UBC LIBRARY

As one of the world’s leading universities, the University of British Columbia creates an exceptional learning environment that fosters global citizenship, advances a civil and sustainable society, and supports outstanding research to serve the people of British Columbia, Canada and the world.

We honour, celebrate and thank the xʷməθkʷəy̓ əm (Musqueam) and Syilx Okanagan peoples on whose territories the main campuses of the University of British Columbia have the privilege to be situated.

The University of British Columbia Library is one of the largest academic libraries in Canada and consistently ranks among the top university research libraries in North America. UBC Library has 14 branches and divisions across two campuses (Vancouver and Kelowna), including an off-site hospital library; a multi-purpose teaching and learning facility, the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre; and the Xwi7xwa Library, a centre for academic and community Indigenous scholarship.  Almost 300 knowledgeable employees – librarians, management and professional staff, support staff and student staff – provide users with the excellent resources and services that they need to further their research, teaching and learning. 

The UBC Library is committed to being a respectful, healthy environment that encourages leadership, collegiality, diversity, individual growth and opportunity. Explore our aspirational values that we strive to uphold and actively incorporate into all aspects of our organization.  We are committed to eliminating institutional and structural systems of oppression and power (such as colonialism, sexism, classism, heterosexism, ableism, and white supremacy). 

Learn more about the UBC Library Strategic Framework and about working with us. 

ABOUT THE WALTER C. KOERNER LIBRARY

The Walter C. Koerner Library is home to the humanities and social sciences at UBC Library, offering a wealth of collections and services to support research, teaching, and learning in these subjects. Koerner Library is also home to the Research Commons, which provides support for researchers across campus in the areas of data visualization and analysis, GIS / geospatial data, digital scholarship, research data management and citation management. Along with these two units, Koerner Library houses the Scholarly Communications, cIRcle and Copyright units, Borrower Services, and University leadership. 

Koerner Library provides a welcoming learning and research-driven environment for students, faculty and community members. Our service model is user-focused and includes offering one-to-one assistance and classroom instruction for our users. The Koerner Library is named in honour of Walter C. Koerner, recognizing his lifetime commitment to and support of the University and the Library and his substantial gift toward the construction of Koerner Library.

POSITION OVERVIEW

Koerner Library and the UBC Library Research Commons provide services and collections to support the research needs of students, faculty, and staff, with a prioritization for graduate students in the interdisciplinary UBC Library Research Commons. The Digital Scholarship Librarian works within the Koerner Library while providing campus-wide service development and support across all departments and in the Research Commons.

The Digital Scholarship Librarian develops and maintains a dynamic, multifaceted program that addresses the growing demand for digital scholarship partnerships and support on campus. The librarian works closely with the UBC Library Research Commons, Digital Programs and Services, Digital Scholarship in Arts (DiSA), Advanced Research Computing (ARC), and other campus entities to identify innovative and evolving digital tools and resources that advance scholarly investigation with novel digital tools and methods, while building on traditional research methodologies. The Digital Scholarship Librarian is a change agent, partner, and resource person for librarians and specialists involved in facilitating faculty and student digital projects and keeps abreast of the campus environment to identify emerging areas of interest.

In addition to digital scholarship responsibilities, the librarian will assume disciplinary support duties in Sociology for approximately 30% of their time.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Masters-level degree from an accredited program of library or information science, or equivalent internationally accredited program.
• Strong information and digital literacy skills.
• A proactive, user-centered vision of services and a commitment to responsive and innovative service practices.
• Familiarity with research methodologies across many disciplines including emerging tools and technologies relevant to the production, dissemination and reception of research.
• Familiarity with digital scholarship research tools and approaches (one or more of text mining, data analysis and visualization, text encoding, image analysis, augmented reality, machine learning, or digital exhibits), and the ability to provide research and consultation services to researchers with varying levels of technical expertise.
• Understanding of data and metadata issues in the research lifecycle.
• Experience developing and delivering instructional sessions, teaching technical workshops, and making presentations.
• Demonstrated ability to initiate, plan and carry out projects independently and as a team member; flexibility, and willingness to assume various assignments.
• Open to experiment with and improvise new ways of approaching processes, tasks or problems.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills; models and demonstrates good communication through active listening and appreciative inquiry and open to providing and receiving timely, constructive feedback.
• Ability to recognize, respect and work effectively with individuals and groups with diverse perspectives and backgrounds; takes initiative in learning about language and issues relating to equity and diversity.
• Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own.
• Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Preferred

• Academic background or relevant experience in digital scholarship.
• Familiarity with bibliographic management tools in academic institutions and trends in library collections.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with faculty, librarians, and others to advance research projects. 
• Experience supervising student employees and/or staff, preferably in a unionized environment.
• Programming or scripting experience, or experience working with programmers in an academic setting.
• Demonstrated capability in humanities and social sciences research methods and tools such as quantitative or qualitative data skills, knowledge synthesis, research data management, or other related skills.
• A solid understanding of the research process and how new tools and technologies affect the production, dissemination and reception of research in the humanities and social sciences. 
• Experience with collections development for both print and electronic resources.
• Experience selecting and curating software especially for research.
• Awareness of trends in digital scholarship. Experience with writing grant proposals.

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Reports to the Head of Koerner Library. In consultation with the Head, plans and implements digital scholarship services for users. Consults and works collaboratively with colleagues within Koerner Library and across the Library in the provision of services. A high degree of planning, collaboration and coordination is required with colleagues in the Library, including the Research Data Management Librarian, GIS and Maps Librarian, Data Librarian; as well as the , Digital Programs and Services and Technology, Discovery and User Experience units. Actively collaborates beyond the Library with UBC IT staff, ARC, and other campus and external partners. The Digital Scholarship Librarian will foster successful adoption and application of digital scholarship methods and tools for research, teaching and learning, and do so in collaboration with faculty, students and librarians. Works in collaboration with UBC Collections Services to support the collections needs around digital scholarship topics including text and data mining and software licensing. Supervises the work of students in the provision of services and may supervise staff.

TERMS OF APPOINTMENT AND SALARY

Appointment: This is a full-time, 12 month term appointment with an anticipated start date of 15 November 2024.

The successful candidate will be a member of The University of British Columbia Faculty Association and the terms and conditions of appointment are governed by the Collective Agreement between UBC and the UBC Faculty Association (http://www.hr.ubc.ca/faculty-relations/collective-agreements/).

Eligibility: We are only considering applications from librarians with a maximum of 2 years of professional library experience. However, all internal candidates will be considered regardless of years of experience and are encouraged to apply.

Salary: Starting salary is $83,955 to $86,520 per annum. Actual salary offered will be commensurate with experience and academic/professional qualifications, as well as internal parity. UBC also offers a comprehensive benefits package. Information about salary increases can be found in the Collective Agreement: http://www.hr.ubc.ca/faculty-relations/collective-agreements/

Benefits: Librarians and their dependents are eligible for an extensive benefits package including extended health care coverage, dental coverage, Employee and Family Assistance Program, life insurance, pension and travel benefits. To support families, UBC provides a top-up for eligible employees on maternity or parental leave. Tuition assistance is also available for qualifying employees and dependent children. In addition, librarians/archivists are eligible for professional development funding to support career growth at the university, as well as study leave. Details are available in the Collective Agreement, and for more information see UBC Human Resources: https://hr.ubc.ca/benefits/eligibility-enrolment/employee-groups. Additional information about relocation to UBC Vancouver can be found: https://hr.ubc.ca/working-ubc/housing-and-relocation-services 

UBC hires on the basis of merit and is committed to employment equity. All qualified persons are encouraged to apply.

Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged.  We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person. 

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Applications will include: a detailed and current curriculum vitae; and a letter of application that includes a statement of citizenship/immigration status and indicates the candidate’s education, training and work experience in the areas listed above, as well as how did you hear about this opportunity. One consolidated PDF is preferred.

Please visit the UBC careers website to view the full position description and on how to apply. The application deadline will be at 11:59pm on August 31.