Research Services Coordinator

Chicago State University's Gwendolyn Brooks Library seeks an innovative, energetic, student success-oriented, collaborative, professionally engaged information professional with extensive experience in reference and instruction services for the leadership position of Research Services Coordinator, a 12-month, tenure-track faculty position. The rank at the time of appointment will depend upon qualifications and years of experience. Reporting to the Chair of Library and Instruction Services and under the administrative direction of the Dean of Library and Instruction Services, the Research Services Coordinator is responsible for leading a small team of research and instruction librarians with a primary focus on reference and research services. The successful candidate will be joining the ranks of the library faculty at a pivotal moment as the Research & Instruction Services unit is in the process of implementing a new reference service model. The Research Services Coordinator will be expected to work in collaboration with the Instruction Services Coordinator, particularly in the area of scheduling.

Chicago State University (CSU), founded in 1867, is the oldest public university in the Chicago Metropolitan area. CSU is the only four-year U.S. Department of Education-designated Predominantly Black Institution (PBI) in the state of Illinois. The university's four colleges are Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, and Health Sciences & Pharmacy, which collectively support a diverse and non-traditional student population that hails from 28 countries and 36 states. The University recently received a Carnegie classification of Research University. Located on the South Side of Chicago, Chicago State University is an oasis of green in the big city, and the campus is mass transit accessible, with a Metra stop on the edge of campus. The Gwendolyn Brooks Library has a collection of over 500,000 volumes, eighty percent of which are stored in an Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS), which has the nickname ROVER (Retrieval Online Via Electronic Robot). Electronic resources include over 40,000 eBooks, over 150 databases providing access to thousands of journal and newspaper articles, and microform and audiovisual materials. The librarians at the Gwendolyn Brooks Library actively participate in shared governance of the University and are represented by the same union as other faculty and academic support professionals.

The successful candidate will be responsible for the following

• Leading a team of research and instruction librarians in the delivery of reference and research services
• Assuming a leadership role in advancing the new service model for reference services that is currently being piloted
• Managing the on-call librarian schedule
• Setting hours of service for on-call reference services and research consultation appointments
• Reviewing and/or setting policies and procedures as necessary
• Drafting/Reviewing/Approving any communications related to reference services
• Updating Reference Desk voicemail announcements as needed
• Revising the Reference Handbook as needed
• Reviewing and updating reference services-related LibGuides such as the Student Guide
• Maintaining the Reference Collection
• Serving on the Collections Committee
• Supervising and training student employees, as necessary, to enhance their academic and professional development
• Other duties as assigned (e.g. on-call reference services, library instruction, research consultations, subject liaison, subject selection)