Research Librarian for Biological Sciences
The University of California, Irvine Libraries seeks an energetic, creative, knowledgeable, and user-oriented Research Librarian for Biological Sciences to serve as liaison to the School of Biological Sciences which includes the following four departments: Neurobiology and Behavior; Developmental and Cell Biology; Molecular Biology and Biochemistry; and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. The incumbent will also work closely with the Libraries’ Health Sciences librarians in providing instruction and reference consultations, as appropriate, to faculty and students in the College of Health Sciences. The incumbent will also serve as the liaison to the Campuswide Honors Collegium.
Qualified candidates from diverse backgrounds and life experiences are encouraged to apply. The UCI Libraries is committed to recruiting a diverse workforce and advancing UCI’s Commitment to Inclusive Excellence, https://www.uci.edu/diversity/.
Key Responsibilities
The Research Librarian for Biological Sciences will be a member of the Reference Department, reporting to the Head of Reference. The core responsibilities of the position are as follows:
• Serve as a liaison to faculty and students in the School of Biological Sciences to ensure that their research and information needs are being met, and to promote the Libraries’ services and resources.
• Provide specialized instruction, subject guides, research consultations, and outreach services to the School of Biological Sciences and, as appropriate, the College of Health Sciences faculty and students.
• Liaise with the Campuswide Honors Collegium.
• Analyze trends in research, teaching, scholarly communications, and publishing in assigned areas.
• Select, assess, and manage collections and resources for assigned disciplines to support teaching and research needs on campus.
• Maintain sufficient knowledge to provide general reference assistance and effectively participate in Libraries’ information literacy initiatives.
• Collaborate with librarians and staff throughout the Libraries in many departments, including Collection Strategies, Education and Outreach, Digital Scholarship Services, Special Collections and Archives, and Communications and Events on projects that further the strategic goals of the UCI Libraries.
• As a member of the Reference Department, the RL for Biological Sciences will join a team focused on coaching all front-line reference providers on techniques to provide superior research assistance.
Qualifications
Required:
• Graduate degree in library science from an ALA-accredited institution or an equivalent combination of relevant advanced degree and library experience.
• Educational background and/or library experience in the biological sciences or life sciences; or experiences applicable to biological sciences or life sciences librarianship like reference consultations, instruction, and/or collection development.
• Ability to provide effective reference and instruction in the biological sciences.
• Understanding of the key issues in biological sciences collection development.
• Strong interest in working with students and faculty.
• Commitment to user-centered library services.
• Strong interest in how libraries can support open access and data management policies.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to work creatively, collaboratively, and effectively and to promote teamwork, diversity, equality, and inclusiveness within UCI Libraries and the campus.
• Ability to meet the University of California criteria for advancement and promotion.
Preferred:
• Experience working on systematic reviews.
• Knowledge of scholarly communication issues and trends within the biological sciences/life sciences disciplines.
• Minimum of 2 years’ experience performing reference, instruction and/or collection development in the life or health sciences.
• Understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of biological sciences in areas like research and health sciences.
• Experience managing or leading projects.
The Reference Department
The Reference Department consists of eight librarians, including the Department Head, and four career staff located in both the Langson Library and the Science Library. Our vision: the Reference Department ensures that all people--regardless of their identity and the nature or method of their query-- are supported and empowered to effectively and independently navigate the resources available to them that meet their information needs.
The UCI Libraries
At the heart of the University of California, Irvine’s academic community, the UCI Libraries plays a vital role in enabling our outstanding students, faculty and researchers to create new knowledge, develop lifelong learning skills, and make meaningful contributions to society. We value innovation and collaboration, and we are committed to fostering an environment that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion. See our Diversity Statement and Plan, https://diversity.lib.uci.edu/diversity-statement-and-plan. The UCI Libraries received the 2024 Library Excellence in Access and Diversity (LEAD) Award from Insight Into Diversity, https://www.insightintodiversity.com/ magazine, a leader in advancing best practices in DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) in higher education.
The Libraries’ physical spaces consist of the Langson Library, the Science Library, the Library Gateway Study Center, and the Grunigen Medical Library (located at the UCI Medical Center in Orange, CA). These locations provide a welcoming and technology enhanced environment valued by students as places for study, research, and collaboration. Together they contain over 3,300 public seats, over 500 public access computers, laptop computers for checkout, and a wide range of multimedia resources including 3D printers. The library collection consists of over 4.3 million volumes, 254,000 journals and serial titles, and an ever-expanding collection of electronic books, databases, and other resources. As part of the University of California system, the UCI Libraries collaborates closely with the other nine UC campus libraries and the California Digital Library (CDL). Our public website, https://www.lib.uci.edu/, is a portal to access e-resources; discover print, archival, and multi-media collections; and connect with reference and instructional services. It also includes cutting edge digital tools and tutorials and numerous subject specific research guides created by subject specialists.
The UCI Libraries employs approximately 140 full-time librarians and staff and many part-time student assistants. We strongly support the professional development of librarians and staff throughout their careers.
The UCI Libraries are a member of the: Association of Research Libraries (ARL), HathiTrust, Center for Research Libraries (CRL), Coalition of Networked Information (CNI), Digital Library Federation (DLF), Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR), Scholarly Publishing & Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC), Pacific Rim Research Libraries Alliance (PRRLA), International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), National Information Standards Organization (NISO), and OCLC Research Library Partnership (OCLC RLP).
University of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine, is nestled in over 1,500 acres of coastal foothills, five miles from the Pacific Ocean, between San Diego and Los Angeles and located on the homelands of the Acjachemen and Tongva peoples, https://diversity.lib.uci.edu/land-acknowledgement. Founded in 1965, UCI has over 37,000 undergraduate and graduate students and over 1,800 faculty and staff. Nearly 67% of UCI students identify themselves as Asian American, African American, Chicano/Latino, or Native American. Over 50% of UCI’s bachelor’s degrees are awarded to first generation college students. The University is committed to serving students from all backgrounds as demonstrated by UCI’s Black Thriving Initiative, https://inclusion.uci.edu/uci-black-thriving-initiative/, and its designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI), https://inclusion.uci.edu/msi/. The New York Times ranks UCI as the #1 college doing the most for the American Dream, and U.S. News and Report ranks UCI among the top ten public universities in the nation. The University offers graduate degrees in more than 100 academic disciplines and interdisciplinary programs in addition to the M.D. and J.D.
Salary & Benefits: Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience based on the University of California pay scales. Appointment is anticipated to be at the Assistant or Associate Librarian rank with a salary of $61,920 - $92,345. The posted UC salary scales set the minimum pay determined by rank and salary point at appointment. See Table for Represented Librarians at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KuPgUoTK1BqIcXLTZ_3zSmLzVUA83Hev/view.
Librarians are entitled to two days per month of annual leave, thirteen paid holidays, and one day per month sick leave. The University has an excellent retirement system and offers a variety of group health, life, and disability insurance plans. Benefits are equal to approximately 45% of salary.
Librarians at UCI are academic appointees. Non-managerial librarians are represented by an exclusive bargaining agent, University Council – American Federation of Teachers (UC-AFT). This is a represented position.
As academic appointees, UCI Librarians receive potential career status at the time of their initial appointment. Librarians periodically receive administrative and peer review for merit increases based on the following criteria: 1) professional competence and quality of service within the Library; 2) professional activity outside the Library; 3) university and public service; and 4) research and other creative activity.
Consideration will be given to applicants with a wide range of years of experience, including qualified early career librarians.
Deadline for Applications: Applications received by July 24 , 2024 will receive first consideration.
To Apply: Qualified applicants who wish to be considered for this position should submit the information requested: cover letter; complete résumé; a statement that addresses past and/or potential contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion; and a list of three references (names and contact information only) via UCI AP Recruit at: https://recruit.ap.uci.edu/JPF08962.
Upon application, candidates should be in possession of proof of their legal right to employment in the U.S. In compliance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, verification of legal right to work will be required between the time of final selection and hiring and is absolutely essential in ultimately being hired.
This position description is listed on the UCI Libraries web site at https://www.lib.uci.edu/libraries-experience/academic-staff-positions with links to additional web sites featuring campus and community information.
