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May 28th, 2014
Engineering Information Specialist
Rank: Assistant or Associate Professor; tenure track.
Purdue University Libraries seeks an energetic, outgoing, and innovative individual to join a collaborative, dynamic team of information professionals who carry out a robust program of integrated information literacy, data services, scholarly communication, and collaborative research, and, as a Libraries faculty member, contribute to the research and scholarship in these areas
Duties and Responsibilities: The Engineering Information Specialist, liaison to between two to four departments in the College of Engineering, provides instruction and collaborates on scholarly communication and data services initiatives; participates in interdisciplinary, collaborative research projects, including sponsored research, within the Libraries and the College of Engineering; actively engages in information literacy instruction and collaboration; and provides leadership in the development of online learning content for the Physical Sciences, Engineering, and Technology (PSET) Division of the Purdue Libraries, with a focus on developing re-usable learning objects; designs, develops, and maintains a library of digital materials to support information literacy instruction in the online environment; develops and conducts assessments of the effectiveness of learning objects; assesses the potential of new instructional technologies for incorporation in the Libraries; makes connections between engineering and other disciplinary faculty and with units of the Libraries to enable greater research productivity, sustainable publication and dissemination of scholarship and data; participates in the development of informed learning activities in support of the University’s new core curriculum that requires both foundational and embedded information literacy outcomes for all undergraduates; and contributes to Libraries-wide initiatives and participates in faculty governance of the Libraries. As a member of the Libraries faculty a research agenda must be articulated that explores questions within their area of specialization, resulting in a scholarly publication record required for promotion and tenure at Purdue University.
Requirements: MLS from an ALA-accredited library school or a PhD in a relevant discipline; evidence of a proactive, user-centered vision for services; strong interpersonal and communication skills; demonstrated ability to work collaboratively; familiarity with current trends in instructional best practices and data curation services. Ability to adjust and accommodate changing demands within Libraries, the University and the field. Commitment to engage in research and scholarship, and ability to achieve promotion and tenure.
Desired: Experience developing and implementing active learning techniques in a curricular setting; Demonstrated knowledge of best practices in online learning pedagogies; Experience using online learning tools and content management and production systems; Awareness of intellectual property issues with respect to online learning environments; For applicants with MLS degrees, a degree in science or engineering or experience in an engineering library is desired.
Environment:
The Purdue University Libraries system (http://www.lib.purdue.edu/) includes the divisions of Archives and Special Collections (ASC); Health and Life Sciences (HLS); Humanities, Social Sciences, Education, and Business (HSSEB); and Physical Sciences, Engineering and Technology (PSET). Other areas include Collections Management, Resource Sharing, Resource Services, Instruction and Digital Program Services, the Research Division/Distributed Data Curation Center (D2C2), and Scholarly Publishing Services. The Purdue University Press and the University Copyright Office report to the dean of libraries, and the work of these units is integrated with and into the operations of the Libraries. The staff of 175 includes 70 faculty and professionals.
At Purdue, Libraries faculty are full members of the Purdue University faculty with professorial rank and tenure and therefore must achieve and meet the requirements for promotion including published scholarship. Libraries faculty support the information literacy, e-science and data, and scholarly communication initiatives of the Libraries. Libraries faculty are encouraged to engage in collaborative interdisciplinary research applying library and information science principles to sponsored research projects. Libraries has embarked upon a comprehensive information literacy program, including the creation of the first endowed chair in information literacy in the country in 2008 and the expansion of collaborative endeavors with disciplinary faculty culminating in 2012 with a core campus curriculum that includes information literacy as a required core requirement. Libraries faculty collaborate with disciplinary faculty to develop methodologies and repositories for discovering, accessing, and sharing of research publications and data. A reconceptualization of spaces is taking place throughout the Libraries. Now in the planning stages, the Active Learning Center will bring together six of the science and engineering libraries into a facility that will seamlessly integrate learning and classroom spaces in a $79M facility at the center of the campus that will be completed Summer 2017.
Purdue Libraries is an active member of state, regional, national, and international associations and consortia, including the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), the Center for Research Libraries (CRL), the Coalition for Networked Information (CNI), SPARC, the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR), the Digital Library Federation (DLF), the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), and the International Association of Scientific and Technological University Libraries (IATUL). Purdue Libraries is a founding member of HathiTrust, DataCite, Digital Preservation Network (DPN) and the Research Data Alliance (RDA). Collaboration and partnerships are hallmarks of Purdue Libraries both on and off campus, including partnership with ITaP (Information Technology at Purdue) and the Purdue Office of Research to provide assistance with funder data requirements.
Purdue Libraries is a leader in the area of data curation, including development of the Data Curation Profiles which provide information professionals a means of investigating, uncovering, and capturing the data needs of faculty researchers. The Purdue University Research Repository (PURR), a Libraries initiative, provides an online, collaborative working space and data-sharing platform to support the data management needs of Purdue researchers and their collaborators. Since 2005, Purdue Libraries has collaborated in interdisciplinary sponsored research on campus with over 100 faculty, as well as off campus with other libraries and institutions. Libraries is in its 10th year of a partnership with the ARL Initiative to Recruit a Diverse Workforce to provide ARL Diversity Scholars with a behind-the-scenes look at the advanced operations of research libraries.
Purdue University (http://www.purdue.edu/), located in West Lafayette, Indiana, in the historic Wabash River valley, is one hour from Indianapolis and two hours from Chicago. Renowned for its programs in engineering, science, agriculture, and business, the University has over 39,500 students and 15,000 employees. Purdue is a member of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), the Association of American Universities (AAU), and the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC). Purdue has the second highest enrollment of international students among public U.S. universities, with over 8,000 undergraduate, professional, and graduate students in Fall, 2013, including over 20% of the first year class. The greater Lafayette area (http://www.homeofpurdue.com/) provides diverse cultural, social, and recreational activities.
Salary and benefits:
Salary commensurate with experience in the context of Purdue University’s salary structure. Faculty tenure-track position with a twelve-month appointment. Rank of assistant or associate professor depending on qualifications. Purdue provides a generous fringe benefit package that includes retirement benefits as well as health, disability and life insurance, 22 annual vacation days, and tuition support for employee, children, and spouse/same sex domestic partner.
Application process: To apply, please send a resume, cover letter, and the names and contact information of at least three references via email to Christine Abel, Libraries Human Resources Assistant, at christineabel@purdue.edu. Please place “Engineering Information Specialist” in the subject line of the email. Nominations for the position will be accepted and should be sent to the same email address. Review of applications will begin on June 13, 2014, and will continue until the position is filled. Questions may be directed to Christine Abel at 765-494-2899 or the above email address. A background check will be required for this position.
Purdue University is an EEO/AA employer fully committed to achieving a diverse workforce. All individuals, including minorities, women, individuals with disabilities, and protected veterans are encouraged to apply.
Filed under: faculty_staff, general, press_release