Bunche Center Librarian

The Ralph J. Bunche Center is an Organized Research Unit (ORU) within the University of California, Los Angeles. The Library and Media Center (LMC) supports the mission of the Bunche Center by supporting research that expands knowledge of African American history and culture and investigates problems that affect people of African descent. The LMC is one of several affiliated libraries at UCLA. Affiliated status allows the Bunche Library and Media Center to independently manage collections and services for its core constituency.

The LMC collection has over 8,000 monograph, serial, archival and audio visual materials on African, African American, and Caribbean history and culture. The book collection includes monographs, series and reference materials, and is supplemented with subscriptions to academic journals, popular magazines, and African American newspapers. The audio/visual collection consists of audiocassette tapes, VHS tapes and DVD’s. Its content includes classic movies, documentaries, campus events, and music. Archive collections in the Bunche LMC include vertical files, personal papers, and records. The librarian builds the Bunche LMC collection with funds allocated to the unit for that purpose, and accepts donated monographs, special publisher sets, and reference series that might otherwise be cost prohibitive or scarce. This non-circulating, specialized collection is focused on materials relevant to the study of African American history and Black life in the diaspora and both augments and is augmented by collections in other UCLA libraries. Electronic records for the collection reside in the UCLA Library’s online library catalog.

Position Duties

Reporting to and under the general direction of the Director of the Bunche Center, the Bunche Librarian is responsible for the development of policies, procedures, planning and operations of the Bunche Center Library, including public and technical services, collection management and preservation. In public services, the Librarian provides reference, instructional and bibliographic assistance to students, faculty and staff associated with the Bunche Center and UCLA and to community members at large, and includes such activities as tours, lectures, orientations, and the creation and maintenance of the content of Bunche Library web pages. The Librarian selects and coordinates the purchase of materials for the Bunche Library so as to where possible augment the holdings in other UCLA collections while at the same time maintaining and improving the quality of the Bunche Library collection as a specialized resource. The Librarian catalogs materials for the Library using modified Library of Congress Subject Headings and classifications and performs all aspects of technical processing of materials. The Librarian administers a program to preserve the various resources within the collection.

The Bunche Librarian is the main interface for the Bunche Library with respect to faculty, students, visiting scholars, the general public, and donors. These relationships are fundamental to the position.

The Librarian attends conferences, workshops, and pursues other necessary activities in order to maintain current awareness and develop skills in librarianship. To maintain current awareness and build knowledge in African and African American Studies the Librarian pursues a reading plan relevant to this purpose.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

• Maintain awareness of changes and trends within relevant disciplines and campus
• Effectively supervises, supports, and coordinates with library staff and students to complete goals and benchmarks for library, archive, and digital
• Maintains and builds library holdings and archival collections to support research and teaching in African American Studies and the African diaspora.
• Provides reference and research assistance to library
• Collaborates with faculty to provide library instruction and digital resources for the curriculum as
• In cooperation with the UCLA Library Metadata Services and UCLA Library Special Collections, creates, updates, and maintains catalog records within the UC system-wide integrated library system (SILS).
• Maintains membership in and participation in professional
• Demonstrates a commitment to professional issues, in part through research, publication, conferences, and local or national committee
• Coordinates with Bunche Center staff on special projects and
• Represents the Bunche Center and its mission both on and off campus, including within public and professional settings, and through the development and maintenance of project- and program-based

 

Required Qualifications

• ALA-accredited Master's Degree in Library or Information Science OR significant graduate-level coursework toward such a degree OR equivalent education and experience (subject expertise combined with professional library education and/or experience).
• Experience in development of library holdings and archival collections
• Public services experience, including reference, database searching, and information literacy
• Demonstrated commitment to African American Studies research and curriculum development.
• Demonstrated evidence of effective supervisory skills and supervisory experience.
• Experience with website development tools and web design techniques, specifically those related to user engagement and user
• Demonstrated proficiency and capabilities with personal computers and software, the Web, and library-relevant information technology applications and ability to use hardware/software for reference, research, and
• Excellent organizational, time, and project management skills and ability to organize work and set priorities.
• Knowledge and experience applying cataloging standards such as AACR2/RDA, LCSH, and MARC21
• Experience providing research assistance in-person or online to a diverse population and users of all
• Commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive educational environment and workplace and ability to work with a diverse student and faculty
• Ability to work creatively, collaboratively, and effectively both as a team member and independently and to promote teamwork among
• Capacity to thrive in the exciting, ambiguous, future-oriented environment of a world-class research institution and to respond effectively to changing needs and priorities.
• Familiarity with the research life cycle and information literacy
• Familiarity with the operation of a research university, and ability to work effectively and
• Demonstrated communications and interpersonal skills, which includes strong writing, oral, and organization skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively and efficiently across several organizational levels.

Desired Qualifications

•  Background or academic work on African American Studies and/or the Black diaspora.

• Strong technology
• Experience with developing and/or maintaining digital collections
• Demonstrated commitment to professional development and contributing to library/information science.
• Desire to publish in the field of African American Studies and/or the Black diaspora.
• Evidence of professional engagement at local, state or national
• Successful fundraising or grants
• A second subject master’s degree in a specialized

 

General Information

Professional librarians at UCLA are academic appointees. Librarians at UCLA are represented by an exclusive bargaining agent, University Council – American Federation of Teachers (UC-AFT). This is a represented position.

 

They are entitled to appropriate professional leave, two days per month of vacation leave, one day per month of sick leave, and all other benefits granted to non-faculty academic personnel. The University has an excellent retirement system and sponsors a variety of group health, dental, vision, and life insurance plans in addition to other benefits. Relocation assistance may be provided.

 

Appointees to the librarian series at UC shall have professional backgrounds that demonstrate a high degree of creativity, teamwork, and flexibility. Such background will normally include a professional degree from an ALA accredited library and information science graduate program. In addition to professional competence and quality of service within the library in the primary job, advancement in the librarian series requires professional involvement and contributions outside of the library, and/or university and community service, and/or scholarly activities. Candidates must show evidence or promise of such contributions.

 

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Document requirements

• Cover Letter - Describing qualifications and experience

• Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V. detailing education and relevant
• References - Names and contact information for three professional references, including current or previous