Position Summary

Under the direction of the Head of Reference and Information Services, the Science and Technology Librarian provides targeted library support to University students, faculty, and staff in the specific liaison areas of science, technology, data management, and other disciplines as needed.

Additional responsibilities include: in-person and online delivery of undergraduate and graduate level library instruction; provision of research consultations to basic as well as advanced researchers; evaluation of discipline-specific resources to be added or removed from the library collections; creation and maintenance of research guides utilizing the Libraries’ web-based content management systems; design and delivery of topical, technical, and methodological workshops pertinent to the STEM community of Fordham University.

As a member of the Fordham Libraries Reference team, this librarian must efficiently and accurately respond to telephone, chat, text, email, and service desk inquiries as scheduled, and contribute to the training and supervision of undergraduate and graduate student workers.

Occasional evening or weekend hours may be required.

Essential Functions        

• Provides STEM faculty and students with targeted research support for STEM sources and databases, particularly those that require fluency with STEM concepts, research methods, and practices.
• Prepares for and delivers: course specific library instruction sessions, one-on-one research consultations, information management workshops, and presentations to academic departments. This may require testing sample search techniques and methods, learning or recommending new library resources, and creating event-specific instructional handouts, slides, videos, or guides. Provides in-person and online research support during assigned Reference Desk and Chat hours.
• Maintains an in-depth knowledge of all of the Fordham Libraries’ databases, reference sources, information management tools, and service areas to ensure that all research inquiries are satisfied efficiently and accurately. Troubleshoots problems with electronic resources and reports findings to Electronic Service Librarians. Identifies problems with physical reference items and reports those to Technical Service Librarians. Monitors the functionality of the computers and printers in the Reference Area and reports problems to Library Information Technology.
• Collaboratively coordinates liaison outreach to faculty to highlight library collections; designs and maintains discipline specific research guides.
• Monitors and compares the collections and policies of consortia and metropolitan New York libraries to appropriately refer researchers as needed to external library collections.
• Reviews professional literature to identify new trends, techniques, issues, and applications; selects, requests, and completes professional development activities to enhance skills.
• Utilizes assessment applications to collect and share feedback on reference activities. Writes and submits a personal quarterly report which includes progress on projects, statistics of reference activity, and reflections on personal contributions to the Library and University mission and goals.
• Creates and updates training documentation for student employees; trains, supervises, and mentors student employees.

Required Qualifications: Education and Experience        

• An MLS or MLIS from an ALA accredited library school (recent graduates welcome).
• Minimum of two years of experience in an academic library or with a STEM collection.
• Experience providing STEM reference and instruction services in person, online, and via telephone, text, chat, and email.
• Experience creating and maintaining web-based content management tools such as LibGuides.

Required Qualifications: Knowledge and Skills     

• Broad familiarity with major library databases, reference sources, professional library literature; demonstrated knowledge of STEM information sources.
• Comfortable evaluating the usability and functionality of library sources and technologies.
• Current knowledge of digital trends, library systems, and technologies commonly used in academic libraries.
• Proficiency with statistical software applications, such as Excel.
• Ability to write clear, concise, training and instructional documentation.
• Desire to work with all levels of researchers, in all subject areas, and to support a diverse population of researchers.
• Successful candidates should have a knowledge of and commitment to the goals of Jesuit Education.

Preferred Qualifications 

• Experience using and teaching bibliographic management software systems such as EndNote, Zotero, Mendeley.
• Familiarity with online research repositories, digital collections, open access and open data sources and principles, copyright, and the scholarly publishing process.

Please review the Hybrid Policy here.

Submit specified application materials to jsuda@fordham.edu.