Data Services Librarian

Position Summary

The Data Services Librarian will guide Saint Louis University (SLU) researchers - including faculty, students, and staff - in developing the necessary knowledge and skills to meet their data needs at every stage of the research data lifecycle. The librarian will provide outreach, instruction, and consultations in and work with colleagues across the libraries and the university to develop capacity in data discovery, curation, management, visualization, and analysis.  

The Data Services Librarian will develop relationships with departments, research institutes, and other University partners to strengthen research support across campus, and ensure that research data practices comply with federal, funder, and regulatory requirements. The librarian will design and support student research initiatives across the University aimed at enhancing data management competencies and advancing data literacy.  

This full-time, non-tenure track faculty position reports to the Associate Dean of Collections, Access, and Academic Engagement. This position is primarily in-person with occasional remote work options and some schedule flexibility. 

Responsibilities include

Researcher Support, Instruction, and Outreach (50%)

• Provide expertise for data discovery, including in existing library resources, repositories, and data clearinghouses  
• Provide guidance to researchers in selecting appropriate data repositories to store and share their data
• Develop and deliver programming on data best practices and tools  
• Collaborate with subject librarians to embed data information literacy into appropriate courses and student research programs
• Support student and faculty engagement with data of all types through individual consultations and instruction sessions
• Assist researchers in complying with funder-mandated data management and sharing requirements, working together with the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) and other university units as appropriate

Needs Assessment, Resource Development, and Planning (30%)

• Analyze and assess university data management needs, current initiatives, and future directions
• Remain current on trends, developments, and requirements for data management requirements from publishers, funders, and the institution and share this information with stakeholders and researchers  
• Collaborate on the development and implementation of a plan for the libraries to provide and sustain data services to support the Universitys research mission
• Manage DMP Tool, create SLU-specific templates, and embed SLU-specific guidance in funder-required templates  
• Create asynchronous materials and guides on data best practices and tools including data management and storage  

Service and Scholarship (10%)

• Serve on committees and task forces at the department, Libraries & Museums, and University level
• Participate in local, state, and national/international professional and scholarly societies and organizations
• Conduct research and/or scholarship and presents research results thereof at conferences, through publication, or other avenues

Required Qualifications

• Master's degree from an ALA-accredited (or equivalent) library science or information science program  
• Demonstrated interest in supporting qualitative and/or quantitative data collection, analysis, and visualization across academic disciplines
• Interest in, experience and/or coursework involving use, analysis, and management of quantitative data
• Familiarity with best practices for supporting research data management, sharing, and reuse 

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with one or more programming languages or statistical packages (e.g. Python, R, SPSS, SAS, etc.)
• Familiarity with data sources such as ICPSR, Mergent, Roper, Social Explorer, World Development Indicators, or others

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Commitment to open knowledge, open access, or open research practices
• Capacity and commitment to continuing education and professional development  
• Qualitative data skills
• Knowledge of outreach, consultation, and instruction practices  
• Commitment to open knowledge, open access, or open research practices

About SLU Libraries

The SLU Libraries include Pius XII Memorial Library, the main library on SLU's St. Louis campus, the Medical Center Library, and the Vincent C. Immel Law Library, as well as a library at the SLU campus in Madrid, Spain. The SLU Libraries have extensive collections to support teaching, learning, studying, and clinical care. Special services and collections within Pius Library include the Academic Technology Commons, an innovative and flexible space, with the latest technologies and one service point where patrons can access both Information Technology and Library services, and the Knights of Columbus Vatican Film Library, a research collection for medieval and Renaissance manuscript studies that houses more than 37,000 microfilmed manuscripts from the Vatican Library.