Assistant Professor - Research & Instruction Subject Librarian - #002091

$31,000 - $68,000/Yr

University of North Carolina - Cullowhee, NC

Full-time - Entry Level

Cullowhee, NC

Educational Services

About the position

The Assistant Professor - Research & Instruction Subject Librarian position at Western Carolina University (WCU) is a tenure-track role that primarily focuses on providing comprehensive research assistance, information literacy instruction, outreach, and collection development services to students and faculty across various departments, including Anthropology and Sociology, Communication, English, Political Science, and Public Affairs. The successful candidate will be responsible for facilitating the discovery of Hunter Library's extensive collection of historical resources, which includes print, microform, and digital formats, as well as unique materials in Special Collections and interdisciplinary resources such as retrospective newspaper collections. In this role, the librarian will engage in high-quality research assistance and library instruction within a collegial environment, working on a flexible schedule that may include hours outside of traditional business times. The position also involves participation in an active information literacy program and collaboration with colleagues on library-wide initiatives and decision-making processes. The candidate will be expected to take on additional duties, projects, and assignments as needed, contributing to the progressive and innovative nature of Hunter Library, which has a longstanding reputation for exceptional service to faculty and students. This position is a 12-month appointment reporting to the Head of Access, Research and Instruction Services. The ideal candidate will be professionally engaged, inquisitive, and creative, with a strong commitment to fulfilling tenure requirements in teaching, service, and scholarship. WCU values public engagement, and preference will be given to candidates who can demonstrate a commitment to this through their teaching, service, and scholarship activities.

Responsibilities

• Provide a full range of research assistance and information literacy instruction to students and faculty.
• Support users' discovery of Hunter Library's collection of historical resources in various formats.
• Engage in outreach to students, faculty, and other constituencies.
• Participate in an active information literacy program on campus and at other instructional sites.
• Collaborate with colleagues in library-wide decision-making and initiatives.
• Assume responsibility for additional duties, projects, assignments, and initiatives as needed.

Requirements

• A master's degree from an ALA-accredited program of library or information science, or an international equivalent.
• Experience providing research and/or reference assistance to library users.
• Demonstrated excellence in oral and written communication.
• Experience providing research and reference assistance in an interdisciplinary environment.
• Understanding of principles and best practices of information literacy instruction.
• Knowledge of a wide range of information tools and sources.

Nice-to-haves

• An academic or professional background in the humanities and/or social sciences.
• Classroom teaching experience.
• Experience with instructional design software and instructional media production tools such as LibGuides, Panopto, Powtoon, etc.

Benefits

• Dental, vision, and health insurance plans with eligibility beginning on the first of the month following date of hire.
• Retirement plan contributions with employer contributions for either a defined contribution or a defined benefit plan.
• Tuition waivers for up to three courses per academic year at any UNC System campuses.
• Free group exercise classes multiple times per week.
• Discounted membership to the campus recreation center.
• Free vaccine and booster shots offered on campus.
• Pretax flexible spending accounts.
• 12 paid holidays and 24 hours of paid community service leave each year.
• Paid vacation and sick leave accrual beginning after the first month of employment.
• Paid parental leave after 12 months of continuous service.