Vacancy Announcement
Education and Research Librarian (Part-Time)
Located in historic and dynamic Richmond, Virginia, convenient to the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the recreation destinations of the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay, and the cultural resources of Washington, D.C., Virginia Commonwealth University is Virginia’s largest university and one of the nation’s leading research institutions. The VCU Libraries advances the University’s teaching, research, service, and patient care mission with one of Virginia’s most outstanding research library systems, with holdings that exceed 1.97 million volumes, 23,715 serial titles, more than 3.18 million microforms, and nationally prominent collections in the health and biological sciences, social work, the arts, the history of medicine, and comic and book arts.
The Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries invites applications and nominations for the part-time (.8 FTE) position of Education and Research Librarian at the Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences. The VCU Libraries seeks an energetic, knowledgeable, and technologically capable individual who will support the teaching, research, outreach, and user support missions of the VCU Libraries on the MCV Campus. The incumbent will develop Web-based tutorials, workshops, and classroom programs that teach research skills, promote information literacy, and enhance the student experience at VCU. The successful candidate will join a culturally and academically diverse faculty of the highest caliber.
Responsibilities
Reporting to the Head, Outreach Services, the .8 FTE Education and Research Librarian will develop and provide remote and campus-wide instructional, research, and outreach support for specified programs of the VCU Medical Center. Guide faculty, staff, and students in the effective use of library services and resources. Develop creative strategies to deliver library instruction and integrate library collections and services into course management software. Develop educational content, including Web-based tutorials and asynchronous training modules. Monitor and develop content for assigned sections of the VCU Libraries Web site. Assume a leadership role in developing and coordinating special programs as needed. Handle general and in-depth reference questions. Act as a liaison, gaining an understanding of programmatic needs to develop and apply appropriate resources and services and provide research consultations. VCU Libraries faculty are expected to be professionally active and contribute to developments in the field. Faculty with the VCU Libraries are evaluated, and promoted, on the basis of job performance, scholarship, and professional development and service.
Qualifications
Required: ALA-accredited graduate degree. Preferred: Previous experience in an academic health sciences library. Experience teaching to a variety of audience levels. Strong knowledge of Web 2.0 and emerging instructional methods and technologies. Experience searching relevant resources such as PubMed, Web of Science, and CINAHL to assist with literature reviews and mediated searching. Strong computer skills including experience with course management systems such as Blackboard, experience creating and editing Web pages, and experience creating online tutorials and other course materials. Understanding of scholarly communications and an awareness of national trends in scholarly publishing. Experience in evaluating and using electronic resources. Willingness to cooperate and share information. Ability to meet deadlines and manage competing priorities under pressure. Ability to work independently as well as with a team. Strong service orientation. Excellent oral and written communication skills. Excellent interpersonal skills. Ability to communicate clearly and knowledgeably. Flexibility and adaptability for work in an evolving, fast-paced environment. Willingness to seek membership in the Academy of Health Information Professionals (AHIP). Experience working in a culturally diverse environment highly preferred.
Virginia Commonwealth University and the VCU Libraries
Virginia Commonwealth University is Virginia’s largest research university, enrolling nearly 32,000 students. Classified by Carnegie as Research University (high research activity), VCU offers 31 doctoral, 69 masters, 3 professional and 62 baccalaureate degree programs. Twenty of VCU's graduate, professional programs are ranked by U.S. News & World Report as among the best in the nation, with 13 programs ranking in the top 25 and two programs — sculpture and nurse anesthesia — ranked number one. Over 1,700 faculty comprise the University's teaching force. Research strengths at the University include health and life sciences, education, engineering, social work, behavioral sciences, public affairs, and the fine arts. Sponsored research funding totaled over $225 million in FY07, placing VCU among the top 100 research institutions in the United States. VCU completed a new strategic plan to guide the University’s development though 2020 (http://www.vcu.edu/vcu2020/). The plan embraces an acceleration in the growth of VCU’s library system and includes a new Master Site Plan that envisions additions to both library facilities operated by the VCU Libraries.
Libraries at Virginia Commonwealth University (including the James Branch Cabell Library on the Monroe Park Campus and the Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences on the MCV Campus) employ 50 professionals and 94 support staff with an annual budget exceeding $14 million. VCU also operates programs in Doha, Qatar, including a library supporting the program there; Northern Virginia; and in various additional locations throughout the U.S. and the world. The VCU Libraries is a Resource Library in the National Network of Libraries of Medicine and a member of the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries, SPARC, CNI, BioMed Central, and the Virtual Library of Virginia (VIVA), a statewide networking consortium for shared access to electronic and print resources. The VCU Libraries uses ALEPH 500, SFX, MetaLib, CONTENTdm, and DSpace as the foundation of its system architecture to enhance access to its collections and services.
The VCU Medical Center is mainly located on the MCV Campus in historic Court End, near the government and financial centers of the city. The campus includes the schools of allied health professions, dentistry, medicine, nursing, and pharmacy as well as the VCU Health System (VCUHS). An independent school of public health is being formed; when complete, VCU will be one of only six universities nationally with a fully comprehensive health sciences campus. VCUHS includes an 820-bed hospital (MCV Hospitals), outpatient clinics, a 600-physician-faculty group practice and nearly 200 specialty areas, many of national and international renown. It also includes the Massey Cancer Center, Virginia's first NCI-designated cancer center. In addition to multidisciplinary centers for cancer, cardiology, neurosurgery, and transplantation, the VCUHS offers virtually every form of contemporary medical service.
Salary: $35,000-37,000 annually. This is a part-time (.8 FTE), non-tenured faculty position. Normal faculty benefits apply, including 24 vacation days annually pro-rated to .8 FTE and choice of retirement and annuity plans. For more information about benefits, see http://www.hr.vcu.edu/benefits/.
For more information about the VCU Libraries, please visit our home page at http://www.library.vcu.edu/. Review of applications will begin September 15, 2009, and will continue until the position is filled. Submit cover letter, resume, and the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of three references (electronic submission is highly preferred) to:
Kathleen McColgan, Personnel Administrator
VCU Libraries, Virginia Commonwealth University
901 Park Avenue, PO Box 842033
Richmond, VA 23284-2033
804-828-1105 804-828-0151 (fax)
mccolgankh@vcu.edu