The Research & Instruction Liaison for the Humanities serves as a research partner, a technology specialist, an educator, an instructional consultant, and a frequent point of contact to faculty and students in the Humanities (with an emphasis on support for literature and languages, art history, history, and digital humanities) within a merged library/information technology organization. The Research & Instruction Liaison for the Humanities facilitates the use of information resources and technology in teaching, learning, and scholarship for faculty and students in the Humanities departments and some interdisciplinary programs. As a member of the Research and Instruction Liaison Team, this librarian/technologist is responsible for research consultations, instructional services, and information resource development for the assigned areas and assists in implementing appropriate educational systems and technologies that support student and faculty learning and scholarship. This librarian/technologist collaborates with other LIS and academic staff to further the mission and priorities of the college.
This position is a part of the Liaison Team of the Research and Instruction (R&I) Department, a group composed of professional educators with varied backgrounds – librarians, web designers, instructional designers, instructional technologists. Liaisons are assigned to different areas of the curriculum – Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, and Sciences – in a way that ensures that the faculty and students have appropriate support and access to the information resources and technologies necessary to their disciplines. The liaisons share a common skill set, while also each bringing a unique set of skills to the group and to the curriculum.
Required Qualifications
Individuals must possess these skills, knowledge, and abilities, or be able to explain and demonstrate that the individual can perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation, using some other combination of skills and abilities.
Subject Focus:
- Degree in one of the Humanities and/or deep, discipline-specific knowledge in the Humanities;
- An appreciation of the varieties of Humanities research needs, including the field of Digital Humanities
- Knowledge not only of US sources and databases, but international ones as well
- Demonstrated expertise in the use of a broad range of information systems, services and databases relevant to a liberal arts curriculum, particularly those associated with the Humanities. Demonstrated ability to learn, adopt and propagate new systems and services effectively and quickly.
- Critical appreciation of and enthusiasm for information technologies as applied to Humanities research and curriculum enrichment
- Understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of Humanities research and studies
General Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- A clear commitment to delivering high quality service to an academic community
- Effective interpersonal and communication skills
- Team orientation, flexibility, versatility, and ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a complex and changing public service environment
- Creative problem-solving abilities, curiosity and initiative
- Resilience of character and perspective, with a sense of humor
- Demonstrated aptitude and enthusiasm for teaching in a college environment, including the ability to work effectively with faculty, students, and colleagues
- Strong interest in playing an integral role in actively developing campus-wide information fluency programs
- Demonstrated knowledge of, or interest in, trends regarding access to information and digital library technologies, including copyright
- Familiarity with common information and instructional technology tools such as course management systems, bibliographic management software, etc.
- Mastery of desktop computing skills
- Experience with web editing tools and web page design
- Project management aptitude or experience
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- An ability to help faculty with their research
- An aptitude for resource collection building, culling, and transformation
- A willingness to cooperate with faculty on course design, in workshops or individually
Education/Experience
- American Library Association-accredited Master’s Degree, or Master’s degree in the Humanities or comparable combination of education and work experience is required.
- Degree or strong background in one of the Humanities is required.
- 2-3 years of professional employment in an academic or special library strongly preferred.
- Teaching experience is strongly preferred.
Link to original job ad https://jobs.wheatoncollege.edu/postings/954.
