Skip to main content

Geospatial Information Librarian

We are no longer accepting applications for this recruitment. Browse open recruitments

Position description

THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE

Geospatial Information Librarian

Rank and Salary Scale
Assistant Librarian - Associate Librarian - Librarian ($47,722 - $88,253)

Organizational Unit
Research and Instructional Services

Position Overview
The University of California, Riverside (UCR) Library seeks applications and nominations for an innovative, dynamic, and knowledgeable professional to serve as Geospatial Information Librarian. This librarian will foster and promote geospatial research, teaching, and learning, by developing services and relevant content to partner with faculty, researchers, and students across the disciplines.

Located an hour’s drive to the east of Los Angeles, an hour west of Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley, an hour east of ocean beaches, ninety minutes north of San Diego, and an hour south of mountain ski resorts, UCR is located in an area of dramatic landscapes and rich cultural traditions. The University is a dynamic, aggressively-developing land grant research institution dedicated to preparing its diverse student body to be successful competitors in the world marketplace of ideas. UCR boasts the first new School of Medicine to open on the West Coast in forty-three years; a new School of Public Policy; and the Bourns College of Engineering, ranked 10th in the world according to an international ranking organization.

UCR is a world-class research university with an exceptionally diverse undergraduate student body. Its mission is explicitly linked to providing routes to educational success for underrepresented and first-generation college students. A commitment to this mission is a preferred qualification.

The UCR Library is a critical partner in preparing UCR’s students to be globally competitive while simultaneously preparing them for careers in the Inland Empire and beyond. The mission of the UCR Library is no less than to bring the world’s information resources to the UCR community and to ensure that UCR students, faculty, and staff have the skills to fully exploit those resources to change the world for the better.

The UCR Library is building a team of intensely collaborative, forward-thinking colleagues dedicated to providing excellent services to our students, faculty, and community members in a rapidly evolving information environment. The successful candidate will be technologically sophisticated; committed to problem-solving in local, regional, national, and international arenas; and able to develop innovative solutions to complex problems.

The UCR Library is comprised of four facilities housing more than 3,000,000 volumes, 97,000 print and electronic journals, and 2,300,000 microforms. The Library provides services to more than 21,000 students and 1,830 faculty and other academics in an organization that is planning for and experiencing extensive growth. The successful candidate will join an enthusiastic staff of 118 librarians and support personnel (including student FTE) in the work of building a research library of excellence within a dynamic and diverse university ranked among the top 50 in the nation. The UCR Library is a member of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL). Among the unique collections of the UCR Library are the Water Resources Collections and Archives, the Rupert Costo Library of the American Indian, the Paul Chou Collection of Chinese history and culture, the George Brown Papers, collections documenting the Tuskegee Airmen, and the Eaton Collection of Science Fiction & Fantasy. Information about the UCR Library is available at http://library.ucr.edu.

The UCR Library is an integral part of the University of California library system. With collections totaling 30 million volumes, UC’s more than 100 libraries are surpassed in size on the American continent only by the Library of Congress collection. In addition, UC’s California Digital Library provides the core of the University’s digital collections. CDL also assists UC to share resources and holdings more effectively, and provides leadership in applying technology to the development of library collections and services. Organizationally situated within the UC Office of the President, the CDL operates in close collaboration with all UC campuses and their libraries.

UC professional librarians are academic appointees and are represented by an exclusive bargaining unit, University Council-American Federation of Teachers (UC-AFT). This position is in the bargaining unit.

Responsibilities
The Geospatial Information Librarian will enhance curricula, foster and promote research innovation, develop services and relevant content relating to geospatial and visual thinking across the disciplines. The librarian will manage a map unit that includes geographic information systems (GIS) workstations and a collection of U.S. Geological Survey topographic and thematic maps, aerial photographs, atlases, reference materials, and gazetteers. Under the general direction of the Director of Research Services, the Geospatial Information Librarian:
• Initiates liaison and outreach relationships with the relevant faculty, departments and schools (including the new School of Public Policy among others) to increase understanding of geospatial data and data visualization as it pertains to teaching and research, and collaborates with other librarians on relevant interdisciplinary programs;
• Develops an appropriate library geographic information systems (GIS) program, based on constituent needs, and in coordination with other campus GIS resources;
• Provides instruction regarding finding, using and managing geospatial data, and using data visualization concepts and tools to students, faculty and researchers;
• Provides general library research instruction, orientation, tours, and workshops, as needed;
• Provides general reference services online and in person, as needed;
• Serves as subject specialist/selector for the Earth Sciences department and acquires general and special collection resources for the UCR Library in accordance with robust collection development policies;
• Ensures that the Library’s geospatial resources are well described and curated, maintains collection development and related policies in coordination with collection managers, and collaborates with other Library units, including Metadata and Technical Services, to ensure appropriate discovery;
• Evaluates the current map unit with the goal of assuring that the current collection and services meet current and evolving campus needs; supervises one library support staff and student employees;
• Creates and delivers effective outreach programming around geospatial resources and data visualization for campus, community, regional, state-wide and national initiatives, and promotes the collection to the campus community;
• Participates in library planning, collection management, preservation, and access initiatives;
• Collaborates with colleagues on grant- and internally-sponsored projects regarding geospatial data-related materials and resources;
• Participates in library-wide and campus activities, committees, special projects and programs, and represents the UCR Library on University of California standing committees and ad hoc groups as appropriate;
• UCR librarians are members of the Librarians Association of the University of California (LAUC). Research, publication, and/or service to the University and profession are expected for continuing advancement.
• Participates in relevant Library and professional organizations, and takes an active role in state-wide, national and global geospatial information initiatives.

Required Qualifications
• ALA-accredited Master’s Degree or equivalent experience or degree in one or more fields relevant to the position
• Experience with geospatial data, and GIS software such as ArcGIS and QGIS
• Experience working with analog map collections
• Demonstrated understanding of geospatial and cartographic and resources and concepts.
• Familiarity with data management practices and services
• Demonstrated experience integrating research content and instruction into academic curriculum through course management systems or other ubiquitous online applications
• Experience working with data visualization tools, particularly as applied to teaching and/or research
• Demonstrated ability to think creatively
• Demonstrated desire to connect people and information
• Highly effective oral and written communication
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to work successfully in an intensely collaborative environment with a broad range of people from culturally diverse backgrounds, including colleagues, administrators, students, faculty, donors and alumni

Preferred Qualifications
• Advanced degree in any discipline where the candidate’s research has made use of maps and geospatial data or BA/BS in Earth Sciences discipline
• GIS certificate or coursework, or significant GIS experience
• Understanding of common web and open source technologies for geospatial data such as XML, Python, GeoServer, PostGIS, OpenLayers, and GDAL/OGR as well as APIs
• Demonstrated project management skills
• Commitment to providing routes to educational success for underrepresented and first-generation college students

Salary and Benefits
Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience. Appointment at rank of Assistant Librarian, Associate Librarian or Librarian depending upon qualifications and experience. Advancement through the librarian ranks at the University of California is through a series of structured, merit-based evaluations, occurring every two to three years, each of which includes substantial peer input. Excellent retirement system, health, and vacation benefits.

Application Information
Please complete and submit the information requested in AP Recruit (cover letter addressing qualifications and experience related to the primary duties of the position, resume/curriculum vitae, and three to five professional references as directed at https://aprecruit.ucr.edu/apply/JPF00542 . The final date to apply is April 11, 2016.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Application Requirements

Document requirements
  • Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V. (pdf format)

  • Cover Letter - Cover Letter (pdf format)

  • Statement of Research - (pdf format)
    (Optional)

  • Statement of Teaching - (pdf format)
    (Optional)

  • Statement of Contributions to Diversity - Statement addressing past and/or potential contributions to diversity through teaching, research, professional activity, and/or service. (pdf format)

  • Misc / Additional - (pdf format)
    (Optional)

Reference requirements
  • 3-5 required (contact information only)

Job location

Riverside, CA