Subject Liaison Librarian

Description

The University of Chicago Library empowers users with extensive expertise, innovative programs, diverse spaces, and deep and rich collections. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive community, enhancing access to scholarly resources, advancing digital scholarship, engaging locally and globally, and excelling in a changing environment.

We are seeking three innovative service-oriented Librarians in Humanities, Social Sciences and Sciences to work collaboratively with colleagues across the Library to provide research and instructional support, develop physical and digital scholarly collections, and support new fields of scholarship that cross traditional disciplinary boundaries. These positions are located within the Division of Research and Learning Services which oversees the Library's liaison librarian program across the disciplines, as well as the departments of Teaching and Academic Engagement, the East Asian Collection, and the Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center. The ideal candidates possess skills and abilities to help transform instruction, outreach, reference and collections and are creative in solving problems in a collaborative environment.

Each Librarian will develop electronic and print collections to support scholarship and teaching, provide advanced reference and research consultations, maintain online research guides, and provide library instruction in their assigned liaison areas. The Librarians work closely with colleagues to support students and faculty in interdisciplinary research and teaching to support evolving needs across the University, and contribute to the Library's general reference, instruction and outreach program. Collection development and management at the University of Chicago Library takes place in a highly collegial manner, and the Librarians will consult and collaborate with other colleagues in building and maintaining collections. The Librarians will also engage in community focused initiatives and activities, through collaborations with partners from campus offices and programs. All Librarians participate in departmental staff meetings, and, as appropriate, in other Library and University group activities, including committee assignments.

In addition, the Librarians will work with colleagues across the Library and across campus to provide domain expertise in support of the Library's digital scholarship services. The successful candidate is expected to develop expertise in one or more areas of current and emerging importance in academic libraries, for example, research data services and open science.

See details for each Librarian below:

Humanities Librarian

The Humanities Librarian serves as the primary liaison for the Department of Music, and Theater and Performance Studies. The Music Collection supports programs in music history, music theory, ethnomusicology, and composition. Its traditional strength has been in criticism, histories, and scholarly editions of Western music, while recently there has been greater emphasis on collecting materials for the study of non-western music and music theory, as well as scores of contemporary music. There is both a strong circulating collection of recordings and books on jazz and blues, as well as popular music and a Chicago Jazz Archive in the Hannah Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center. Collections in theater and performance studies, including dance, feature materials and electronic resources in Renaissance through present European ballet traditions, traditional folk dances, streaming theater performances and scripts, and academic resources for a wide variety of drama traditions from around the world.

Social Sciences Librarian

The Social Sciences Librarian serves as the primary liaison for the department of Political Science, the Harris School of Public Policy, the Committee on International Relations and the Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago. The Librarian is also responsible for the Library's government documents collection. The Department of Political Science has been a pioneer in the development of social scientific understandings of government and politics, with a history of crossing disciplinary and subdisciplinary boundaries, and a commitment to diversity of approach and method. The Harris School addresses today's global, interconnected challenges, working at the frontiers of data collection and analysis, using the latest technology and social science methods to design policies that work for society. The Committee on International Relations offers master's degrees under the guidance of an interdisciplinary faculty committee. It draws faculty from political science, law, history, and other disciplines. The nonpartisan Institute of Politics aims to inspire in students an active interest in public service. It offers speakers series and student-led leadership development programs.

Science Librarian

The Science Librarian is the primary liaison to the Departments of Chemistry, Physics, Astronomy and Astrophysics, and the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering. The Department of Chemistry has considerable strength in inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry, as well as in interdisciplinary research that delves into biology, physics, and materials science. The Department of Physics supports programs in experimental and theoretical physics with strengths in condensed matter physics, particle physics, quantum physics, astrophysics & cosmology, biophysics, and atomic, molecular, & optical physics. The Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics focuses on three themes: the universe beyond the Milky Way, the extreme Universe, and the Universe where we live. These are connected through computational astrophysics, instrument development, and a multi-messenger approach to studying the Universe. The Departments of Physics and Astronomy & Astrophysics collaborate closely. The Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME) develops solutions to societal issues through the design of advanced devices, processes, and technologies. It is organized by interdisciplinary themes: quantum engineering, biotechnology and immunoengineering, advanced materials, energy storage, and ensuring a clean global water supply. All the liaison areas collaborate with a group of these institutes and national laboratories: Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, Enrico Fermi Institute, the James Franck Institute, the Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics, and the Kadanoff Center for Theoretical Physics.

Responsibilities:

• Identify, develop, and provide general and specialized research support and instruction services for faculty, students, and staff, including maintaining online research guides
• Responsible for collection development in assigned areas, and collaboration around interdisciplinary collection development in consultation with colleagues
• Contribute to general reference, instruction and collection development for the Library
• Collaborate with other librarians as appropriate to support students and faculty in interdisciplinary research and teaching
• Participate in community focused programs and initiatives
• Participate in library-wide, University-wide, and divisional committees, task forces, and work groups
• Engage in professional library and/or subject discipline organizations relevant to assigned areas
• Provide some evening and weekend service as needed
• Other duties or liaison areas as assigned

Qualifications

Required:

• Undergraduate or advanced degree in a discipline related to the relevant subject area or relevant experience in subject area
• At least one year of experience in providing public services and research support
• Knowledge of trends and topics in current research and resources in a related discipline
• Effective oral and written communications skills
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion

Preferred:

• Master's degree in library science from an ALA-accredited institution or an advanced degree in a related subject area with relevant library experience
• Experience with reference, instruction and collection development in a research library
• Experience with specialized information research tools in the humanities, sciences or social sciences
• Experience with teaching in a library or academic setting
• Experience using digital scholarship methodologies and tools
• Reading knowledge of one or more European languages (Humanities Librarian)

Application Instructions

To Apply: Submit cover letter, curriculum vitae, and reference contact information online through the University of Chicago's Academic Recruiting website: http://apply.interfolio.com/165537. Review of applications will begin after April 26, 2025. Screening of applications will continue until the position is filled or the search is closed.

Salary and Benefits: $60,000 - $95,000. The position is Benefits-eligible and also includes a relocation allowance for qualifying expenses.

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Questions: Contact the University Library Human Resources department at libraryhr@uchicago.edu.