What are the responsibilities and job description for the Biological Sciences Librarian Job at VIRGINIA LIBRARY ASSN in Fairfax position at VIRGINIA LIBRARY ASSN?

DATE ENTERED : December 23, 2024

POSITION : Biological Sciences Librarian

LOCATION : University Libraries, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA

APPLY BY : Sunday, February 16, 2025

Biological Sciences Librarian

About the Department :

The University Libraries form an intellectual nexus for George Mason University. It fosters innovation, creativity, and imagination by facilitating access to scholarship and information, providing expert consultation in the research process, and actively teaching the effective and critical use of information. Moreover, it fulfills a critical role in the creation, dissemination, and preservation of knowledge.

The Learning, Research, and Engagement Division (LRE) of the University Libraries has primary responsibility for the spectrum of services and programs related to the outward-focused, direct engagement with undergraduate and graduate students and faculty pertaining to teaching, learning, and research, including the assessment of such services and programs. Through the Teaching and Learning Team and the three disciplinary teams (Arts and Humanities, STEM, and Social Sciences), the LRE division works continuously with individual faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates on their individual learning and research needs through collaboration with academic departments and colleges. Additionally, the LRE division advances the University Libraries’ goals and plans. We are committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in our workplace, as well as in the systems and services we build, as an inclusive excellence imperative.

About the Position :

The Biological Sciences Librarian is assigned to the Libraries' Science and Technology team. The team serves the College of Engineering and Computing, the College of Health and Human Services, and the College of Science, as well as several STEM-H multi-disciplinary university-level institutes and centers. Within the team, the programmatic role of the Biological Sciences Librarian is to assist with planning and related support to ready the University Libraries for the provision of library resources and services in support of the university's growing programs in the field of biological sciences and their increasing intersections with other STEM fields. Support for these programs includes the following responsibilities : instruction, reference, research consultations, collection development, and academic outreach. Additional duties will extend to such areas as research data support for faculty and students, grant assistance for faculty, and other subject liaison assignment(s) within the scope of the three aforementioned colleges and STEM-H institutes / centers. The position collaborates with the Libraries' Data & Digital Scholarship Services, the Mason Publishing Group, and the Collections Strategy unit, as well as with other library departments more broadly and across the university, to support research and data efforts, methods, and tools.

Responsibilities :

Instruction : Uses general and subject-specific knowledge and resources, as well as current technologies and appropriate pedagogies, to develop and deliver high-quality instruction to STEM faculty, staff, and students in assigned subject areas;
Develops a strong understanding of the research and teaching needs of emerging engineering programs in order to design new and enhance existing services in anticipation of these needs;
Actively engages with faculty, students, and staff in engineering programs to develop strong working relationships and partnerships;
Participates fully in the research and teaching initiatives of the libraries, including conducting workshops and training sessions, as needed; and
Attends training sessions to maintain and enhance skills.

Reference and Research :

Provides general and expert academic discipline-based reference and consultation, research assistance and course support;

Reference service (on-call / virtual reference) as scheduled;

Develops and implements creative library services and programs to integrate collections with teaching and research, including maintaining content for the library’s online and print guides, as needed;

Keeps abreast of curricular and program changes in assigned programs and follows trends in reference and information services, particularly in academic libraries; and

Assesses the impacts and outcomes of reference / research services and programs in assigned subject areas and implements changes or improvements.

Collection Development and Information Management :

Works closely with faculty from assigned departments, selects, recommends, monitors, evaluates, and manages reference and research collections (in all formats) in the assigned disciplines to meet curricular and research needs;

Works with special collections to identify and acquire archives / other special materials;

Participates in system-wide shared collection initiatives and activities, and as a member of the Science and Technology Team, participates in setting and achieving annual goals and tasks as established by the team;

Monitors trends and maintains knowledge, skills and expertise with regard to relevant general and subject-area databases, relevant publishers / vendors, intellectual access mechanisms, resource formats, and library and information technologies; and

Proactively supports initiatives in open access and sustainable collections, open science, and open data.

Scholarly Communication, Outreach, and Engagement :

Proactively supports researchers on scholarly communication models and promotes the use of open-access sources and tools to faculty, students, and researchers;

Helps researchers find, manage, and critically evaluate information and data, as well as affiliated research tools, platforms, and infrastructure;

Supports researchers in data management and data services in assigned fields;

Builds internal and external partnerships to support this activity;

Promotes library services, resources, and programs to the Mason community at the Fairfax campus;

Initiates and strengthens communication channels between the Libraries and programs by forming partnerships with faculty and students in assigned academic programs; and

In collaboration with library colleagues, markets library services and programs at Mercer Library and Mason Square Library, as appropriate.

Service and Scholarship :

Participates in the University Libraries’ governance activities. Engages in university and professional service, and in research and creative work as outlined in the George Mason University Librarians’ Handbook.

Other related duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications :

Master’s degree from an ALA-accredited library and information science program OR a certified foreign equivalent required;

Knowledge of key information resources in a variety of scientific disciplines, including resources for data discovery, data literacy, or library services that support data management and analysis;

Familiarity with providing library instruction and research support in STEM-H that support the educational goals of a multicultural student population;

Demonstrated understanding of electronic resources and information technologies to support reference, research, and collection development in biology or health sciences / medical-related or other STEM-H disciplines;

Aptitude for collaborating with instructional faculty to help students achieve learning outcomes such as information literacy, written communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, and integrative learning;

Development of strategies for doing outreach and building relationships with faculty to deliver high-impact services and resources, and capacity to adapt outreach skills to the Mason Libraries context; and

Ability to build collaborative and mutually beneficial working relationships with people of varying backgrounds.

Preferred Qualifications :

Degree in Biology, Bioengineering or health sciences-related field, OR significant coursework in those areas;

Experience providing library instruction and research support in STEM-H that support the educational goals of a multicultural student population;

Demonstrated experience with electronic resources and information technologies to support reference, research, and collection development in biology or health sciences / medical-related or other STEM-H disciplines;

Experience collaborating with instructional faculty to help students achieve learning outcomes such as information literacy, written communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, and integrative learning;

Experience with key information resources in a variety of scientific disciplines pertaining to data discovery, data literacy, or library services that support data management and analysis;

Knowledge of data management planning, scholarly communications, and open access concepts and trends; and

Familiarity with research trends and with ethical, legal, and policy issues in the broader biomedical and health sciences areas.

Instructions to Applicants :

For full consideration, applicants must apply for Biological Sciences Librarian at . Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a Cover Letter / Letter of Intent with Resume for review.

Please note that candidates selected for the final interview will be expected to come to the Fairfax campus and present, based on an assigned prompt, to a hybrid audience (in-person and online) consisting of Library faculty, staff and students.

Criminal Background Check :

Mason Ad Statement :

Mason is currently the largest and most diverse university in Virginia with students and faculty from all 50 states and over 135 countries studying in over 200 degree programs at campuses in Arlington, Fairfax and Prince William, as well as at learning locations across the commonwealth. Rooted in Mason’s diversity is a campus culture that is both rewarding and exciting, work that is meaningful, and opportunities to both collaborate and create.

If you are interested in joining the Mason family take a look at our current opportunities and catch some Mason spirit at jobs.gmu.edu / !

George Mason University, Where Innovation is Tradition.

George Mason University is an equal opportunity / affirmative action employer, committed to promoting inclusion and equity in its community. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or veteran status, or any characteristic protected by law.

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