RSSVisiting South Slavic Specialist
Academic Professional Position
University Library
University of Illinois Library at Urbana-Champaign
Deadline: In order to ensure full consideration, applications must be received by March 22, 2012.
Position Available: This position is available immediately. This is a 100%-time, twelve-month Visiting Academic Professional position. This is a one year renewable position, contingent upon continued funding from the U.S. State Department Title VIII Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and Eurasia (Independent State of the Former Soviet Union).
Duties and Responsibilities: The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign seeks an innovative, collaborative, and service-oriented professional for the position of Visiting South Slavic Specialist. Reporting to the manager of the Slavic Reference Service the successful candidate will be responsible for providing research assistance to local and visiting scholars, developing online materials on research resources in vernacular languages for Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and the former Yugoslav Republics, and for working with visiting scholars to provide an introduction to the Library’s vernacular language resources as well orientation and training on our many research technologies. The Visiting South Slavic Specialist will join colleagues doing similar work as part of the Slavic Reference Service, a component of the International and Area Studies Library.
The Visiting South Slavic Specialist will:
Provide information and instructional services to local and visiting scholars in South Slavic Studies, both in person and using digital means;
Develop digital resources supporting research in vernacular languages for Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and the former Yugoslav Republics;
Provide research support to visiting scholars, including introduction and orientation to Library materials and digital resources;
Collaborate with faculty and staff in the Library’s Interlibrary Loan/Document Delivery program to respond to requests for materials related to Russia and Eastern Europe, particularly those on the South Slavic region (Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria and the former Yugoslavia); and
Contribute to the design and delivery of instructional and research support services provided in-person and online as part of the “Summer Research Lab” program offered to Slavic, East European, and Eurasian scholars through the Russian, East European, and Eurasian Center http://www.reeec.illinois.edu/srl.
Environment: The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 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 12 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/
The Library consists of more than 20 departmental libraries located across campus, as well as an array of central public, technical, and administrative service units. The Library also encompasses a variety of virtual service points and “embedded librarian” programs. As Visiting South Slavic Specialist, the successful candidate will contribute to the work of the Slavic Reference Service, a component of the International and Area Studies Library funded through the U.S. State Department Title VIII Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and Eurasia (Independent State of the Former Soviet Union grant made to the Russian, East European, and Eurasian Center http://www.reeec.illinois.edu. For more information, see: http://www.library.illinois.edu/spx/srs.html
Qualifications: Required: ALA-accredited Master’s degree in Library and/or Information Science (or equivalent) or advanced degree with a focus on the Russian/East European/Eurasian region especially with emphasis in the South Slavic sub-region (Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria and the former Yugoslavia); knowledge of the publishing history in the South Slavic sub-region; knowledge of digital resources relevant to South Slavic Studies; fluent written and spoken command of Russian, Romanian, and at least one other South Slavic language, ability to work with students, faculty and staff from diverse backgrounds
Desired/Preferred: Reading knowledge of Bulgarian, Serbian or Ukrainian; at least one year of experience conducting research in South Slavic Studies; at least one year of experience in providing reference services at an academic or research library.
Note: Applicants should have a currently valid legal authorization to work in the United States.
Salary: Salary commensurate with credentials and experience.
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 receive 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: http://illinois.edu/about/community/community.html or http://www.ccchamber.org/.
The University is located in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana, which have a combined population of 100,000 and are situated approximately 140 miles south of Chicago, 120 miles west of Indianapolis, and 170 miles 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 and its members. For more information, see: http://illinois.edu/about/community/community.html
To Apply: To ensure full consideration, please complete your candidate profile at https://jobs.illinois.edu and upload a letter of interest, resume, and contact information including email addresses for three professional references. Applications not submitted through this website will not be considered. For questions, please call: 217-333-8169
Deadline: In order to ensure full consideration, applications must be received by March 22, 2012.
Illinois is an Affirmative Action /Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and ideas who embrace and value diversity and inclusivity.
www.inclusiveillinois.illinois.edu