Social Sciences Librarian: Research & Data Support

University of California; Berkeley (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

The Behavioral & Social Sciences Librarian at UC Berkeley Library serves as the primary liaison for Psychology, Sociology, Demography, and School of Social Welfare, providing library instruction and research support for diverse user groups.

Responsibilities include designing instruction, developing online guides, and collaborating across divisions to advance research and teaching in the social sciences. Advanced degree in library science is required or pursuing advanced studies.

Qualifications

• Experience providing library instruction and research support.
• Familiarity with social sciences data discovery and access.
• Ability to design curriculum-integrated instruction and workshops.

Responsibilities

• Provide virtual and in-person research consultations.
• Design and deliver curriculum-integrated instruction and workshops covering information literacy and social science methods.
• Develop and maintain online subject guides, tutorials, and digital learning objects for remote learning.
• Build relationships with academic staff, faculty, and students through meetings, office hours, and collaborations.
• Collect and analyze user data to assess needs and improve services.
• Promote library resources through outreach, exhibits, and programming.
• Collaborate across library divisions to meet complex research and teaching needs.
• Provide expertise on interdisciplinary social science research methods and data collections.

Skills

Liaison & instruction

Research consultations

Data literacy & methods

Outreach & programming

Collaboration with faculty & staff

Education

Advanced degree in Library Science or related field

Job description

The University of California, Berkeley is hiring a Behavioral & Social Sciences Librarian to join the Library’s Social Sciences Division. The division supports world-class teaching and research in the social sciences, providing innovative collection development and other user-focused services including data and information literacy, course-based instruction, and research support.

The Environment
The UC Berkeley Library is an internationally renowned research and teaching facility at the nation's premier public university. A highly diverse and intellectually rich environment, Berkeley serves a campus community of 33,070 undergraduate students, 12,812 graduate students, and 1,525 faculty. The Library comprises 20 campus libraries, including the Doe Library, the Moffitt Library, The Bancroft Library, the C.V. Starr East Asian Library, and numerous subject specialty libraries. With a collection of more than 12 million volumes and a collections budget of over $15 million, the Library offers extensive resources in all formats and robust services to connect users with the collections and build their research skills. Discover more about our collections and services at the UC Berkeley Library website.

The Library’s Social Sciences Division is comprised of librarians, library career staff, and student library employees who collectively support the teaching and research needs of students and faculty in twelve social science departments within the College of Letters & Science, six professional schools, three International and Area Studies programs, and an array of Organized Research Units. The division oversees three subject specialty libraries: the Business Library, the Environmental Design Library, and the Social Research Library. This position reports to the head of the Library’s Social Sciences Division.

The Librarian in this role serves as a liaison for three academic departments—Psychology, Sociology, and Demography—encompassing a rich array of undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as the School of Social Welfare. Faculty in the Psychology department conduct research and teaching in areas including developmental, social, and personality psychology, as well as behavioral and systems neuroscience, clinical science, cognition, and cognitive neuroscience. UC Berkeley’s Sociology and Demography departments are leading centers for social research, specializing in social theory, public sociology, and the quantitative and interdisciplinary study of population dynamics. The School of Social Welfare is dedicated to advancing social justice through evidence-based practice, policy research, and the preparation of leaders for the public and nonprofit sectors.

Responsibilities
The Behavioral & Social Sciences Librarian serves as the primary liaison for the Departments of Psychology, Sociology, Demography, and the School of Social Welfare, providing library instruction and research support for a diverse group of undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, and staff. Liaison librarians work with their departments to:

• Provide virtual and in-person research consultations
• Design and deliver curriculum-integrated instruction and workshops covering critical information literacy, social science research methods, and evidence-based research practices
• Develop and maintain online subject and course guides, tutorials, and other digital learning objects to support remote and asynchronous learning
• Build positive working relationships with academic staff, faculty, and students by attending departmental meetings, holding regular office hours, and developing collaborative projects
• Collect and analyze user data to assess user needs
• Promote library resources and services to support Berkeley’s teaching and research through outreach, exhibits, and programming
• Collaborate across library divisions and with functional experts to provide a matrix of expertise to meet complex research and teaching needs

In addition, this role provides expertise on interdisciplinary social science research methods and data collections:

• Provide consultation on evidence synthesis for social science researchers, including support for systematic reviews and advanced literature searches
• Support social science data discovery and access

The Behavioral & Social Sciences Librarian works with colleagues in the Library’s Collection Services and Social Sciences Divisions to advise on issues related to collection development and scholarly communication:

• With input from stakeholders, refine approval plan profiles to ensure that acquisitions accurately reflect the current research and teaching needs of their departments
• Recommend resources, ensuring that deep disciplinary context is reflected in acquisition decisions
• Partner with faculty and administrators to identify future academic directions, changes in course offerings, and research agendas that may impact broader library collection strategies
• Work with stakeholders to identify and promote open educational resources (OER) to improve the affordability of course materials for students in the social sciences
• Collaborate with colleagues in the Office of Scholarly Communication and Information Policy to support open access developments, copyright, and new models of digital scholarship as they apply to their departments
• Work closely with Library colleagues to shape services, projects, policies, and collections to enhance research and learning at the University

All UC Berkeley librarians are expected to participate in library-wide planning and governance, and work effectively in a shared decision-making environment. Advancement is partially based upon professional contributions beyond the primary assignment, including contributions to the Library, campus, UC System, and profession.

The UC Berkeley Library is committed to supporting and encouraging respect and empathy, and nurturing a culture where all employees thrive. We recognize and appreciate one another’s contributions, expertise, and accomplishments, and strive to provide equitable access to a diverse set of collections and services. For more information, please see the UC Berkeley Library Statement of Values.

UC professional librarians are academic appointees and are represented by an exclusive bargaining agent, the University Council – American Federation of Teachers (UC-AFT). This position is in the bargaining unit. Librarians are entitled to appropriate professional development leave, vacation leave, sick leave, and all other benefits granted to non-faculty academic personnel. The University has an excellent retirement system and sponsors a variety of group health, dental, vision, and life insurance plans in addition to other benefits.

• Advanced degree or enrolled in an advanced degree program