Librarian for American Indigenous Studies
Job Summary
Although the position will remain posted until filled, applicants are strongly encouraged to apply by end of day on June 25, 2021.
In partnership with Harvard's Administrative Fellowship Program and the ACRL Diversity Alliance , the Harvard Library Diversity Residency Program attracts talented librarians, and in particular, members of historically underrepresented groups, to provide meaningful professional working experience and to cultivate the professional goals and interests of the resident. Additionally, through a combination of events sponsored by the Harvard Library, the Administrative Fellowship Program and the ACRL Diversity Alliance, Residents have the opportunity to work in an academic environment complemented by career development experiences. This is a two- year residency.
Harvard University's Tozzer Library is the oldest library devoted to anthropology in the United States. One of the primary strengths of Tozzer is its collection of material related to Indigenous peoples of the Americas on topics such as language, art, religion and spirituality, and the archaeology of ancient civilizations.
Tozzer Library provides support to scholars from Harvard's Anthropology Department, the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, as well as scholars outside of the field of anthropology. Tozzer is also open to members of the general public and is frequently utilized by researchers world-wide.
The Tozzer Library Resident for American Indigenous Studies will work closely with the Librarian for Tozzer Library to rethink how the Library provides support to Indigenous scholars. Indigenous scholars include members of Indigenous communities, faculty, students, museum staff, and independent researchers.
Job-Specific Responsibilities
Research, Teaching, and Outreach
- Provides research support to scholars at Harvard and outside of Harvard.
- Teaches library instruction sessions on topics such as navigating library catalogs and databases, and staying organized with citation management tools.
- Creates online research tools to assist Indigenous scholars with identifying useful collections, services, and tools available at Tozzer Library.
- Works collaboratively with the Librarian for Tozzer Library to research and develop outreach plans for Indigenous scholars both at Harvard and outside of Harvard.
- Attends Harvard Library meetings and Anthropology Department meetings, in addition to participating in professional development activities.
Collection Development
- Engages in assessment of Indigenous collections at Tozzer to identify growth opportunities, with an emphasis on works by Indigenous authors.
- Develops a nuanced collection development policy for Indigenous materials at Tozzer Library that encourages responsible and thoughtful collecting.
- Reviews Tozzer Library approval plans and journal subscriptions to ensure stronger Indigenous Studies coverage, and investigates opportunities for expanding digital collecting.
- Coordinates with colleagues in other Harvard libraries with related collections to identify potential collaborations.
Basic Qualifications
- Master's degree in library/information science.
- Up to three years of professional work experience.
Additional Qualifications and Skills
- Experience working with diverse communities.
- Experience providing reference and research support.
- Knowledge of library collection development practices.
- Experience teaching library instruction sessions in academic settings.
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively.
- Strong creative and critical thinking skills.
- Experience with building library collections.
- Demonstrated knowledge of Indigenous Studies of North, Central, or South America.
Physical Requirements
Ability to lift up to 50 lbs.
Working Conditions
Possible hybrid work environment (remote and on-site).
Additional Information
About the Harvard Library and our Commitment to Antiracism
Harvard University aims to be the world's recognized leader in sustainable inclusive excellence by fostering a campus culture where everyone can thrive. Working in close collaboration with offices across the university, the Harvard Library is becoming one of the campus leaders in advancing equity, diversity, inclusion, belonging and antiracism. We believe that an inclusive environment that cultivates and promotes understanding, respect, and collaboration across our diverse workforce enables our success. As well, we believe that our work with faculty, students and researchers to explore answers to intellectual questions, enduring and new, and to seek solutions to the world's most consequential problems, requires that we not only reflect, but also advance our diverse society.
Harvard Library's core values are the foundation upon which our antiracism agenda is being developed. Our values emphasize that we lead with curiosity, seek collaboration, champion access, aim for the extraordinary, and cultivate and celebrate diversity in our collections and our community to construct a more inclusive and just world. Our focus on antiracism is a commitment to live our values. It is about building not only a better organization, but a better research library – an exemplary antiracist research library. We aspire to be global leaders in expanding world knowledge and intellectual exploration, and that starts on our campus, where we are a center for knowledge supporting our faculty and students in pursuing antiracism through their research, teaching and learning.
Our commitment to antiracism is a commitment to addressing other forms of discrimination as well, such as those based on gender, sexuality, religion or ability. Our antiracism work will continue a strong record of diversity initiatives, ranging from targeted collection development and the design of inclusive spaces to a learning journey for staff and a focus on employee recruitment and retention. We are deeply committed to increasing diversity in the profession, through activities such as our longstanding membership in the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Diversity Alliance.
Harvard Library is the world's largest academic library. Established in 1638, we are the oldest library system in the United States. We invite individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences and abilities to be a part of our community of over 700 staff members across 28 libraries. Our collections number over six million digitized items, 20 million volumes, 400 million manuscripts, one million maps, and tens of millions of digital images, and our rare and special collections are amongst the most remarkable in the world. We collect collaboratively with peer institutions and facilitate international open access, multiplying our users' access to materials and advancing equitable models of scholarly communication.
Learn more about our contributions to the academic enterprise by visiting us at http://library.harvard.edu and about the Harvard University community at http://hr.harvard.edu/why-harvard.
Location
USA - MA - Cambridge
Job Code
386056 Library Professional
Department
Harvard College Library - Tozzer Library
Union
00 - Non Union, Exempt or Temporary
Appointment End Date
13-Sep-2023
Pre-Employment Screening
Criminal, Education, Identity
EEO Statement
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, or any other characteristic protected by law.