experiences and contributions of the entire Simmons scholarly and professional community the Research and Curriculum Librarian actively incorporates principles of antiracism and diversity equity inclusion and belonging into their teaching service and support of students.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.
Key Work Activities:
1. Teaching & Learning
Develop and deliver library instructionincluding instructional design teaching and assessmentin face-to-face online and blended modalities and in alignment with the identified program curricular and student needs
Maintain up-to-date knowledge of relevant curriculum initiatives within assigned departments/programs
Demonstrate competency on broad issues of copyright and how to responsibly use resources in an academic setting
Deliver instruction sessions which encourage students critical thinking around engagement with and evaluation of information sources through the ACRL Frameworks and other societal and systemic lenses of antiracism diversity equity inclusion and belonging
2. Research and Service
Provide high-quality reference and research support on demand by appointment email video conferencing chat or other vehicles and modalities as appropriate
Create and maintain asynchronous research tools such as LibGuidesresource- or skill-centered tutorials and instructional videos with particular attention paid to ensuring the accessibility of content to all students
Extend services through office hours embedded librarianship and support of student research programs
Participate in the promotion of library services and materials
Train and onboard student workers in research and learning and user engagement functions
3. Curriculum & Resources Development
Participate in ongoing collection review and assessment especially in assigned subjects and with an awareness of the importance of recognizing affirming and valuing the worth of individuals and their scholarship creative works and perspectives
Maintain an awareness of scholarship in assigned disciplines and relevant curricular initiatives to ensure curriculum-aligned collection management that incorporates antiracism and diversity equity inclusion and belonging as assessment factors
Develop integrate and promote the adoption of open access principles and open educational resources into patron resource discovery experiences to help ensure the accessibility of these resources to all students
4. Engagement
Cultivate partnerships and collaborations with faculty adjuncts students and staff in assigned departments/programs
Maintain an understanding of assigned academic department/program needs and a corresponding awareness of the appropriate library resources/services to meet such program needs
Maintain an understanding and awareness of department- program- College- or University-wide initiatives around antiracism diversity equity inclusion and belonging and identify opportunities to support these through research and instruction services and other activities
Promote the awareness and use of the Librarys collections and services and pursue opportunities that engage and inform the community
Speak knowledgeably about issues such as scholarly communication critical cataloging open access institutional repositories and information literacy
Share information about users with library staff and with departments/programs
Seek opportunities for collaboration with academic and co-curricular departments/programs on initiatives impacting resources services information literacy and curriculum support
Serve on appropriate department- program- College- or University-wide committees
5. Professional Development/Service
Maintain current knowledge of library resources services and issues with strong emphasis on assigned academic departments/programs
Participate in appropriate professional organizations
Contribute to the profession through activities including publications and presentations and by taking on leadership roles in professional organizations
Maintain an understanding of University and Library strategy priorities and initiatives in order to advance shared goals
OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Other duties as assigned
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Masters degree from an ALA accredited program in Library & Information Science
Outstanding written and oral communication skills
Strong analytical and organizational skills
Commitment to excellent customer service
Demonstrated ability to work both independently as well as part of a team
Experience with library and emerging technology
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Two years ofpublic services experience in an academic setting
Experience developing and delivering Information Literacy sessions
Familiarity with and experience with resources in the Library Science and Business and Management.
Experience providing outstanding reference and research support both in-person and in the online environment
Experience developing assessing and managing print media and electronic collections
Experience developing and conducting effective outreach programs for students and faculty
COMPETENCIES
Proficiencies in research and reference services
Commitment to continuous learning and technological flexibility
Collaborative and team-oriented
Commitment to inclusive excellence and social justice
Strong commitment to student success and faculty engagement
WORK ENVIRONMENT & CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL DEMANDS
On-campus hybrid eligible at the discretion of supervisor
40 Hours/week
12 months/year
Environment: Office environment
Instructions to Applicants: Please upload all applicable application materials (e.g. resume/cv cover letter writing sample teaching philosophy etc.) in the Application Materials box on page 2 (My Experience) of this application. Documents can be uploaded individually or as a combined document (e.g. PDF).
Simmons University is committed to inclusive excellence in all aspects of an individuals community experience. As a university committed to diversity equity and inclusion Simmons encourages applications from all under-represented groups. Simmons is committed to creating developing promoting and enhancing inclusive hiring practicesat all levels for all positionsensuring diverse talent pools and the delivery of a consistent positive candidate experience. Simmons is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to continuing to develop a more diverse faculty staff student body and curriculum.