[LIBJOBS] Open Position: Health Sciences Liaison Librarian, Penn State University Libraries

Health Sciences Liaison Librarian
The Pennsylvania State University Libraries

The Pennsylvania State University Libraries seeks an enthusiastic liaison librarian to develop and deliver innovative services for students, faculty and staff in various health sciences programs including but not limited to Bio-Behavioral Health, Health Policy and Administration, Nursing, and Nutrition. This is a 12-month, tenure-track position reporting to the Head of the Life Sciences Library. 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. Successful candidates will benefit from the mentoring program developed by the University Libraries to support faculty in tenure-track appointments in fulfilling expectations in the areas of librarianship, research, and service.

Responsibilities Include:

• Assist in determining trends in the collection and evaluation of existing and new resources. Partner with the Harrell Health Sciences Library in Hershey, and other relevant STEM Libraries, to build robust collections in the health and biomedical sciences across PSU.
• Serve as reference librarian in the health sciences.
• As a liaison, actively engage with the students and faculty in the health and human development departments/programs, including World Campus, and use this knowledge to respond to co-departmental needs.
• Coordinate efforts among librarians working with nursing programs across all (currently 12) campuses.
• Provide individual and group instruction on information literacy for students and faculty in these program areas, and determine the impact via ongoing assessment.
• Participate in data management and research support services.
• Work regularly scheduled hours at the Life Sciences reference desk and the Ask a Librarian virtual online service.
• Develop and maintain digital subject guides and tutorials as assigned for the library website.
  

Qualifications:
Required

• Master of Library Science degree from an ALA-accredited institution (or recognized equivalent)
• Experience and/or degree in a health sciences field
• Knowledge of and experience with health/STEM databases and resources
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively
• Potential to achieve the requirements for tenure and promotion in the areas of librarianship, research, and service
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Ability to work collaboratively with teaching faculty, library faculty and staff, students, staff and administrators and community users in a diverse academic environment
  

Desirable

• Experience providing reference service in physical and web environments.
• Experience providing information literacy instruction
• Advanced degree in a health sciences field
• Experience using evidence-based practice principles
  

Environment:
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. Based on current Association for Research Libraries investment rankings, The Pennsylvania State University Libraries ranked among the top ten research libraries in North America. A student survey completed in 2014 found overall student satisfaction with the University Libraries to be at the top of its category. The University Libraries hold memberships in ARL, CRL, CLIR, and DLF. Collections exceed 5.8 million volumes and include more than 102,000 current serial subscriptions. The University Libraries are located at University Park and 22 other locations throughout Pennsylvania, and they serve approximately 6,300 faculty and 46,000 students at University Park, and more than 95,000 students system-wide.

The Life Sciences Library is housed in the Paterno Library and serves departments in The Eberly College of Science, The College of Nursing, The College of Health and Human Development, and The College of Agricultural Sciences.

The University Park campus is set in the State College metropolitan area, a university town located in central Pennsylvania. State College offers a vibrant community with outstanding recreational facilities, a low crime rate, and excellent public schools. The campus is within a half-day drive to Washington D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, or Pittsburgh. The University Park Airport is served by three major carriers with flights to Washington, Philadelphia, and Detroit. For more information, please visit http://www.libraries.psu.edu and http://www.cbicc.org.

Compensation:
Rank and salary are dependent upon qualifications and experience. Fringe benefits include liberal vacation, excellent insurance and health care coverage, state or TIAA/CREF retirement options, and educational privileges. In addition, faculty in the University Libraries are afforded funds for professional development travel annually. Faculty may be asked to travel as official representatives of the Libraries to certain events and those trips are reimbursed at full cost within limits established by the University.

Applications and all supporting materials must be submitted online at http://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/jobs/facjobs/hsl.html. Interested candidates should upload a letter of application, resume or C.V., and the names and contact information of three professional references (including email addresses).   Review of applications will begin September 1, 2015 and continue until position is filled. Questions may be addressed to Lindsey Harter, Faculty Search Coordinator, at lap225@psu.edu.

Employment requires successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies. 

Penn State is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, and is committed to providing employment opportunities to minorities, women, veterans, disabled individuals, and other protected groups.

CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS: For more about safety at Penn State, and to review the Annual Security Report which contains information about crime statistics and other safety and security matters, please go to www.police.psu.edu/clery/, which will also provide you with detail on how to request a hard copy of the Annual Security Report.