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Biology Librarian

Employer
Washington University St. Louis
Location
Missouri, United States
Salary
$49,000.00 - $80,000.00
Date posted
Jan 14, 2022

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Position Summary

The Biology Librarian is a member of the Research & Liaison Services (RLS) department and Research & Academic Collaboration Services Division, both of which are based in Olin Library on the Danforth Campus, Washington University in St. Louis (WashU).


The Biology Librarian will support Washington University Libraries strategic priorities related to access and discovery, research and scholarship, and student success for the department of Biology; lead in developing a clear understanding of the research, curricular, and scholarly communication practices and needs in the life sciences; set a strategy for Libraries support of life science-related teaching and learning efforts; and spearhead efforts to communicate and engage with faculty and students in the life sciences on behalf of the Libraries. These efforts will require close collaboration and strong working relationships with the WashU School of Medicine, Becker Medical Library, Brown School Library, affiliated community organizations, as well as outreach and support for the Living Earth Collaborative and Tyson Research Center.


As a member of the Research & Liaison Services unit, the Biology Librarian will serve as a subject librarian to assigned life science disciplines, departments, and/or schools; collaborate with other members of the Science & Engineering disciplinary research team; provide virtual chat and in-person reference services at Olin Library to support the broader WashU community; and provide instructional support for the College Writing program for incoming freshmen, Technical Writing, and/or discipline-specific undergraduate writing programs.
Subject librarians in the Research & Academic Collaboration division develop strong working relationships with faculty; collaborate and establish partnerships in the areas of research, teaching and advocacy; help develop and promote library resources and services; provide research assistance, instruction services, collection development, and other relevant liaison services in assigned subject area(s); assess both user needs and liaison services; and engage in continual education in librarianship and teaching and scholarship in assigned disciplines.

Job Description Primary Duties & Responsibilities

Subject Librarian Research Services:

  • In consultation with the Head of Research & Liaison Services, the Biology Librarian will provide customized reference and research services through email, chat, and individual/group consultations.
  • Seeks opportunities to extend services through embedded work and outreach.
  • Understands the research process of students and faculty.
  • Develops expertise and provide support for systematic reviews.
  • Understands database interfaces, citation management tools, and other research tools used on campus, especially PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science.
  • Refers patrons to other librarians, library staff, campus stakeholders and units, as appropriate.
  • Promotes the role of the WashU Libraries to the University and St. Louis community at large through participation in campus and regional committees and projects as deemed appropriate.
  • Contributes to the field of subject area and general librarianship through participation in regional and national committees and conferences and/or publication.
Teaching & Learning Services:

  • In consultation and/or collaboration with the Instruction & Information Literacy Coordinator, the Biology Librarian will design, deliver and assess effective instructional sessions and activities through the solicitation of user and instructor feedback.
  • Designs, implements and assesses effective online learning and digital tools.
  • Develops and enhances teaching skills, as appropriate.
Other Collaborative Services:

  • In consultation and/or collaboration with librarians and staff in Digital Scholarship & Technology Services and Special Collections Services, the Biology Librarian will investigate and keep current with subject-specific trends in functional areas, e.g., open science, open educational resources (OER), research data management, data carpentries, science communication, digital library services, and special collections services in order to educate and inform constituents in assigned subject areas about these topics and related services when relevant.
  • Promotes library functional area and special collection services as appropriate.
  • Maximizes the impact, accessibility, and discovery of scholarly outputs produced at WashU by facilitating their ingest into Open Scholarship, WashU’s institutional repository, and disciplinary repositories in collaboration with appropriate staff in the Libraries.
  • Anticipates evolving modes of scholarship in support of the University’s mission to discover and disseminate knowledge.
Collection Development Services:

  • In consultation and/or collaboration with the Head of Collections Services and affiliated staff, as appropriate, the Biology Librarian will develop subject-specific collection policies.
  • Manages, assesses and maintains allocated collection budgets, collection materials, and collection approval plans.
  • Consults with subject faculty, students and staff when selecting materials.
  • Maintains professional awareness in subject area and collection criteria.
Professional Development & Other Duties:

  • In order to maintain and further professional knowledge of trends and services in their subject specialty, as well as in the field of librarianship more broadly, subject librarians are encouraged to attend professional library and/or subject-related conferences and training events.
  • Attends skill-relevant training events (e.g., Skilltype, LinkedIn Learning).
  • Performs other duties as assigned.
Working Conditions

  • Occasional travel required.
  • Ability to move to on and off-campus locations.

 

We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the position and recognize that the candidate may be one who comes from a less traditional background. We encourage you to apply, even if you don't meet all of the qualifications/experiences listed below.

Preferred Qualifications

  • MLS/MLIS from an ALA accredited library program.
  • Undergraduate or graduate degree or equivalent training/work experience in biology, science, technology, engineering, or mathematics.
  • Academic or library experience.
  • Experience with development and assessment of services to support or enhance research, teaching, and/or scholarship.
  • Experience teaching STEM undergraduates library-related skills and developing online learning objects.
  • Ability to consult with students/researchers on library resources and research strategies for STEM disciplines.
  • Knowledge of ways that minoritized groups have been marginalized in STEM education and strategies for creating inclusive and antiracist learning environments.
  • Knowledge of STEM scholarly communication trends and practices including open science, open educational resources (OER), research data management, data carpentries, and science communication.
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills.
  • Strong interpersonal skills and teamwork orientation.
  • Demonstrated planning and organization skills.
  • Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a dynamic environment.
  Required Qualifications

  • ALA-accredited MLS or MLIS or a Master’s degree (or equivalent degree) in a life science-related field with at least one year of experience providing information, research, teaching, and/or scholarly communication support in a library or other academic setting.
  • Knowledge of science, technology, engineering, and/or math information resources as demonstrated by professional experience or coursework, e.g., PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science.
  • Public speaking experience as evidenced in candidate’s curriculum vitae.
  • Experience managing/leading a project, group project, or program.

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