Requirements:
- ABA-accredited JD or foreign law school equivalent and ALA-accredited MLS degrees
- Knowledge of basic American, European, and international legal systems and sources
- Working knowledge of at least two foreign languages, one of which should be German,
- 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.
- 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: 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 Foreign and International Law Librarian will:
- Serve as the Library’s principal reference specialist for foreign, international and comparative law, responding to reference questions from faculty, students, members of the university community and the general public
- To the extent possible, 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, and assisting in the use of library equipment.
- 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, notifying faculty of new acquisitions within their research interests, performing other assignments as necessary to make faculty feel that librarians support them proactively.
- Teach legal research in formal and informal settings. In addition to an upper level advanced research course on international and foreign law, this may include first year 2 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.
- Write library guides, handouts, bibliographies, etc., and contribute to webpage projects especially those related to foreign, international and comparative law subjects.
- 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.
- Foster contacts with other professionals and libraries by participating in the activities of professional organizations.
As part of the Library’s Collection Development Team, the Foreign and International Law Library will
- Identify and select appropriate materials in all formats in the areas of foreign, international, and comparative law.
- Identify and promote appropriate free internet resources on foreign, international and comparative law that should be included in the Library’s online catalog and list of resources.
- Evaluate on a continuing basis the current print and electronic collection of foreign, international, and comparative materials, making recommendations as appropriate for cancellation, additional purchases or other modifications.
- Serve as liaison to other libraries with significant foreign, international, and comparative law collections, enabling the Library to participate in consortial relationships, resource sharing, and other activities benefiting Penn Law School and access to foreign, international and comparative law materials.
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 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
pmgeorge@law.upenn.edu
Filed under: jobs, Pennsylvania
