Reference Librarian
Biddle Law Library
University of Pennsylvania Law School
Biddle Law Library is searching for a talented Reference Librarian to
join its Public Services team in providing outstanding reference,
research, and teaching support at a law school that prides itself on
cross-disciplinary studies. This is a new position reflecting the
growth in the Library's services to faculty and the school.
Penn Law School has approximately 750 JD, 90 LLM, 2 LLCM and 10 SJD
students. A permanent faculty of 50+, half of whom have a PhD in
addition to a JD, is deeply committed to interdisciplinary research and
teaching. The School has close ties with the Wharton School, the
Annenberg School for Communications, the Center for Bioethics and
graduate departments such as history, philosophy and sociology. It
offers several joint-degree programs. Biddle Law Library is one of the
major law collections in the nation and has more than 850,500 volumes in
numerous areas of American law, legal history and foreign and
international law. It is the official website for drafts of the
National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. The
American Law Institute was founded at Penn in 1923, and Biddle is a
repository for its archives. The library has an annual budget of $4.5
million, 15 professional librarians and 17 support staff members.
Philadelphia is rich in legal history, the home of the new National
Constitution Center and a city of many cultural opportunities.
Requirements:
* ABA-accredited JD and ALA-accredited MLS degrees.
* A thorough knowledge of basic legal sources and
skill in using print and electronic materials.
* A strong service orientation toward all library
patrons with special attention to law faculty and students.
* Excellent organizational, communication and
interpersonal skills.
* Ability to work with initiative and flexibility in
order to respond effectively to changing information needs.
* Ability to work with grace under pressure while
performing several tasks and helping demanding patrons.
* Collegiality which fosters team building among
librarians and staff so as to constantly improve service.
* Active participation in the intellectual and
administrative life of the Law School.
Preferred: Additional degrees or training in non-legal fields;
instructional experience; facility with webpage development software
(Dreamweaver, for example) and web 2.0 technologies (blogs, wikis,
social tagging).
Responsibilities: Under the general direction of the Head of Reference
Services, the Reference Librarian will be expected to do the following:
* Participate in Reference Desk rotation, helping
patrons in a wide variety of ways such as: identifying possible research
sources in all formats, suggesting research strategies, giving "over the
shoulder" guidance in the use of online databases, assisting in the use
of library equipment, exercising discretion and tact in representing the
library in the best possible light to the walk-in or call-in patron.
* Participate in Biddle's Faculty Liaison Program by
meeting regularly with assigned faculty about their research interests,
attending their "working paper" presentations, developing faculty course
portal materials, making recommendations on their behalf to the
Collection Development Committee, bringing new acquisitions to their
attention with their research interests in mind, doing everything
possible to make faculty feel that librarians support them proactively.
* Teach legal research in formal and informal
settings, including but not limited to, first year legal research
instruction, upper-level law students in classes and tutorials, LLM
classes in an intensive August program, "one-on-one" consultations with
students writing research papers and with non-law university patrons.
* Enhance the library's contribution to the mission
of the Law School by producing bibliographies for the Faculty
Appointments Committee, supplying specialized information for
administrators, giving webpage assistance to units such as Career
Planning and Placement.
* Write library guides, handouts, bibliographies,
etc., and contribute to webpage projects.
* Participate in library collection development in
light of faculty research interests, changing technology, space
considerations and preservation.
* Be the library's contact person with Lexis and
Westlaw, making sure that commercial representatives provide the highest
level of service to the Law School.
* Contribute to the Library's teams and strategic
initiatives, including identifying innovative outreach efforts and
applying new technologies to Reference and the Library's work.
* Serve on various university teams dedicated to
improving information technology and library service.
* Foster contacts with other professionals and
libraries by participating in the activities of professional
organizations.
Salary and Benefits: Highly competitive and dependant upon
qualifications and experience. Benefits include TIAA/CREF retirement
program, medical insurance, disability benefits, life insurance, tuition
remission, among others.
Diversity: The University values diversity and is an equal opportunity
employer. It is committed to non-discrimination on the basis of race,
color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national or
ethnic origin, age, disability, marital status, status as a Vietnam Era
Veteran, or any other trait or status protected by applicable law.
To Apply: Please send by email or regular mail an introductory letter,
resume, and names with contact information of three references to:
Paul M. George
Director
Biddle Law Library
University of Pennsylvania Law School
3460 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104-3406
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