Scheduled Hours
37.5
Position Summary
The Miriam Barr Librarian for Jewish and Near Eastern Studies is a member of the Area Studies, Social Sciences, & Humanities Librarians Department within the Research & Academic Collaboration Services Division, based in Olin Library on the Danforth Campus, Washington University in St. Louis (WashU). The Miriam Barr Librarian for Jewish and Near Eastern Studies Librarian is an endowed position.
The Miriam Barr Librarian for Jewish and Near Eastern Studies will support Washington University Libraries’ priorities related to access and discovery, research and scholarship, and student success; maintain a clear understanding of research, curricular, and scholarly communication practices and needs; set a strategy for Library support of teaching and learning for the assigned departments; and spearhead efforts to communicate and engage with faculty and students in assigned departments on behalf of the University Libraries.
As a member of the Area Studies, Social Sciences, & Humanities Librarians Department, the librarian will serve as a subject librarian to disciplines, departments, and/or schools as assigned; collaborate with other members of the Area Studies Disciplinary Research Team; provide virtual chat and in-person reference services at Olin Library to support the broader WashU community; and provide instructional support for the College Writing program for incoming first-year students and/or discipline-specific undergraduate writing programs.
Job Description
Primary Duties & Responsibilities
Research Services
- Provide customized reference and research services through email, chat, and individual/group consultations.
- Seek opportunities to extend services through embedded work and outreach.
- Use database interfaces, citation management tools, and other research tools used on campus.
- Refer patrons to other librarians, library staff, campus stakeholders and units, as appropriate.
Teaching & Learning Services
- Design, deliver, and assess effective instruction and activities for assigned departments through the solicitation of user and instructor feedback.
- Design, implement, and assess effective online learning objects.
- Develop and enhance teaching skills, as appropriate.
- Provide instructional support for the College Writing program for first-year students and/or discipline-specific undergraduate writing programs.
Other Collaborative Services
- Curate, describe, and promote materials, including materials within the Special Collections department, related to Jewish and Near Eastern Studies, particularly the Brisman Collection - https://library.wustl.edu/spec/shimeon-brisman-collection/.
- Investigate and keep current with subject-specific trends in functional areas, e.g., open educational resources (OER), open access publishing, copyright, data services, digital library services, and special collections services in order to educate and inform constituents in assigned subject areas about these topics and related services when relevant.
- Promote library functional area and special collection services as appropriate.
- Maximize the impact, accessibility, and discovery of scholarly outputs produced at WashU by facilitating their ingest into WashU repositories (e.g., Open Scholarship) and disciplinary repositories in collaboration with appropriate staff in the University Libraries.
- Anticipate evolving modes of scholarship in support of the University’s mission to discover and disseminate knowledge.
Collection Development Services
- Develop subject-specific collection policies.
- Manage, assess, and maintain allocated collection budgets, collection materials, and collection approval plans.
- Engage with departmental faculty, students, and staff as necessary to inform collection development work.
- Maintain professional awareness in subject area and collection criteria.
- Collaborate with Interlibrary Loan and Technical Services as necessary to assist with language-specific questions and/or processing.
- Maintain professional awareness in subject area and collection criteria.
Professional Development and Service & Other Duties
- Participate in professional library and/or subject-related organizations and committees.
- Attend or participate in professional webinars and/or training sessions.
- Stay current in assigned subject areas.
- Complete other duties as assigned.
- Promote the role of the WashU Libraries to the University and St. Louis community at large through participation in campus and regional committees and projects as deemed appropriate.
Working Conditions
- Normal office environment.
- Ability to lift up to 40lb.
- Occasional travel to other WUSTL locations.
- Must be able to work in an environment containing possible dust and mold.
- Some off-campus travel may be required in support of professional development or as part of assigned job duties.
Preferred Qualifications
- ALA-accredited MLIS degree.
- Advanced academic work in Judaica related areas.
- Experience providing information, research, teaching, and/or scholarly communication support in a library or other academic setting.
- Experience developing and assessing services to support or enhance research, teaching, and/or scholarship.
- Knowledge of scholarly communication trends and practices, including open educational resources (OER).
- Knowledge of ways that minoritized groups have been marginalized in education and strategies for creating inclusive and antiracist learning environments.
- Comfort speaking in front of small to large groups both virtually and in-person.
- Demonstrated intermediate or higher proficiency in Modern Hebrew reading and comprehension.
- Demonstrated excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Demonstrated strong interpersonal skills and teamwork orientation.
- Demonstrated planning and organization skills.
- Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively in a dynamic environment.
Required Qualifications
- ALA-accredited MLS or MLIS degree (or equivalent degree) OR a Master’s degree (or equivalent degree) in Judaica-related studies
- Reading and comprehension of Modern Hebrew
Grade
G11
Salary Range
$53,100.00 - $90,600.00 / Annually
The salary range reflects base salaries paid for positions in a given job grade across the University. Individual rates within the range will be determined by factors including one's qualifications and performance, equity with others in the department, market rates for positions within the same grade and department budget.
Questions
For frequently asked questions about the application process, please refer to our External Applicant FAQ.
Accommodation
If you are unable to use our online application system and would like an accommodation, please email CandidateQuestions@wustl.edu or call the dedicated accommodation inquiry number at 314-935-1149 and leave a voicemail with the nature of your request.
Pre-Employment Screening
All external candidates receiving an offer for employment will be required to submit to pre-employment screening for this position. The screenings will include criminal background check and, as applicable for the position, other background checks, drug screen, an employment and education or licensure/certification verification, physical examination, certain vaccinations and/or governmental registry checks. All offers are contingent upon successful completion of required screening.
Benefits Statement
Personal
Up to 22 days of vacation, 10 recognized holidays, and sick time.
Competitive health insurance packages with priority appointments and lower copays/coinsurance.
Want to Live Near Your Work and/or improve your commute? Take advantage of our free Metro transit U-Pass for eligible employees. We also offer a forgivable home loan of up to $12,500 for closing costs and a down payment for homes in eligible neighborhoods.
WashU provides eligible employees with a defined contribution (403(b)) Retirement Savings Plan, which combines employee contributions and university contributions starting at 7%.
Wellness
Wellness challenges, annual health screenings, mental health resources, mindfulness programs and courses, employee assistance program (EAP), financial resources, access to dietitians, and more!
Family
We offer 4 weeks of caregiver leave to bond with your new child. Family care resources are also available for your continued childcare needs. Need adult care? We’ve got you covered.
WashU covers the cost of tuition for you and your family, including dependent undergraduate-level college tuition up to 100% at WashU and 40% elsewhere after seven years with us.
For policies, detailed benefits, and eligibility, please visit: https://hr.wustl.edu/benefits/
EEO/AA Statement
Washington University in St. Louis is committed to the principles and practices of equal employment opportunity and especially encourages applications by those from underrepresented groups. It is the University’s policy to provide equal opportunity and access to persons in all job titles without regard to race, ethnicity, color, national origin, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, protected veteran status, or genetic information.
Diversity Statement
Washington University is dedicated to building a diverse community of individuals who are committed to contributing to an inclusive environment – fostering respect for all and welcoming individuals from diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. Individuals with a commitment to these values are encouraged to apply.