Description:
Job Summary:Under the direct supervision of the Zief Law Library Director, the Research Librarian participates in the law library's extensive teaching programs. Teaching duties will include teaching in assigned first-year Legal Research, Writing & Analysis sections, furnishing guest lectures in upper-division courses, and teaching standalone full-semester courses in Advanced Legal Research, California Advanced Legal Research, or other advanced courses.
The Research Librarian also provides synchronous and asynchronous informal legal research instruction and materials as needed; participates in research and reference services to the law library's patrons, e.g., through in-person consultations and also via phone, chat, and email, including during assigned research service shifts.
The Research Librarian participates in the law library's faculty liaison program, providing research support to assigned faculty. This may include training and support of faculty research assistants.
In addition to the Director, the Research Librarian will join a dedicated team of two other Research Librarians, Head of Technical Services Librarian, and four full-time Library Assistants, in addition to a rotating team of student workers who serve our community in access services.
In order to serve all of our students, including Black-identified and Latinx students–who make up 15% and 21% of our undergraduate student body respectively–the University of San Francisco is seeking to hire a cohort of new faculty whose scholarship and/or community-engaged research and creative work focuses on the experiences of people from underrepresented communities including but not limited to Black and Latinx communities, or antiracism, diversity, equity and inclusion more generally, and who have proven expertise and experience in mentoring students from these communities or first generation college students.
USF is entering into the third year of a very successful faculty diversity hiring initiative. Junior faculty are invited to participate in mentoring, community building and peer to peer opportunities coordinated by the Vice Provost for Equity, Inclusion and Faculty Excellence. Faculty also enjoy peer support through affinity groups such as the Asian and Asian American Staff/Faculty Council, Black Community Council, La Colectiva of Latinx Staff and Faculty and LGBTQ Faculty and Staff Caucus.
In addition all new faculty have access to a free membership with the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity and support from the Center for Teaching Excellence and the Center for Research, Artistic and Scholarly Excellence.
Applicants must include a Diversity Statement with their application. The Diversity Statement must be at least 1-2 pages and include a robust reflection on ADEI practices with concrete and detailed examples.
Full Job Description:
Job Responsibilities:
The Research Librarian may be responsible for some or all of the following based upon the candidate's interest and experience as well as the needs of the library:
- Teaching legal research to first-year students in assigned sections of the Legal Research, Writing & Analysis course.
- Providing guest lectures and presentations on legal research in upper division courses.
- Hiring, training, and supervising law student research assistants working on faculty research assignments.
- Participating in the research service rotation online and/or in person approximately 10 to 15 hours per week.
- Serving as library liaison for assigned law faculty, providing research and instructional support services.
- Collaborating with the research librarian team on the creation and maintenance of online legal research guides and other teaching materials.
- Serving on law school committees or task forces as assigned by the Law School Deans or Library Director.
- Contributing to outreach and marketing of library services.
- Performing other duties as assigned by the Law Library Director.
Minimum Requirements:
- Understanding and commitment to USF's Jesuit mission, vision, and values.
- JD from an ABA-accredited law school; plus an MLS or the equivalent from an ALA-accredited graduate program, or currently enrolled in such a program; or some combination of education and experience sufficient to prepare the candidate for the position and meet the needs of the library.
- Commitment to dynamic, experiential teaching and exemplary research support service.
- Proficiency with legal research platforms and print materials.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Flexibility, resilience, and exceptional interpersonal skills.
- Ability to work collegially and cooperatively with library colleagues and across departments.
- Strong time management skills and ability to work under pressure and to set priorities.
- An established record of service and teamwork.
- Experience with or the ability to work with a diverse student body, faculty and staff. Strong equity lens, cultural humility and proven ability to work well in a diverse context.
Additional Skills, Knowledge and Abilities:
- Up to three years academic law library experience, reference, teaching and supervisory experience.
- Demonstrated knowledge of interdisciplinary research sources and methods preferred but not required.
- Prior experience with web publishing platforms, such as LibGuides / Springshare, and lecture capture software (Camtasia, Panopto) and/or an aptitude for similar technologies preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to work with educational technologies and knowledge of instructional design preferred.
