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Earth and Environmental Sciences Librarian

Employer
STANFORD UNIVERSITY
Location
California, United States
Closing date
21 May 2020

The Stanford Libraries invite applications and nominations for the position of Earth and Environmental Sciences Librarian and Bibliographer. Librarians at Stanford University, including this position, are Academic Staff appointments, rather than faculty-tenured positions. Applicants must apply by clicking on the Apply button after searching for job #86456 in the Keyword Search field at: http://jobs.stanford.edu/find_a_job.html. Please supply a cover letter with a statement of qualifications, a full resume including education and relevant experience, and the names and addresses of three references with knowledge of one’s professional qualifications for this position.

Stanford University’s School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences aspires to be a world leader in its field and the Branner Earth Sciences Library and Map Collections exists primarily to support the School’s teaching and research. If you have a passion for earth and environmental sciences, consider joining a stellar team of science and engineering librarians at our top-ranked research university that houses our dynamic library system.

The Libraries are seeking an innovative candidate with a background in earth, environmental or sustainability sciences. Stanford’s entrepreneurial mindset is embodied by the Libraries, which allows librarians to professionally flourish in a creative work environment. We seek a professional who will combine skills in management, outreach, technology, and subject expertise to provide direction and focus for support provided to the four departments, three interdisciplinary programs, and numerous institutes in the School of Earth. The School is at the center of the university’s sustainability initiative on campus and the Libraries are poised to play a key role in supporting this major endeavor.

The Librarian is a member of the Science and Engineering Resource Group (SERG) and participates actively in the group's programs. SERG’s focus is on fostering responsive, dynamic, and flexible services inside modern libraries geared toward up-to-date support services. Innovative ideas and an ability to adapt to and create change are highly valued skills for the person in this position. In short, the Librarian should be a strategic, energetic, and flexible colleague who is looking towards the future and wants to be an integral part of creating a library designed to meet the needs of a fast-changing School of Earth.

Core Responsibilities:

• Plans, develops, evaluates, and manages research collections in earth, energy, sustainability, and environmental sciences. Manages and expends one unrestricted fund and four endowment funds. Selects current and retrospective materials in all formats. Maintains close contact with faculty and students in the School of Earth to ensure that library collections support current research and teaching programs.
• Creates and actively manages the Branner Web space, which is on a Drupal and LibGuide platform, and oversees the social media outreach for the library. Seeks out new applications and software to keep the library up-to-date on Web technologies and their use in an information setting.
• Provides reference, research assistance, and instruction in the fields of earth, energy, sustainability, and environmental sciences. Maintains contact with faculty, students and staff in the School and develops outreach programs for these groups.
• Collaborates with other subject specialists to assure collections coverage of interdisciplinary areas that lie outside conventional subject boundaries.
• Encourages and cultivates close relations with donors of funds and materials relating to earth, energy, sustainability, and environmental sciences.
• Contributes to planning, policies, and programs of the Science and Engineering Resource Group. Serves on committees and manages library projects as appropriate.
• Coordinates with campus service providers outside of the Libraries to ensure successful research and teaching practices within the School of Earth.
• Depending upon qualifications and the needs of the Libraries, assumes assignments in related fields with similar duties to those listed above.

At a Librarian 2 level:

• Manages the day-to-day activities of the Branner Earth Sciences Library including supervision of staff, budget oversight, and facilities management.
• Responsible for identifying resources for the Libraries’ internal development of digital resources, for identifying externally produced digital resources and data that should be collected and archived locally, and for working with appropriate staff to develop the infrastructure for delivering these digital resources.
• Provides instruction in one or more software classes such as git, Python, etc.
• Manages the processes and procedures for ingesting new gift collections.
• Participates as appropriate in donor and related development activities in support of the Libraries, working closely with the Director of Development.

Minimum Requirements:

Education and Experience:

Knowledge of and interest in research libraries and the research environment, as well as a subject background in earth or allied sciences (environmental, sustainability, physical geography, petroleum engineering, etc.) are required. Strongly desire a master’s degree from an ALA-accredited library and information science school or the equivalent in training and experience in understanding and providing information to a user population. Course work, degree, or academic / government / corporate library experience in the earth, environmental, or sustainability sciences or physical geography is highly desired.

Two or more years of relevant experience in a relevant library setting or a combination of education and relevant experience required at the Librarian 2 level.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (at Librarian 1 level):

• Knowledge of relevant aspects of library operations including understanding of contemporary library practices, trends, and emerging technologies.
• Evidence of strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work with a wide variety of people including faculty, students, and staff. Ability to perform effectively in and contribute successfully to a diverse, multicultural workplace environment is required.
• Effective problem solving, analytical, and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated broad knowledge of library discovery environments, office automation software, and online resources. Ability to evaluate online information products and services is strongly desired.
• Ability to quickly learn and use print and online tools and resources and in area of specialization.
• Evidence of strong verbal and written communication skills.

Other Relevant Knowledge, Skill, and Abilities May Include (at Librarian 1 level):

• Demonstrated knowledge of the commercial and non-commercial sources of materials in earth, energy, sustainability, and environmental sciences and their channels of distribution and acquisition is highly desired.
• Strong understanding of computers and data are required.
• Demonstrated information seeking skills, including database and Internet searching, and familiarity with earth sciences resources in digital formats, are required.
• Evidence of the ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, is required. Strong analytical and organizational skills are required. Ability to manage time and multiple projects in a complex, changing environment with a positive, flexible, creative, and innovative attitude is highly desired.
• Demonstrated potential to make professional accomplishments relevant to the responsibilities of this position is required. These may include scholarly publications, teaching, and library-related publications and presentations.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (at Librarian 2 level):

• Demonstrated library management skills including facilities oversight, staff supervision, and budget allocations.
• Experience with relevant aspects of library operations including understanding of contemporary library practices, trends and emerging technologies.
• Demonstrated understanding of the broad scope of library operations with ability to understand how their role interacts with the rest of the organization.
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment and negotiate issues with people from different parts of the library.
• Ability to identify challenges and opportunities, engage others in their resolution and recommend appropriate courses of action.
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate online resources in terms of content quality, functionality and user interface issues.
• Ability to independently perform complex job functions such as collection management reviews, preparation of major exhibits, developing policies for business practices.
• Consistent display of strong verbal and written communication skills.

Other Relevant Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities May Include (at Librarian 2 level):

• Familiarity with data and technologies related to climate, earth or geospatial use and implementation is desired. Effective use of current technologies, an interest to stay abreast of technological advances, the ability to acquire new technological skills and resolve problems in a resourceful and timely manner is required.
• Experience in earth, energy, sustainability, and environmental sciences reference is highly desirable.
• Documented history of innovation in a work setting. Demonstrated ability to innovate in an information-rich environment with new ideas, new programs, or interesting collaborations.
• Demonstrated high level of comfort in digital environments coupled with the ability to read complex visual information.
• Flexibility to be organized, productive and effective in a dynamic environment, involved with a variety of simultaneous projects and workflows.
• Commitment to professional development and service.

Physical Requirements*:

• Constantly sit, perform desk-based computer tasks.
• Frequently twist/bend/stoop/squat, grasps lightly/fine manipulation, grasp forcefully, sort/file paperwork or parts, lift/carry/push/pull objects that weigh up to 10 pounds.
• Occasionally stand/walk, reach/work above shoulders, writing by hand, kneel/crawl, climb (ladders, scaffolds, or other).
• Rarely use a telephone, operate hand controls.
• Must be able to push and maneuver a fully-loaded cart weighing up to 650 pounds that requires an initial push force up to 50 pounds.

* - Consistent with its obligations under the law, the University will provide reasonable accommodation to any employee with a disability who requires accommodation to perform the essential functions of his or her job.

Working Conditions:

• May work in confined spaces and at heights 4-10 feet; be exposed to dust and mold; work extended hours, evenings and weekends.

Work Standards:

• Interpersonal Skills: Demonstrates the ability to work well with Stanford colleagues and clients and with external organizations.
• Promote Culture of Safety: Demonstrates commitment to personal responsibility and value for safety; communicates safety concerns; uses and promotes safe behaviors based on training and lessons learned.
• Subject to and expected to comply with all applicable University policies and procedures, including but not limited to the personnel policies and other policies found in the University’s Administrative Guide, http://adminguide.stanford.edu.

Background:

The Stanford Libraries connects the Stanford community with academic information resources and services. The Libraries are home to a world-class collection of more than 9 million items, including books, e-books, journals, films, maps, data sets, special collections, archives, and more. The Libraries also employ more than 400 full-time staff across its 10 director groups. These staff provide research counseling, data management services, discovery tools, training, digitization, and a host of other services to ensure that the collection is both effectively used by current researchers and well preserved for the future. Much more information about the Libraries is available on the website https://library.stanford.edu/.

The Branner Earth Sciences Library and Map Collections is one of five science and engineering research branch libraries that form the Science and Engineering Resource Group. Branner has primary responsibility for providing services to the faculty, students, and staff within the School of Earth, Energy and Environmental Sciences. Branner also provides GIS/Maps services to the entire Stanford community. The collection contains approximately 250,000 volumes, 275,000 maps, and 2,200 serial subscriptions.

The Science and Engineering Resource Group is part of the Collections and Services Program and reports to the Assistant University Librarian for Science and Engineering Libraries.

The job duties listed are typical examples of work performed by positions in this job classification and are not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Specific duties and responsibilities may vary depending on department or program needs without changing the general nature and scope of the job or level of responsibility. Employees may also perform other duties as assigned.

Stanford is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer and is committed to recruiting and hiring without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Additional Information

  • Schedule: Full-time
  • Job Code: 1781
  • Employee Status: Regular
  • Grade: G
  • Requisition ID: 86456

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