Columbia University Libraries seeks a Discovery Services Librarian to join our Librarries Information Technology (LIT) team. Reporting to the Head of Library Infrastructure Systems (LIS), the successful candidate will provide knowledge and expertise in the areas of software programming and analysis, specializing in library technologies and services. This role will develop expertise in the Library’s Blacklight discovery layer, as well as other Ruby on Rails applications that support library services. This position will collaborate with colleagues across the campus in improving this service and associated systems. The services developed and maintained by the Discovery Services Librarian directly serve all faculty, students and scholars who use Columbia’s unified discovery system, CLIO, to access the Libraries’ collections for their research and teaching needs.

The Discovery Services Librarian will support the research and learning needs of the University by maintaining the Blacklight discovery layer as well as other related services.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the core of this position, and the successful hire will be expected to help make the Libraries’ commitment to these values tangible by having DEI principles and a commitment to anti-racism guide their work.

This role is being hired at the same time as another librarian position in LIT. These positions each have specific areas of expertise, but will work together to provide support for several other library technologies that this department provides.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Serves as technical lead for the design, development, and maintenance of the Blacklight-based unified discovery service platform and its integrations with other critical CUL, University, and external systems services and systems that enhance its functionality and provide related support for the metadata and fulfillment systems managed by LIS and other divisions of the Libraries.

• Collaborate with librarians and colleagues across the campus on committees and projects to support library services including service on Columbia’s Unified Discovery committee.

• Manage the EZproxy service including troubleshooting access issues and installing updates.

• Develop and document internal processes and procedures to support operations within LIS.

• Monitor industry trends and best practices related to library technology, and recommend improvements to existing tools and workflows as appropriate.

About Columbia University Libraries

We encourage individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences, identities, and abilities to apply for this unique opportunity to become a part of our evolving Libraries and University community. Columbia University Libraries is a globally-recognized academic research library system, serving one of the world’s most important centers of research and learning in the most exciting and dynamic city in the world. Talented Libraries staff build, sustain, and make discoverable collections that transcend traditional boundaries of format and domain, keeping pace with a dynamic and rapidly evolving information environment and creating opportunities for users to encounter 4,000 years of human thought.

Our decisions are informed by new curricula developed to meet the needs of a more diverse student body, new and emerging areas of research being conducted by a broad spectrum of researchers, including graduate students and newly-hired faculty, as well as by perspectives from the diminished or entirely lost voices of historically oppressed, marginalized, and underserved populations and communities. As an organization, the Libraries provides a supportive, connected environment where every employee’s perspective is valued and every employee is encouraged to grow. All staff members have an impact on Columbia’s mission to advance knowledge at the highest levels and make the results of research accessible to the world.

Columbia University has a longstanding commitment to diversity rooted in values of inclusion and social justice, a commitment reflected in the curriculum and throughout University life. Columbia welcomes applications from candidates who share these values and who will foster their contribution to the University’s educational mission. We invite applicants who have demonstrated creative approaches to empowering and mentoring staff, leading projects, solving problems, and developing user-centric programs, services, or collections.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Library Science or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Working knowledge of library metadata standards including MARC and other common library tools.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills. Ability to successfully support and communicate with persons at all levels of technical ability. Excellent organizational analytic, and abstraction skills.
• Programming experience in support of libraries-related systems and in one or more of: Perl, Python, Ruby, Shell scripting.
• Demonstrated ability to learn new technologies and adapt to change.
• Demonstrated commitment to and support for an inclusive environment for staff and library users.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with integrated library systems, working knowledge of library business processes, and automation.
• Experience with EZProxy administration.
• Experience with Unix operating environments.
• Experience with relational databases and SQL.
• Experience with vendor communication and project management.

Application Instructions

Salary Range:  $78,450 -$88,420

Join us in shaping the future of library services and advancing open data initiatives at Columbia University!

For serious consideration, please apply online with your current CV and a letter of interest at: https://academic.careers.columbia.edu/

Apply online here