Reference librarian positions involve each of the five Reference Librarians in the full range of reference and research activity in non-law subject areas and in all areas of law, including but not limited to U.S., foreign, comparative, and public and private international law.
Reference and research responsibility is combined with managing, supervising and/or coordinating one of more functions or units within the Reference and Faculty Services Unit with responsibility for collection development.
All Reference Librarians:
- Provide expert reference service to the Law School community, University of Michigan community, attorneys and other patrons in all areas of law for all jurisdictions, as well as in non-law subject areas.
- Participate in regular collection development/selection meetings and the full range of intra and inter-unit professional work.
- May provide bibliographic instruction sessions, create research guides and participate in creating content for the Law Library web page.
- Have Faculty contacts, including library orientation/interviews for new and visiting faculty, consultation on collection development, and/or work on reference and research projects and requests.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
The Faculty Services Reference Librarian:
- Performs in-depth, expert legal, non-legal and bibliographic research for law faculty;
- Plans, coordinates, and manages the Faculty Research Service. This includes creating, updating and/or maintaining systems, manuals and forms; developing and fostering relations with other Law Library units, other libraries on campus, the Law School and Law Faculty, and support services provided within and without the Law Library.
- Plans, coordinates, and manages the Faculty Document Delivery (Phone Page) Service. Includes creating, updating and/or maintaining systems, manuals and forms developing and fostering relations with other Law Library units, other libraries on campus, the Law School and Law Faculty, and support services provided within and without the Law Library.
Both of these roles require the librarian to:
- Hire, train, supervise and schedule 10 or more law students to provide expert, timely and consistent legal and non-legal research and document delivery services;
- Assign research or problem requests to other Reference Librarians as needed;
- Provide information, recommendations and information about substantive or procedural needs of the Law Library collection, based on research and document delivery experience, to librarians involved in collection development and the development of the Law Library collection, based on research and document delivery experiences, to librarians involved in collection development and the development of the Law Library homepage.
- Handle and resolve problems and customer complaints.
Minimum qualifications:
JD from US accredited school and Masters Degree in Information or Library Science from U.S. accredited graduate school. Sound knowledge of legal systems and legal bibliography and strong research skills; experience in a large research library; experience doing legal research in academic, court or law firm setting; excellent communication, interpersonal and organizational skills; creativity and adaptability in the face of multiple simultaneous demands; group instruction experience or potential; ability to work evenings and weekends on a rotating basis.
Desired qualifications: Working knowledge of at least one European language.
Salary: minimum $60,000 depending on qualifications; benefits worth 25% of salary
Available: Applications accepted until December 11, 2009. Applications considered upon receipt.
To apply: Send letter, resume, three references and all post-secondary transcripts to: Mary Clemence, Administrative Specialist, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN LAW LIBRARY, 801 Monroe, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1210. Email: lawlibraryhiring@umich.edu.
