[LIBJOBS] Open Position: Clinical Outreach, Liaison and Instruction Librarian, Penn State University

Clinical Outreach, Liaison & Instruction Librarian
The Pennsylvania State University Libraries

The George T. Harrell Health Sciences Library at Penn State Hershey seeks an experienced Clinical Outreach, Liaison & Instruction Librarian.  The incumbent will report to the Associate Director /Coordinator for Education & Instruction.   This is a faculty position, may be multi-year contract or tenure track based on qualifications, experience, and preference.

Position Summary:

Reporting to the Associate Director, the Clinical Outreach, Liaison and Instruction Librarian will coordinate the Harrell Health Sciences Library Liaison Program; develop and implement clinical support services including a systematic review service, electronic medical record integration, and integration of consumer health information into the patient portal; provide general reference service; and participate in user-centered library instruction.  The Librarian will also participate in collection development activities, serve as a liaison to one or more academic departments, participate in the maintenance and support of the Harrell Library Webpage, will contribute as a member of the Library Advisory Team, and will participate in strategic planning and evaluation of library programs, services, and resources. Critical skills include the ability to function effectively in a team environment, flexibility and the capacity to embrace change in a dynamic and evolving organization, and a facility for cross-departmental communications.  He/she will contribute to the profession through librarianship, teaching & learning, service, research and involvement in professional organizations.

Responsibilities:

• Coordinate the library Faculty Liaison Program.
• Actively engage with faculty, students, and staff in assigned areas, maintain and cultivate strong working relationships to support the needs of clinical communities.
• Analyze trends in departmental teaching and research programs, stay abreast of scholarship in the disciplines themselves, and use this knowledge to respond to departmental needs.
• Oversee, develop, and implement clinical support services including, systematic review services, electronic medical record integration, and integration of consumer health information into the patient portal.
• Determine the impact of services and resources offered via ongoing assessment.
• Promote library services and collections, answer clinical and reference questions, conduct literature searches, and provide consultations.
• Provide information on a range of library issues, including scholarly communication.
• Work collaboratively with faculty and students to assess and integrate information literacy skills within the medical school curriculum.  Teach information literacy and evidence-based practice or other specialized classes in cooperation with library teaching faculty.
• Participate in collection development activities and in the maintenance and support of the Harrell Library Webpage.
• Contribute to the profession through research, writing, service, and involvement in professional organizations.
  

Qualifications:

• MLS/MLIS or equivalent from an ALA-accredited institution.
• Minimum of 5 years health sciences library or health care/biomedical environment experience.
• Biomedical/bioscience database search skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a collaborative, service oriented, rapidly changing environment to accomplish mutual goals.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills; and a strong public service orientation.
• Demonstrated commitment to professional development and potential for promotion.
  

Preferred:

• Experience working with clinicians, nurses, and students.
• Subject background in the health or life sciences.
• Understanding of biomedical knowledge representation, i.e. MeSH and/or other UMLS vocabularies.
• Project management experience.
  

University Libraries:

Penn State, a land-grant institution, is a member of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC), a consortium of the Big Ten universities plus the University of Chicago.  In its special "Paths to Professions" section on September 13, 2010, the Wall Street Journal published results of a survey of industry recruiting executives, with Penn State named the No. 1 overall institution in the nation for producing the best prepared, most well-rounded graduates who are most able to succeed once hired. 

The Penn State University Libraries are a strategic asset to Penn State, advancing intellectual discovery, information literacy, and lifelong learning, all in support of the University’s strategic goals in teaching, research, service, and outreach. Based on current Association for Research Libraries investment rankings, Penn State is among the top ten research libraries in North America and actively participates in the initiatives of the CIC.  A Penn State student survey completed in 2010 found overall student satisfaction with the Libraries to be at the top of its category. Our faculty and staff have roles involved in the entire lifecycle of scholarship and research, from inception and creation to access and preservation. We are the largest public-mission library in the northeastern region of the United States, and, with physical collections at each of Penn State’s 23 campuses found in all regions of the Commonwealth, the Libraries are also the most geographically dispersed. They serve approximately 6,000 faculty and 44,000 students at University Park, and more than 92,000 students university wide.

Penn State Hershey, located approximately 100 miles from University Park, is the medical campus of Penn State University. 

Penn State Hershey:

Penn State College of Medicine at Penn State Hershey Medical Center confers the doctor of medicine degree and, in conjunction with Penn State's Graduate School, offers doctor of philosophy degrees in anatomy, biochemistry, and molecular biology, bioengineering, bioinformatics and genomics, cell and molecular biology, chemical biology, genetics, immunology and infectious diseases, integrative biosciences, microbiology and immunology, molecular medicine, molecular toxicology, neuroscience, pharmacology, and physiology.  The College of Medicine offers Master of Science degrees in anatomy, laboratory animal medicine, public health sciences, homeland security, neuroscience, and physiology.

The Penn State Hershey campus is located in Hershey, PA a suburban community approximately twelve miles from Harrisburg, the state capital.  The fourth largest employer in Central Pennsylvania, Penn State's Milton S. Hershey Medical Center provides jobs for more than 6,950 area residents.  Hershey Foods Corporation, also headquartered in Hershey, is Central Pennsylvania's second largest industry.  Hershey is within a 3 hour drive of New York, Washington D.C., and Philadelphia.

Compensation:

Salary and rank commensurate with experience. Excellent fringe benefits include liberal vacation, excellent insurance, state or TIAA/CREF retirement options, and educational privileges.

Application Instructions:

Send a letter of application, resume, and the names and contact information of three references to Search Committee, The Pennsylvania State University, Box HYCL-LIBJ, 511 Paterno Library, University Park, PA 16802, or to lap225@psu.edu.  Please be sure and reference Box HYCL-LIBJ in the email subject line.  Review of candidates will begin on October 10, 2012 and continue until the position is filled.  The selected applicant will be required to successfully complete a background check consistent with the job responsibilities prior to beginning employment.

Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce.