Job Description

Job Posting Title:
Reference Librarian, Harry Ransom Center

Job Details:

General Notes
The Harry Ransom Center is an internationally renowned humanities research library and museum at The University of Texas at Austin. Its extensive collections provide unique insight into the creative process of writers and artists, deepening our understanding and appreciation of literature, photography, film, art, and the performing arts. Visitors engage with the Center’s collections through research and study, exhibitions, publications, and a rich variety of program offerings including readings, talks, symposia, and film screenings.

The Ransom Center encourages discovery, inspires creativity, and advances understanding of the humanities for a broad audience through the preservation and sharing of its extraordinary collections.

Purpose
Provides leadership, coordination, and support for in-person and virtual reference assistance and contributes to a creative, collaborative, and team-oriented work environment. Collaborates with the Public Services Librarian (responsible for Reading Room operations) and the Reference team (responsible for virtual reference) to assist with all reference services. Coordinates Reference services from staff across many divisions, develops and implements policies and procedures for Reference, is active professionally and serves on library and professional committees. Plans and implements outreach to the UT campus community, provides research consultations, and leads instruction sessions on archival and bibliographical research methods for faculty, students, and staff in collaboration with the Instructional Services Coordinator and the Reference team. Creates research guides, FAQs, tutorials for special-collections discovery tools, and maintains the reference materials in collaboration with Reference, Research Services, Curatorial, and Technical and Digital Services staff.

For full consideration by the hiring committee, please submit materials by 3/15/24. This is a 2 year contract position with a start date as early as 6/1/2024.

Responsibilities

• Reporting to the Associate Director for Research Services, designs and administers user-centered Reference service models; explores and implements changes to service models and supporting processes. Collects and compiles circulation and assessment data, analyzes data and prepares reports. Maintains a high level of professional activities and keeps up with current trends and emerging technologies in the areas of Reference and Research Services. Shares with the Associate Director for Research Services, Reference team, and Public Services Librarian responsibility for service quality for in-person reference support by creating policy and designing new workflows. Delivers database instruction training to new and existing staff. Staffs the Reference Service point up to 10-hours a week.
• Provides research assistance to and answers reference questions from in-person and virtual library patrons regarding all collections but with a special focus on Literature, History, Photography, Cultural studies, or other Humanities-related fields. Shares responsibility for handling digitization and permission requests for these collections.
• Provides research support to students and faculty on campus through outreach, consultations, office-hours, and workshops. Collaborates with Ransom Center Instructional, Curatorial, Conservation, and Research Services staff along with University faculty to design and deliver student-centered instructional sessions prioritizing active learning strategies.
• Participates in Ransom Center committee activities as requested. Engages in campus, regional, and national professional organizations and collaborative activities and brings awareness of best practices in the field to help maintain the excellence of Reference support at the Harry Ransom Center.
• May assist in evaluating collections and library acquisitions. Occasional Saturday hours required.

Required Qualifications

• MSIS with coursework in library or information science, or in a discipline aligned with the Ransom Center’s major collection strengths.
• Experience in literary, archival, or special collections research.
• Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills.
• Excellent organizational, time, and project management skills.

Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree or coursework in library or information science, or in a discipline aligned with the Ransom Center’s major collection strengths including film, photography, literature, performing arts, or early books and manuscripts.
• Experience providing reference services in a special collections or academic library.
• Reading knowledge of Spanish or French.
• Familiarity with trends, issues, and best practices in the description, preservation, and access to special collections materials.

Salary Range
$56,000, non-negotiable.

Working Conditions

• May work around standard office conditions.
• Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation.
• Use of manual dexterity.
• Lifting and moving.

Work Shift

• Regular M-F work shift with occasional Saturday hours required.

Required Materials

• Resume/CV
• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor.
• Letter of interest

How to Apply

Job Categories: Equal Opportunities. Job Types: Full-Time. Job Tags: archival, archive, archives, Education, information science, library, library science, museum, Museums, and Texas. Salaries: 40,000 - 60,000.

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