Chinese Studies Librarian - International and Area Studies Library
University of Illinois

Job Info

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Chinese Studies Librarian

Assistant or Associate Professor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library

Position Available : The expected start date is as soon as possible after the closing date. This is a 100% twelve-month, tenure-system appointment.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Statement and EEO Statement: The University Library of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign values diversity of thought, perspective, experience, and people, and is actively committed to a culture of inclusion and respect. We are dedicated to the practices of social justice, diversity, and equality, and we strive to overcome historical and divisive biases in our society and embrace diverse points of view as assets to the fabric of our community. All positions will be called on to contribute to building this environment in the Library and throughout the campus community, and we encourage candidates who share these values to apply.

Position Description : The Chinese Studies Librarian serves on a team of international and area studies librarians, program assistants, and student assistants in the UIUC's International and Area Studies Library (IASL). Reporting to the head of IASL, the Chinese Studies Librarian provides user-focused service and subject expertise for all aspects of research, learning, and engagement associated with the interdisciplinary and multicultural fields of inquiry related to China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and their associated minority and diasporic communities globally. The Chinese Studies Librarian will directly support multiple departments, centers, and programs at the University of Illinois including the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures and Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies.

As an active faculty member in the library, the Chinese Studies Librarian will leverage knowledge of collections, research, digital skills, and relationships to connect students and faculty with services, content, and tools that meet their research, teaching, and learning needs. As a faculty member, the Chinese Studies librarian will conduct original research and support the campus' outreach and engagement missions through service to the library, campus, and profession.

The University of Illinois Library supports a safe and inclusive environment for all members of our diverse communities at UIUC. We are committed to building a diverse and pluralistic workforce and strongly encourage applications from diverse candidates. This position will demonstrate a commitment to advancing diversity efforts in the Library and contributes to an inclusive environment.

Professional Responsibilities

• Builds, promotes, maintains, preserves, and assesses the Chinese studies collections; selects materials in all formats, media types, and languages relevant to China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, minority groups, and border regions of these countries.
• Leads in digitization and digital curation for Chinese collections.
• Provides reference service and research consultation for students, faculty, visiting scholars, and the public.
• Works collaboratively with faculty and other librarians to design and deliver library instruction, and to create and maintain online resources and tutorials in support of courses related to Chinese and East Asian studies.
• Serves as liaison to the Chinese studies faculty with the Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies, and across departments, professional schools, and programs.
• Serves as Director of the IASL's Taiwan Resource Center for Chinese Studies.
• Works with Chinese studies librarians and/or East Asian librarians in the Big10 Academic Alliance consortium for electronic resource collection development and with national libraries and institutions in East Asian countries.
• Supports and collaborates with library colleagues' Chinese-language needs in acquisitions, cataloging, and Interlibrary Loan.
• Participates in unit and library wide collection development, service, and engagement programs.

• Maintains an active research agenda and contributes to the profession's collective knowledge by engaging in scholarly research activity.

• Engages in service to the Library, the University and to professional organizations at the regional, national, and international level by participating in committee work, projects, and other contributory achievements.

Required Qualifications

• Master's Degree in Library or Information Sciences from an American Library Association accredited program or equivalent, and graduate level coursework in Chinese Studies; Or PhD in Chinese Studies and relevant academic library experience.

• Proficiency in modern and pre-modern Chinese, including romanization; excellent oral and written communication skills in Chinese and English as evidenced by application materials.

• Knowledge of Chinese history and culture, including scholarly resources and bibliographic tools as evidenced by application materials.

• Demonstrated ability to work collegially and cooperatively with others in a team environment.

• Preparation and commitment to conduct independent scholarship consistent with a tenure-track faculty appointment and indications of ability to meet the promotion and tenure requirements of the University.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proficiency in other Asian languages.

• Experience of building and sustaining library or research collections in all formats.

• Experience in providing instruction or workshops in an academic library or similar research environment.

• Experience in providing reference services in an academic library or similar research environment.

• Experience in grant writing.

Appointment Information

Environment: The International and Area Studies Library (IASL) coordinates patron and research focused services while continuing to build nationally prominent collections of materials from outside of the United States. IASL combines the UIUC Library's strong faculty, services, and collections focused on African Studies; East Asian Studies; European Union Studies; Global Studies; Latin American and Caribbean Studies; Middle East and North African Studies; Russian East European, and Eurasian Studies; and South Asian Studies.

The Chinese language collection at Illinois is the sixth largest among US Public Universities with 251,000 volumes. The collection is an important component of what is referred to as a national collection in Chinese studies and serves scholars and students from throughout the US in addition to the large campus constituency of Chinese language speakers and scholars that includes 5,800 students from China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. This national strength evidences the library's longstanding commitment to Chinese studies collections and services and is reflective of the campus' prowess in this interdisciplinary field.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) Library is a leader in the delivery of user services, and active programs in information, instructional, access, and scholarly services help the Library to maintain its place at the intellectual heart of the campus. The Library also holds one of the preeminent research collections in the world, encompassing more than 14 million volumes and a total of more than 23 million items. The Library is committed to maintaining the strongest collections and service programs possible, and to engaging in research, development, and scholarly practice - all of which support the University's missions of teaching, research, and public engagement. The Library employs approximately 90 faculty members, and more than 300 academic professionals, staff, and graduate assistants. For more information, see: http://www.library.illinois.edu/

Salary and rank: Minimum starting salary for faculty positions in the Library is $60,000 and is commensurate with credentials and experience.

Librarians have faculty rank, and must demonstrate excellence in librarianship, research, and university/professional/community service in order to meet university standards for tenure and promotion. Library faculty have an obligation to remain professionally informed, to pursue the discovery of new knowledge related to their field of expertise, to disseminate the results of their scholarly work, and to seek opportunities for service to the Library, campus, state, nation and profession. Library faculty are governed by University statements on review and promotion found in Article IX of the Statutes , and in Provost's Communication No. 9 https://provost.illinois.edu/policies/provosts-communications/communication-9-promotion-and-tenure/ and Provost's Communication No. 13 https://provost.illinois.edu/policies/provosts-communications/communication-13-review-of-faculty-in-year-three-of-the-probationary-period/ . For more information on library tenure and promotion, see https://www.library.illinois.edu/staff/committee/promotion-and-tenure-advisory-committee .

Terms of Appointment: Twelve-month appointment; 24 annual vacation days; 11 annual paid holidays; 12 annual sick-leave days (cumulative), plus an additional 13 sick-leave days (non-cumulative) available, if needed, each year; health insurance requiring a small co-payment is provided to employee (with the option to purchase coverage for spouse and dependents); required participation in State Universities Retirement System (SURS) (8% of annual salary is withheld and is refundable upon termination), with several options for participation in additional retirement plans; newly-hired employees are covered by the Medicare portion of Social Security and are subject to its deduction.

Campus and Community: The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a comprehensive and major public land-grant university (Doctoral/Research University-Extensive) that is ranked among the best in the world. Chartered in 1867, it provides undergraduate and graduate education in more than 150 fields of study, conducts theoretical and applied research, and provides public service to the state and the nation. It employs 3,000 faculty members who serve 31,000 undergraduates and 12,000 graduate and professional students; approximately 25% of faculty receives campus-wide recognition each year for excellence in teaching. More information about the campus is available at www.illinois.edu .

The University is located in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana, which have a combined population of 100,000 and are situated about 140 miles south of Chicago, 120 miles west of Indianapolis, and 170 northeast of St. Louis. The University and its surrounding communities offer a cultural and recreational environment ideally suited to the work of a major research institution. For more information about the community, visit: https://illinois.edu or https://www.champaigncounty.org .

Application Procedures & Deadline Information

Applications must be received by August 30, 2022. Apply for this position using the Apply Now button at the top or bottom of this posting. Applications not submitted through this website will not be considered. For further information about this specific position, please contact 217-333-6189. For questions regarding the application process, please contact 217-333-2137.

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, COVID-19 vaccination requirement, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify .

Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply and may request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (2008) to complete the application and/or interview process. Requests may be submitted through the reasonable accommodations portal , or by contacting the Accessibility & Accommodations Division of the Office for Access and Equity at 217-333-0885, or by emailing accessibility@illinois.edu .

Requisition ID: 1009792
Job Category: Faculty
Apply at: https://jobs.illinois.edu

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