Instruction & Research Librarian for Sciences

Job Description Summary:

William & Mary Libraries support and enhance teaching and research and foster intellectual curiosity, creativity, and lifelong learning.

Join William & Mary Libraries as our next Instruction and Research Librarian and help shape the teaching, learning, and research experience at one of the nation’s preeminent universities. In this newly created professional faculty position, you will provide engaging instruction and one-on-one research support to deeply engaged faculty and students.

This is an especially exciting moment to join William & Mary. With our recent designation as an R1 research institution and the launch of the School of Computing, Data Sciences & Physics, the university is expanding its research profile and strengthening its commitment to data-intensive and interdisciplinary scholarship. The Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences, a globally recognized leader in marine research, offers rich opportunities for collaboration and engagement. The libraries play a central role in this work, supporting evolving research needs while maintaining our strong tradition of personalized, relationship-based service.

While everyone on the Research team is a generalist, we are looking to add a librarian who can contribute or grow their expertise in the sciences, especially computer science, data and applied sciences, and marine sciences. You will collaborate with other librarians who are liaisons with science disciplines. While a successful candidate is not expected to have experience in all of these areas, they should be willing to develop knowledge over time with the libraries’ support.

This in-person role is ideal for a creative professional who thrives on building relationships, adapting to change, and continually growing through professional development.

This permanent, full-time position reports to the Head of Research Services. Librarians at William & Mary are 12-month Professional Faculty and are non-tenured. W&M Libraries are committed to providing financial and other support for professional development and travel. The responsibilities will evolve as the library environment changes.

What You’ll Do:

Support and Education: provide in-class and asynchronous information literacy instruction, research consultations, and reference assistance. This position assists patrons at all levels from first-year undergraduates through faculty members and research staff.

Advocacy and Outreach: build and maintain close relationships with faculty, staff, and students in order to meet their teaching, learning, and research needs. Be a strong presence on both the William & Mary main campus and the nearby Gloucester Point campus, which houses the Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.

Service and Professional Development: participate in continual learning and development through work-related experiences, training, and professional development, as well as in library, university, and professional organization committees.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• ALA accredited master’s degree in library and information science or international equivalent.
• Experience providing instruction or research support in a library.
• Demonstrates knowledge of, or willingness to develop, expertise in science librarianship with appropriate training and support.
• Demonstrates strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build relationships and work effectively with students, faculty, and colleagues.
• Demonstrated ability to learn and engage with artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, including their implications for research, teaching, and information literacy.
• Driver’s license and vehicle in order to travel between campuses.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience or coursework in the sciences.
• Demonstrates knowledge of trends and best practices in information literacy.
• Demonstrates a broad understanding of current scholarship and technologies in libraries.
• Experience in any of the following areas: data, open scholarship, research impact, scholarly communication, or artificial intelligence.

Conditions of Employment: 

• This position may require additional hours beyond the typical work week, to include occasional overnight and weekend and holiday work as needed to meet the business needs of the operation.

Duties: 

30% - Information Literacy

• Participates in information literacy program.
• Teaches library skills to students; develops and presents course-integrated instruction; designs, develops, and teaches workshops for campus community.
• Creates instructional materials online and in print.

25% - Research Duties

• Provides research assistance to faculty, staff, students, and community members.

25% - Faculty Collaboration

• Serves as liaison to academic disciplines and campus groups.
• Participates in collection development program through evaluation of resources; promotion and marketing of collection; collaboration with teaching faculty to provide assistance with accreditation reports, new course proposals, tenure files, and other projects related to the collection.
• Promotes scholarly communication and data management services.
• Conducts outreach and pursues opportunities to collaborate with faculty and students.

10% - Committee Support:

• Participates in university service, such as serving on university, library, and departmental committees and task forces; serving as a sponsor for student groups; attending library and university events.

10% - Professional Development:

• Participates in professional development activities and maintains awareness of developments and innovations in research, teaching and learning, engagement, and scholarly communications.

Hiring range: $70,000 - $80,000 commensurate with experience.

Additional Job Description:

For full consideration, apply by the review date of June 29, 2026. The position is open until filled. A resume/CV and cover letter are required for this position and should address why you are interested in this position and how you meet the qualifications. This position requires an on-site presence, with telework possible once per week. We will not sponsor applicants for work visas for this vacancy.