Editor’s Note: While this position is not specifically focused on publishing, publishing is one of the areas that the resident will engage with. The University of Michigan Library is seeking a partnership with Gale Cengage and other supplier and publisher companies. The thought is to give residents an opportunity to see that side of the process since Michigan Publishing is a part of the library.How to Apply
A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position, your career aspirations and any experience that directly relates to this position.
Job Summary
The University of Michigan Library Resident Program was created to support our commitment to achieving a culturally diverse faculty. We are looking for assistant librarian candidates who are interested in being exposed to various areas of academic librarianship through a rotational program. Selected candidates will experience three years of library work within varied departments as well as engage in professional development and mentorship. This holistic experience will provide a competitive advantage in the search for a successive professional position. The U-M Library is a part of the ACRL Diversity Alliance supporting a broad-based library residency program.
The resident librarian is a three-year, nonrenewable term position at the assistant librarian rank which will be tailored to reflect the successful candidate’s professional interests and long-term career goals, and the needs of the U-M Library. About 70% of the resident librarian’s time will be spent working within the assigned area with the remainder of the time spent in strategic professional development and mentoring, library and campus experiences such as shadowing, committee and project work and engagement with professional associations. Assigned functional areas may change periodically based on the resident’s career objectives and the needs of the library.
The first year will be devoted to acclimating the resident to U-M, the Library, and to academic librarianship as a whole. Consequently, the resident librarian will be assigned to a thematic area that crosses over a variety of library areas and departments. Residents will be exposed to a broad range of staff, operations, services, and functions related to each selected thematic area. It is expected that candidates will bring a commitment to diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion to their work within the selected themes. Possible themes may include, but are not necessarily limited to curation, preservation, digital scholarship, scholarly communication, learning and teaching, liaison librarianship, impact and relevance, library administration, community outreach and special collections.
The second and third years will include deeper exposure to various departments and functions within the library and focus on a capstone project. Throughout the experience, the resident librarian will participate in strategic professional development, mentorship and engaged learning which may include active involvement in committees, special projects and programming.
The successful candidate should possess a strong interest in leadership in academic librarianship, demonstrate effective interpersonal, communication, demonstrate basic presentation skills, and possess the ability to be flexible and motivated in the face of changing work assignments, projects, and departments. In addition, candidates are expected to be able to communicate and demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to diversity and inclusion in librarianship.
Responsibilities*
The resident librarian advances the Library’s mission to support, enhance, and collaborate in the instructional, research, and service activities of the faculty, students, and staff, and contribute to the common good by collecting, organizing, preserving, communicating, and sharing the record of human knowledge. In fulfillment of this mission, the successful candidate will assume these primary responsibilities:
Perform assigned duties within assigned departments.
Work with supervisors and mentors to determine a professional development plan.
Work with supervisors and mentors to engage in library, university and community committees, initiatives, and projects as appropriate.
Grow and develop professionally by collaborating on committees and initiatives as well as engaging in professional and academic growth activities.
Required Qualifications*
ALA-accredited master’s degree or an equivalent combination of relevant experience along with a relevant advanced degree.
Ability to clearly articulate career objectives within librarianship.
Exhibits an understanding and value of diversity and the importance of inclusion as demonstrated through a commitment to apply and incorporate the differences, complexities, and opportunities that diversity brings to an organization.
Desired Qualifications*
Familiarity with trends and issues in academic librarianship.
Additional Information
Benefits, rank, salary
Appointment is anticipated at the Assistant Librarian rank. Librarian appointments carry with them increased expectations regarding professional development, professional engagement, research, and service, in keeping with the library’s process for librarian promotion and advancement.
The target salary range for this position is $50,000 – $55,000 per year for the Assistant Librarian rank. The actual salary offered may vary based on the qualifications and experience of the selected candidate.
The University of Michigan offers excellent benefits and wellness opportunities. This position receives 24 days of vacation a year, paid sick leave with provisions for extended benefits, as well as opportunities for professional development and travel. TIAA and Fidelity Investments retirement options available.
Application Deadline
Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. This job may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended. Applications will be reviewed as received throughout the posting period and continue until the position is filled. One Resident Librarian position will be filled. A second Resident Librarian position may be filled pending budgetary approval.
About the University of Michigan Library
The U-M Library is one of the world’s largest academic research libraries and serves a vibrant university community that is home to 19 schools and colleges, 100 top ten graduate programs, and annual research expenditures approaching $1.5 billion a year. To enable the university’s world-changing work and to serve the public good, the library collects, preserves, and shares the scholarly and cultural record in all existing and emerging forms, and leads the reinvention of the academic research library in the digital age.
The U-M Library strives to develop and nurture the skills that will allow us to manifest diversity as engagement, innovation, and above all, respect for all individuals. These skills are vital to the library, which offers its wide-ranging and diverse content, services, and expertise to the entire U-M community and beyond. We seek out and celebrate diversity in all of its forms, and more importantly, we embrace it as an organizational priority. The library has a long history of actively engaging in diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility work, which is vital to the overall success of an academic research library and the tenets of diversity are infused into all aspects of our work.
The Library Human Resources office can be contacted at 734-764-2546 or libhumres@umich.edu.
U-M EEO/AA Statement
The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.
Job Board
LPC maintains a list of jobs that incorporate library publishing roles. To be included in this list, the position must be located administratively in a library or report directly to a library-based supervisor. The primary function(s) of the position must directly engage in the creation, dissemination, and/or curation of scholarly, creative, and/or educational works. Administrative positions that do not directly engage in these functions may be included if they include supervisory responsibility primarily for employees who are performing these functions. All job postings must include a salary or salary range. If you’d like to add a posting, please contact us.