Rare Books and Instruction Librarian

Association of Research Libraries; Arkansas; On-site; USD 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Arkansas Libraries seeks a Rare Books and Instruction Librarian to manage a significant collection and promote engagement through innovative instruction and outreach. This tenure-track position blends collection management with dynamic teaching responsibilities alongside various departments.

Benefits

Relocation allowance

Benefits including health insurance

Tuition reduction

Annual leave starting at 15 days

Qualifications

• Eligible for tenure-track appointment.
• Experience with rare books and special collections preferred.
• Strong commitment to teaching and outreach.

Responsibilities

• Manage the collection of rare books and Arkansas print materials.
• Facilitate coordination between Special Collections and other departments.
• Develop partnerships and innovative outreach opportunities.

Skills

Collaboration

Engagement

Innovative instruction

Education

Master's degree in Library Science

Job description

University of Arkansas Job Location: Arkansas Apply By: 7/24/2025 Date Created: 06/25/2025

This position is a tenure-track, twelve-month faculty appointment at the rank of Assistant Librarian / Assistant Professor or Associate Librarian / Associate Professor.

The University of Arkansas Libraries seeks a collaborative and enthusiastic librarian to guide management of the growing collection of rare books and Arkansas print materials in Special Collections and join a dynamic instruction and outreach team to help further extend the learning made possible by the Division to more classes, programs, researchers, and students. Reporting to the Associate Dean for Special Collections, the Rare Books and Instruction Librarian will work closely with the Division’s Collection Development team to advise on collection priorities and will develop recommendations for new acquisitions while seeking ways to leverage a rich and multifaceted rare books collection into innovative instruction and outreach opportunities. The Librarian will also work with donors to evaluate and advise on potential additions to the Special Collections’ print holdings.

The rare books and Arkansiana in Special Collections include more than 130,000 titles. In keeping with the University of Arkansas’s land grant mission, Special Collections continues to collect and make accessible the print record of Arkansas’s history and culture as comprehensively as possible, and the holdings include one of the largest and most complete collections on Arkansas history, 17th century to present, in the world. Areas of growth include teaching collections of medieval manuscripts and fine press facsimiles, artist books, and zines. The collection also includes historic and contemporary monographs and serials, ephemera, maps, and broadsides, and a unique assemblage of special libraries with particular strengths in Arkansas poetry, religious studies, politics, and 20th century activism. Special libraries include the personal collections of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet John Gould Fletcher and acclaimed Arkansas poet C.D. Wright; a significant collection devoted to theologian Thomas Merton and libraries from conservative Arkansas religious activists such as Professor James Bales; the historic library of the folk labor school Commonwealth College; the historic feminist collection of books and serials from the Fayetteville Women’s Library; and the library of 19th century utopian reformer and politician Robert Dale Owen. Special Collections is also home to a substantial and growing collection of Arkansas cookbooks.

A core duty of this position is to facilitate coordination between the Special Collections Division and the acquisitions, cataloging, and preservation departments within the Division of Collections and Open Initiatives. The position will also help expand the teaching and learning with the Division’s resources to even more students. The Rare Books and Instruction Librarian will be an active member of the Instruction and Outreach Team in Special Collections, coordinating closely with the team on instruction planning and curricula development, use of the classroom and gallery, events, and exhibits. The University Libraries seeks a librarian excited about engagement and scholarship with rare books who will pursue and nurture partnerships within the Libraries and with departments across campus, as well as find ways to showcase the rare books and print holdings of Special Collections through guest speakers, seminars, digital humanities projects, and other innovative partnerships and opportunities.

Along with performance, the responsibilities of this position include research and creative work and service in keeping with the faculty requirements of the University of Arkansas.

Relocation allowance available. Benefits include TIAA or Fidelity Investments, tuition reduction, and health insurance. Annual leave starts at 15 days per calendar year and increases with years of service.

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