The Lawyer Librarian provides legal research consulting services to law school faculty and students, visiting scholars, and law school staff. Lawyer Librarians are regularly scheduled to cover rotations for walk-in reference questions. This position participates in the Faculty-Library Liaison program and proactively supports the research, scholarship and teaching interests of a variety of professors. This position teaches multiple sections of the required first year Legal Research course and also teaches Advanced Legal Research. In addition, teaching other specialized research classes will be required.
Responsibilities
This is a full time exempt position reporting to the Director of the Library. Duties include responsibilities in the following five areas:
Access
- Participate in evaluation and selection of library print and electronic resources
- Primary responsibility for overseeing the print and electronic government documents collection
- Evaluate, coordinate and oversee law library web page focusing on usability and navigability
- Participate in creation of user friendly interfaces for access to electronic resources by developing documentation and guides, including bibliographies, path-finders, desktop interfaces, and general and specialized Web pages, to assist law school students and staff with the use of library computer-based resource.
Instruction
- Develop and teach multiple sections of first year Legal Research
- May develop and teach Advanced Legal Research courses
- Teach specialized research classes for upper level courses
- Participate in other instruction including online training, workshops and other informational sessions through out the year
- Conduct library orientation programs
Consulting
- Coordinate outreach and training to support faculty scholarship
- Provide research assistance for faculty, students, visiting scholars and staff by assisting users with print, microform and digital information resources
- Prepare instructional materials to help facilitate the use of the Library and encourage the utilization of available resources
- Participate in Faculty Liaison Program
- Assist with Library Research Assistant Program
- Work with the faculty to integrate electronic research sources and technology into their research by investigating, assessing, and offering instruction to faculty in sing software applications and technology more productively in their research
Administration
- Assist in recruitment, interviewing and hiring process
- Assist in developing annual law library budget
- Serve on law library and law school committees as needed
Research and Development
- Strategic Planning for the library
- Continually conduct assessment of library services
- Plan for the expansion and improvement of library services to faculty and students
- Participate in professional development at the local, regional, and national level
- Monitor new developments in legal education, law librarianship, and emerging technologies and their applications to libraries
Requirements
- Masters degree in Library and Information Science and JD from an ABA-accredited law school
- Demonstrated competence in delivering legal research services and knowledge of legal bibliography and scholarly research
- Firm commitment to law librarianship and to a high level of service for faculty and students in a demanding academic environment
- Demonstrated ability to contribute to making the library hospitable and responsible to the needs of the law school community, including excellent interpersonal skills, written and spoken communication skills, problem-solving and mediation skills and the ability to work effectively, productively and collegially with library colleagues, faculty, student, and library patrons
- Ability to lecture effectively, teach in large and small group settings, provide individualized instruction, participate in curriculum development, and use a wide range of educational technologies inside and outside of the classroom
- Ability to teach oneself new technologies, to create necessary documentation and other training tools, and then teach the technologies to a wide range of constituents.
- Demonstrated interest and proficiency in computer applications for legal research and ability to contribute to the development of web pages, online tutorials, and other digital learning mechanisms that educate students about library resources and service an support faculty who are increasingly incorporating electronic methods and aids in their teaching and research
- Ability to work independently as well as part of a team centered organization
If interested, please send a resume, cover letter and names of three references to: jobs@vermontlaw.edu.
Vermont Law School is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
