Want to travel the world? The U.S. State Department is looking for a few good librarians (20 of them, in fact). Have a look at this very interesting job posting, put up by the national SLA Career Center.

By Sara Brown

Researchers Citation Habits:
Jeremy Cusker, Earth Sciences and Engineering Outreach Librarian at Cornell University, started the spring 2012 UNYSLA meeting by presenting his method for analyzing the citation habits of researchers, a feature not currently available Web of Science as a designated tool or function. This method enables him to gain a basic understanding of his department’s needs and research interests and, as it provides an overview of the research cited by faculty, it is useful for collection development purposes.

The method (slides available) requires searching for publications of all faculty within a department and then manipulating the data outside of Web of Science in order to create a readable report. The report allows analysis of how the citations compare with the stated priorities of the department as well as how faculty’s citation patterns compare with top journal listings. Further, comparing the results with the library’s holdings reveals whether current subscriptions meet faculty’s needs or whether they must look elsewhere for research.

While the method does have some limits – it does not capture the journals that researchers read but do not cite, it can be skewed by one researcher or by heavy amounts of self-citation, and it will not capture citations from faculty members’ articles that aren’t indexed in Web of Science – it nevertheless provides information that is highly valuable to librarians working in unfamiliar fields and helpful for any academic librarians who wish to analyze its data for collection development purposes.

Jill Hurste-Wahl explaining the SLA Loyalty Project

SLA Loyalty Project:
Later in the morning, Jill Hurst-Wahl spoke about the SLA Loyalty Project. By working with James Kane, a loyalty consultant, SLA has determined that its membership is divided between these four types:

• Antagonists express anger and tend to complain about the organization but nevertheless remain part of it. The benefit of antagonists to an organization is that they can be drivers of change.
  
• Transactional members will attend events if they provide an immediate usefulness, but they do not form any long-term or emotional relationships with SLA.
• Predisposed members are involved in an organization so long as participation is convenient or comfortable, but they won’t go out of their way to participate.
• Loyal members consistently attend meetings, conduct outreach, volunteer, and generally go out of their way to contribute to SLA. They are dedicated to the organization’s continued success.

Currently, antagonists are approximately 6%, transaction and predisposed combined 88%, and loyal members 6% of SLA’s membership. Ideally, an organization’s loyal members should make up 20% of the total.

SLA would like to strengthen relationships with all members, but especially with students, vendors and the organization’s leadership, in order to provide a stable and energized base for continued growth. The key to doing so is communication with current and prospective members in order to make them feel welcomed and valued. Creating personal connections is crucial to cultivating a loyal membership. Further, providing opportunities to be active at a comfortable level will encourage those who might otherwise feel like they don’t have the time or experience to participate. While SLA has been successful in strengthening its online presence through venues like Facebook, developing and deepening personal connections will increase current members’ commitment while at the same time drawing in new members.

Sara Brown has just finished her first year at the University at Buffalo after having worked in various capacities for multiple education and community-based non-profit organizations. Currently she is a research graduate assistant for a Meaningful Concept Display knowledge discovery project. Her interests are varied and include creativity within knowledge management, usability, access and representation for marginalized communities, and library advocacy. As a Student Shadow, Sara appreciated and thoroughly enjoyed the chance to learn more about UNYSLA and to meet practicing librarians and related professionals. Sara says “Librarianship continues to inspire me with the range of positions in which its skills can apply, and experiences like this only leave me more enthusiastic about the future of the field!”

Embedded Librarians: What, Why, and How
a webinar sponsored by SCRLC

Date: Tuesday, June 26
Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 noon EDT
Registration: http://www.scrlc.org/EmbeddedLibrarians

This session is one of a series of five webinars exploring how to support distance learners and remote patrons through virtual communication/reference, screencasts and tutorials, collection development, and online training.

Embedded librarianship is a great way to reach distance and remote patrons and bring services and resources to them wherever they are.  But the term embedded librarian does not mean just one thing: it is an umbrella term that includes a number of service models and levels of activity.  What, exactly, are the service models, and how can a library choose and implement the best model to fit their needs?  This session will examine best practices for embedded librarianship by looking at several successful models and considering goals, design, and assessment of an embedded librarian program.

Join Sean Campbell, Co-Owner of Cascade Insights, guest speaker for our next CI Division’s webinar, on Tuesday, June 5th at 1 pm EST. This session is FREE to all SLA members.
Sponsored by: Aurora WDC and Cascade Insights.

Topic: Going Beyond Google: Gathering Internet Intelligence

Knowing a competitor’s strategies, in advance, can be the difference between success and failure, and yet members of business leadership teams, marketers, and sales teams are stretched too thin just “doing their job” to spend much time really analyzing the competition. During this session we’ll show you how can make the most of open source intelligence (OSINT) assets.

Take Aways:

• 20+ free Web tools for Competitive Intelligence
• Best practices for searching the deep web
• Multiple examples of how these tools have been used in competitive intelligence projects
• Guidance as to how you should rank and prioritize open source intelligence sources

To register: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/485841318

By Esther Jackson

Elaine Lasda Bergman, Bibliographer for Social Welfare at the University at Albany, started off the afternoon sessions of the 2012 spring UNYSLA meeting with her presentation, Bibliometrics: New Ways to Measure Scholarly Output (slides available on SlideShare). Elaine’s presentation focused on the study of bibliometrics, as well as different sources from which to obtain citation data. Journal Impact Factor, (JIF), Source Normalized Impact Per Paper, (SNIP), and Scimago Journal Rank, (SRJ) were all discussed. Bergman also addressed different metrics for scholars, authors, and institutions, with the H-index being the main focus of discussion, with other indexes also mentioned, as well as the benefits and limitations of each.  Bergman demonstrated use of both Publish or Perish and Scopus, and also discussed the pros and cons of using these and other services. Bergman’s examination of the many problems and variations existing for information professionals in regards to the world of bibliometrics was a frank and detailed illustration of the innovative methods needed to carry out the classic mission of faculty support and information access.

Christian Miller, Reference, Instruction, and Outreach Coordinator at the Martin P. Catherwood Library in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University, ended the day with Ideas Don’t Grow on Trees: How to Cultivate a Culture of Innovation and Creativity in Your Library and emphasized the importance of information professionals “creating intelligent learners”.  Miller stressed the need to create a culture of creativity and innovation, focusing on the idea of combining unlike things or ideas, or creating something that has never been done before.  Creativity was emphasized as being a crucial trait which information professionals must cultivate in order to evolve the old ideas of what libraries are, and innovate them for the future.  Miller’s talk concluded with several “creative thinking techniques”, engaging the audience in several activities, including Forced Connections, a word-association exercise, and the Marshmallow Challenge, a team design exercise.  Miller’s presentation and engagement with his audience was a memorable and entertaining illustration of innovative methods, and the way in which information professionals can use them to challenge themselves, and inspire positive change in both libraries and library users.

Teams working on the marshmallow challenge (upper left, right and lower left) and the tallest structure (lower right)

I attended the meeting as part of the UNYSLA Student Shadow program and this experience was a great opportunity for me to meet and network with many different professionals in my field, learn some new and interesting things about the challenges and opportunities of special librarians, and was a lot of fun.  I’m very glad to have had the opportunity to participate at this meeting, and hope that I can encourage other students at the University at Buffalo to do the same in the future.

Esther Marie Jackson is completing her MLS at SUNY Buffalo, (UB). She has a BAS from the University in Toronto where she majored in Celtic Studies and minored in both East Asian Studies and Art History, graduating in 2009.     Since beginning her studies at SUNY Buffalo, Esther has worked in both the Preservation Department and the Interlibrary Loan Department on her campus. She serves as a student member of the UB Department of Library and Information Studies Advisory Board, and also holds the position of the UB SLA Student Group President. Her focus is on arts libraries, (along with a more general interest in special libraries), with an emphasis on cataloging. Her interests trend towards preservation, (both traditional and digital), as well as marketing, social media, and print design. In her free time, Esther enjoys reading, finding homes for lost books, and exploration.

Job Description – Information Literacy Specialist

POSITION SUMMARY:
The Information Literacy Specialist oversees information literacy initiatives on campus and the Library’s program of information literacy/library instruction. Also coordinates library support for online learning. Provide leadership in planning, implementation, and assessment of programs, as well as, training and supervision of instruction staff. Coordinate instruction activities with other library departments, faculty, and other offices on campus.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• An accredited master’s degree in library science.
• Documented experience in information literacy instruction.
• Knowledge of current standards, theory, practice, and trends in information literacy.
• Demonstrated experience implementing and using new technologies in a library classroom and online setting.
• Ability to work effectively and cooperatively within a team and independently.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills, with the ability to prioritize and multi-task.
• Demonstrated ability to solve problems and plan strategically.
• Demonstrated proficiency in web and computer applications related to library instruction and reference service.
• Strong customer service orientation; experience in providing reference services.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Demonstrated professional experience in coordinating, administering, and assessing an information literacy program.
• Demonstrated leadership in a collaborative environment.
• Demonstrated experience teaching and training in a variety of settings and formats.
• Knowledge of instructional planning, design, and assessment. Second Master’s degree.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE:
To apply, please send letter of application, resume, and contact information for three professional references to Kristine Kasbohm at hr.recruiter@canisius.edu (please put LIBRARY in subject line of email). Application materials will be accepted until June 1, 2012.

For more information: Information Literacy Specialist

Job Description – International Languages and Literature Librarian (#1200314 )

POSITION SUMMARY:
The University at Buffalo Libraries seek a creative and dynamic International Languages and Literatures Librarian to play a key role in creating, delivering and assessing user-centered collections and services for faculty, students and researchers in the department of Romance Languages and Literatures and programs in Caribbean Cultural Studies, Canadian Studies, Polish Studies and associated disciplines. This is a 12-month, tenure-track faculty appointment at the rank of Senior Assistant Librarian in an academic research-oriented environment with expectations for research, publication and participation in professional associations. The Librarian will join a team of dedicated librarians and professional staff in the Arts & Sciences Libraries providing collections, information literacy, research consultation, liaison and outreach services to faculty, staff, students and the local and global communities. The Arts & Sciences Libraries – Architecture/Planning, Silverman and Lockwood Memorial – serve the university’s School of Architecture and Planning, College of Arts and Sciences, Graduate School of Education, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, School of Management and School of Social Work and specialized undergraduate academic and service programs.

As the International Languages and Literatures Librarian, the incumbent will: ensure faculty awareness of Libraries’ resources and services by engaging in active and sustained outreach, including establishing a presence in the departments and programs and tailoring outreach to departmental cultures; develop, create, manage and integrate print and electronic collections in International Languages and Literatures, including creating metadata for relevant local digital collections; actively engage with faculty to integrate library resources and information literacy competencies into courses, curricula and programs; develop strong working relationships with faculty to ensure that teaching, research and grant-seeking activities are supported; create, design, present and assess instruction in a variety of formats to meet the needs of diverse user groups, including creating and maintaining online tutorials and research guides; provide reference and research consultation services in person at service desks and in individual appointments, and through electronic communication (chat, email, text); understand emerging trends in librarianship, scholarly communication, data management and new technologies. She/he will be expected to actively participate in library and university committees, task forces, special projects and initiatives and be professionally involved locally, regionally and nationally. The incumbent supports the Libraries’ mission which values open communication, respect for diverse perspectives and good working relationships. The Librarian is based in Lockwood Memorial Library on the University at Buffalo North Campus. Some evening and weekend hours are part of the regular work schedule. The incumbent will report to the Director of Public Services and the Arts & Sciences Libraries.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
A Master’s degree in library and information science from an ALA-accredited institution is required. A minimum of two years of full-time experience as a librarian in an academic library is required. Knowledge of relevant languages, literatures and cultures is required. Written and oral competencies are required in one or more of the following languages: French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and/or Polish. An understanding and knowledge of current and emerging trends in the disciplines is required. The incumbent must possess a strong service orientation evident in the ability to provide exceptional service to a diverse clientele. Demonstrated commitment to working cooperatively and collaboratively with staff at all levels is essential. The incumbent must possess excellent oral and written communication, interpersonal and organizational skills. The incumbent must have a demonstrated commitment to professional development and show evidence of professional scholarly interests and potential to meet the University at Buffalo’s promotion and tenure standards in librarianship, research, service and outreach.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
An advanced subject degree in cultural studies or a language is preferred. Experience using social networking technologies to market library resources and services and communicate with library constituents is preferred. Cataloging experience and/or the ability to develop metadata for digital collections is preferred. Teaching or reference experience in a college or university library is desirable. Experience with bibliographic management software is preferred. Knowledge of information literacy competencies in the disciplines is preferred. International travel or study abroad experience is desirable.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE:
Please include contact information for three professional references (names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses) at the end of your cover letter.

Please provide a brief paragraph describing your research and service interests and attach to your application as “Other Document 1.”

Candidates invited to interview for the position will be expected to give a short presentation to faculty and staff from the University Libraries and to select faculty from the College of Arts and Sciences. Review of applicants is currently underway. The position is open until filled.

Apply Online (#1200314): https://www.ubjobs.buffalo.edu/

Job Description – Medical Education Services Librarian and Liaison to the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (#1200263)

POSITION SUMMARY:
The University at Buffalo Libraries is seeking a creative, energetic professional who is service-oriented and forward-thinking for the position of Medical Education Services Librarian and Liaison to the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in the Health Sciences Library. This is a 12-month tenure-track faculty appointment at the rank of Senior Assistant Librarian in an academic research-oriented environment with expectations for research, publication, and participation in professional associations. The Health Sciences Library serves the academic, clinical, and research information resource needs of the university’s schools of Dental Medicine, Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Nursing, Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Public Health & Health Professions. The Health Sciences Library also serves as a resource library for Western New York in the National Network of Libraries of Medicine. The University is at the beginning of a multi-year strategic initiative to move its medical school to a new urban center campus adjacent to three of the area’s largest teaching hospitals and other UB-affiliated research centers, providing exciting new opportunities for innovative library resources and services.

As the Medical Education Services Librarian for the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, the incumbent will have responsibility for supporting faculty and students in the School’s full range of education programs leading to undergraduate and masters degrees in the biomedical sciences and medical technology, the four-year MD degree program, the PhD and post-doctorate programs in the biomedical sciences, and graduate (residency) physician training programs.

As the Liaison to the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, the incumbent will be responsible for providing in-depth reference and research consultation services for users in this health sciences community; actively engaging with faculty in the School to integrate library resources and information literacy competencies into courses, curricula, and programs; evaluating and selecting print and electronic resources that support the research and academic instruction of the School; creating, designing, presenting, and assessing instruction to meet the needs of students and faculty; and understanding and implementing emerging trends in health sciences librarianship, evidence based practice, scholarly communication, data management, and new technologies. This faculty position is a key member of the Health Sciences Library’s Reference and Education Services team and reports to the Associate Director of the Health Sciences Library.

The incumbent will be expected to actively participate in library and university committees, task forces, special projects, and initiatives and be professionally involved locally, regionally, and nationally. The incumbent supports the Libraries’ mission which values open communication, respect for diverse perspectives, and good working relationships.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
A Master’s degree from an ALA-accredited program in library and information science is required. Two years of experience in health sciences librarianship or two years of experience providing reference and library instruction services in a scientific research setting is required. The incumbent must possess a strong service orientation evident in the ability to provide exceptional service to a diverse clientele. Demonstrated commitment to working cooperatively and collaboratively with staff at all levels is essential. The incumbent must possess excellent oral and written communication, interpersonal, analytical, and organizational skills. This position requires the creative capacity to foster and manage change. The incumbent must have a demonstrated commitment to professional development and show evidence of professional scholarly interests and potential to meet the University at Buffalo’s promotion and tenure standards in librarianship, research, service, and outreach.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
A degree in a biomedical or physical science or graduate-level coursework in a biomedical or physical science is preferred. Demonstrated teaching skills and experience in information management instruction is preferred. Experience with bibliographic management software is preferred. Experience with, or an understanding of, evidence-based practice concepts and tools is preferred. Experience with the provision of clinical librarian or informationist services in a clinical or hospital setting is preferred.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE:
Please include contact information for three professional references (names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses) at the end of your cover letter. Please provide a brief paragraph describing your research and service interests and attach to your application as “Other Document 1.” Candidates invited to interview for the position will be expected to give a short presentation to faculty and staff from the University Libraries and the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Review of applicants is currently underway.

Apply Online (#1200263): https://www.ubjobs.buffalo.edu/