Rare Book Research Librarian, UNC Chapel Hill University Library

AVAILABLE: May 1, 2010

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill seeks an experienced, energetic, and collegial individual with a strong academic background to coordinate research and instructional services for the Rare Book Collection at the Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library. Reporting to the Head of Special Collections Research and Instructional Services (R&I) and working closely with the Curator of Rare Books, the Rare Book Research Librarian will foster intellectual community with the collection, ensure its vital role in UNC academic departments and programs, and participate in the development of special collections-wide services, instruction, and outreach.
The Rare Book Research Librarian will be directly responsible for on-site and remote researcher services for the Rare Book Collection, responding to requests for remote research assistance and permission to publish; for developing and conducting instructional programs for classes and workshops; for assessing the effectiveness of research and instruction services; and for creating innovative research and access tools, including digital products—all of which will serve a broad range of audiences, including faculty, undergraduates, graduate students, researchers from around the world, and the general public. The Rare Book Research Librarian will supervise a full-time assistant and students and will participate directly in the delivery of reader services with daily and occasional weekend desk shifts. The Librarian will also participate in and manage special projects and initiatives, including exhibitions, programs, and digitization. The successful candidate will participate in library committees and work closely with the Curator of Rare Books and with colleagues in R&I, other Wilson Library departments, and other University Library departments, including the Carolina Digital Library and Archives, Systems, and Davis Library’s Research and Instructional Services. The Rare Book Research Librarian will be active in the library profession and the academic community.

The Special Collections Research and Instructional Services was established in July 2008 to provide consolidated services for all special collections in the UNC Library. Its goal is to provide a common set of services and policies for special collections users, while continuing to provide subject expertise in the areas represented by the constituent special collections. This will include cross-training of R&I staff, consolidation of reading rooms and collections shelving areas, a shared registration and use-tracking system, development of a shared set of policies and workflows, and implementation of an ongoing assessment program for all research and instructional services in special collections. The Rare Book Research Librarian will work with colleagues in Special Collections to represent the needs of the Rare Book Collection in these developments and to implement shared programs where appropriate. The incumbent may also participate in providing research and instruction services for the full-range of special collections, as needed.

The Rare Book Collection (www.lib.unc.edu/rbc) has significant national and international literary and historical holdings, from clay tablets to medieval manuscripts to modern printings and artists' books. Strengths include incunabula, sixteenth-century imprints, the Spanish Cronistas, English and Irish literature, French history, Spanish and Catalan drama, publishing history, and Mayan studies, as well as American popular culture, crime and detective fiction, and World War I & II graphic materials.

In addition to the Rare Book Collection, the Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library includes the North Carolina Collection, the Southern Historical Collection, the Southern Folklife Collection, and University Archives and Records Management Services, holding extensive collections primarily documenting the University, North Carolina, and the American South.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required: ALA accredited master’s degree in library or information science. Five years professional experience as a librarian, with recent experience in research services and instruction for rare books. Reading knowledge of at least one of the following modern European languages: French, German, Spanish, or Italian, and bibliographic knowledge of French, German, and Spanish. Knowledge of descriptive bibliography. Excellent oral communication and writing skills. Active participation in appropriate professional organizations. Supervisory experience.

Preferred: Advanced degree in a humanities discipline with relevant experience. Broad experience in providing research and instructional services for special collections. Experience developing digital products that promote or facilitate use and access to a library collection. Bibliographic knowledge of Latin or ancient Greek. Reading knowledge of additional modern European languages.

The University and The Libraries
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is the country's oldest state university. UNC-Chapel Hill has an enrollment of approximately 27,000 students, employs more than 3,100 faculty, offers 77 doctoral degrees as well as professional degrees in dentistry, medicine, pharmacy and law, and the Library collections include over 6 million volumes. The Library is a member of the Association of Research Libraries, the Center for Research Libraries, and the Triangle Research Libraries Network (TRLN). The TRLN libraries, including the Health Sciences and Law libraries at Chapel Hill plus the libraries at Duke University, North Carolina Central University, and North Carolina State University, have combined collections of over eleven million volumes.

The Region
The Triangle region is one of the most desirable places to live and work in North America and offers its residents a wide array of recreational, cultural, and intellectual activities. The mountains or the seashore are less than half day's drive from Chapel Hill.

The University of North Carolina is an equal opportunity employer and is strongly committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff.

Salary and Benefits
This is a twelve-month academic librarian appointment; salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience. Standard state benefits of annual leave, sick leave, and State or optional retirement plan. At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, librarians enjoy the benefit of academic status and are members of the faculty council.

Deadline for Application
Review of applications will begin on April 14, 2010. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled, but preference will be given to applications received by the begin review date.

To Apply
Please visit http://jobs.unc.edu/1002471 and complete the online application. Please include a letter of application, a resume and the name, mailing address, email address, and telephone number of three professional references.