Introduction  

The Angus L. Macdonald Library, St. Francis Xavier University, seeks a collaborative, innovative, and student-centred librarian to lead our Scholarly Communications program and provide liaison and research support to our health sciences programs, such as Nursing, Health, Human Nutrition and Human Kinetics.  

This permanent track position will be filled at the rank of Librarian I or II depending on experience. The Angus L. Macdonald Library serves one of Canada’s top-ranked undergraduate educational institutions and sees its role as a proactive one of service and support for the academic success of its students and faculty. 

The Angus L. Macdonald Library is a member of Novanet, a consortium of Nova Scotia academic libraries sharing a common library management system, the Council of Atlantic Academic Libraries (CAAL) and the Canadian Research Knowledge Network (CRKN), among other collaborative initiatives.  

Position Description 

Reporting to the University Librarian the successful candidate identifies, develops, and manages services and programs related to copyright, open access, research impact, and other scholarly communications initiatives. In addition to building and maintaining strong collaborative working relationships in assigned disciplines, including the School of Nursing and other departments such as Health, Human Nutrition and Human Kinetics, this position will manage the daily operations of the StFX Scholar Institutional repository, including adding and editing content (https://stfxscholar.cairnrepo.org). The librarian will provide reference and research support, teach information literacy, and participate in planning and implementing library services and initiatives. 

Major Responsibilities:  

Scholarly Communications 

∙ Manage the daily operations of the StFX Scholar repository, including adding and editing content; provide training for staff on use and workflows related to the repository; determine and implement metadata schemas, crosswalks, and workflows for ingesting and maintaining data; identify and actively recruit content for the repository from various entities and stakeholders across campus; update institutional repository procedures, policies, best practices, and other necessary documentation; promote awareness of and increase participation in the repository; collect, analyze, and report institutional repository usage data. 

∙ Provide instruction and specialized research consultations dealing with scholarly communications, including scholarly publishing, open access, open science, predatory publishing, research impact, and copyright. 

∙ Keep current on trends and emerging issues in scholarly communications, especially within the health sciences. 

Liaison Responsibilities 

∙ Participate in general library services, including regularly scheduled reference desk and Live Help shifts; and serve as Liaison Librarian to designated departments and/or programs, providing specialized information literacy instruction, research assistance, and support for library resource selection and evaluation to those departments. 

∙ Identify and develop effective library instruction for key health sciences courses.

∙ Keep current on trends and emerging issues in health librarianship. 

∙ Other duties include, but are not limited to, participation in library initiatives and projects, and the creation and maintenance of subject research guides. 

∙ Develop guidelines, policies and procedures for librarian support for knowledge synthesis research projects. 

Required Qualifications 

∙ A Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) degree or equivalent from an ALA accredited program and a minimum of 2 years professional experience, preferably in an academic or health sciences library 

∙ Demonstrated understanding of current and emerging practices in scholarly communication including open access, predatory publishing, research impact, etc.

∙ Demonstrated understanding of the role of a liaison librarian in the health sciences

∙ Experience providing online and in-person reference support, information literacy instruction and collection development 

∙ Availability for occasional evening and weekend work  

∙ Demonstrated technical acumen (proficiency with Microsoft Office and Springshare products desirable) 

∙ Awareness of current issues and trends in higher education, health, and academic libraries, including faculty and student use of emerging technologies and resources

∙ Excellent communication, collaboration, and interpersonal skills 

∙ Ability to work both independently and as a team member and with a diverse population of library users

Preferred Qualifications 

∙ Knowledge of and experience in developing searches for knowledge synthesis research projects (Systematic Reviews, Scoping Reviews, etc.) 

∙ Knowledge of effective program development, including goal setting and outcomes evaluation. 

∙ Ability to advance multiple projects in a team environment, meet deadlines, and prioritize work. 

∙ Supervisory experience 

Review of applications will begin on August 15, 2022. To express interest in this role, please send a cover letter and resume in confidence to: 

Sandy Iverson 
University Librarian 
StFX University 
liboffice@stfx.ca 

Only those selected for an interview will be contacted. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. StFX is seeking candidates who are committed to contributing to our priorities of equity, diversity, and inclusion. A demonstrated ability in fostering a climate of inclusion and cultural safety is a strong asset. Preference will be given to applicants who bring lived experience of historically excluded groups. Candidates are encouraged to indicate how they meet these requirements in their application submission. 

We are committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, including through all aspects of the hiring process. If you require support during the hiring process, please contact Human Resources hr@stfx.ca so that accommodations can be put in place to support you. All private information received in relation to your request for support will be kept confidential; only information required to facilitate the accommodation will be shared with the selection committee.