Public Services Librarian

• Serves as a resource to other librarians and staff outside of their unit on a regular basis

• Oversees day-to-day functions of one or more library operations or services

• Develops or coordinates specialized projects or programs

• Provides specialized services utilizing a high level of expertise on a broad range of disciplines or in a designated discipline area

• Designs, develops, delivers, and assesses instruction in a variety of formats to faculty, staff, students, and other patrons

• Obtains materials, resolves issues, and answers questions that are complex and highly specialized in nature

• Cultivates and maintains productive relationships with donors, collectors, vendors, and professional colleagues

• Develops, curates, and manages collections

• May direct the day-to-day activities of student workers

• Serves on committees to advance librarianship at the campus, local, and/or state and national levels

• Serves as a liaison to academic disciplines and/or other campus units providing information on collections, instructional and research support, and library services

• Initiates and solicits input to modify policies, procedures, and assessment tools to improve workflows and/or user experiences

Department:

The AGSL is part of the UWM Libraries. It is one of the premier collections of its kind in North America, supporting instruction, research, and outreach at UWM and around the world. The collection contains maps, atlases, books, periodicals, photos, and geospatial data supporting a wide range of disciplines. The collections are worldwide in coverage and date from the 15th century to the present. They have been used widely in exhibits, publications, documentaries, and digital collections. The AGSL offers scholarly programs for the campus and local community and welcomes visiting scholars from across the U.S. and the world. More information is available on the AGSL website at https://uwm.edu/libraries/agsl/.

Job Duties:

The American Geographical Society Library (AGSL) at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Libraries seeks a Public Services Librarian. The successful candidate will be a self-motivated, creative, forward-thinking librarian. Reporting to the Head of the AGSL, the Public Services Librarian is responsible for overseeing the AGSL’s reference services, developing and delivering
innovative and engaging instructional programming, supporting research and use of the AGSL’s collections by local and worldwide scholarly and non-scholarly audiences, supervising student Reference Interns, and conducting outreach for the collection.

Key Job Responsibilities:

• Designs, develops, delivers, and assesses instruction in a variety of formats Provides timely and accurate reference and research assistance 

• Promotes collections and services through engaging physical and digital exhibits, presentations, and public programs

• Develops and coordinates specialized projects, programs, procedures, and services

• Oversees day-to-day functions of the AGSL's reference, instruction, and outreach programs

• Directs the training and supervises day-to-day activities of student workers

• Serves as a resource to other librarians and staff outside of their unit on a regular basis

• Works to modify policies, procedures, and assessment tools to improve AGSL’s public services experiences

• Serves as a liaison to academic disciplines and/or other campus units providing information on collections, instructional and research support, and library services

• Serves on committees to advance librarianship at the campus, local, and/or state and 
  national level

• Master’s degree in library science from an ALA accredited school by date of employment

We recognize that not all applicants will have all the preferred job qualifications and competencies. We encourage applicants to highlight those they do possess, as this is valuable information for the search committee.

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in geography, history, or related area
• Training/experience in special collections, experience with rare and modern cartographic collections
• Evidence of experience in an academic or research library
• Demonstrated success working collaboratively with faculty to plan and teach library instruction involving use of primary source materials
• Experience supervising the day-to-day work of student employees
• Experience with the creation of physical and virtual exhibits
• Familiarity with resource description, such as metadata standards and schemas for describing cartographic, rare book, and archival collections
• Evidence of experience working with foreign language materials

Competencies: 
• Effective oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills
• Commitment to public services and strong interpersonal skills for assisting users from diverse educational and cultural backgrounds
• Ability to manage projects effectively and independently, strong organizational, administrative, and time management skills
• Demonstrated understanding of geographic concepts and cartographic resource

Master’s degree in library science from an ALA accredited school by date of employment
 

Reasonable Accommodations
Pursuant to university policy, UWM provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities who are employees or applicants for employment. Employment opportunities will not be denied because of the need to make reasonable accommodations for a qualified individual with a disability. If you need assistance or accommodation in applying because of a disability, please contact [email protected] or 414-229-4463. This job announcement and other material on this site will be made available in alternate formats upon request to an individual with a disability.
Confidentiality of Applicant Materials
UWM is a State agency and subject to Wisconsin’s Open Records Law. UWM will not, however, reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing except as may be required by Wisconsin’s Open Records law. In certain circumstances, the identities of “final candidates” and/or the identity of the appointed applicant must be revealed upon request.
CBC and Reference Check Policy
Employment will require a criminal background check. UWM takes the prevention of sexual misconduct seriously. As such, you and your references will be required to answer questions regarding any past findings of sexual violence and sexual harassment or any pending allegations of sexual violence or sexual harassment.
Annual Security and Fire Safety Report (Clery Act)
For the UWM Annual Security and Fire Safety Reports (i.e., Clery Report), which includes statistics about reported crimes and information about campus security policies, see http://www.cleryact.uwm.edu/, or call UWM’s Dean of Students Office, Student Union 345 at (414) 229-4632 for a paper copy.
Employment Authorization
In compliance with federal law, all persons at the time of their start date will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

UW is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other bases protected by applicable federal or State law and UW System policies. We are committed to building a workforce that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills, and encourage all qualified individuals to apply.