"Geospatial Information Librarian"

Geospatial Information Librarian

University of California Riverside

Position Overview

The University of California, Riverside (UCR) seeks a forward-thinking Geospatial Information Librarian to advance geospatial literacy and research in multiple disciplines. This position offers an opportunity to support both established and emerging uses of geospatial data and technology at a dynamic campus situated near the headquarters of Esri, the geographic information systems (GIS) industry leader.

Working as a member of the highly collaborative Research Services Department, the Geospatial Information Librarian will develop and implement strategies to support campus users of geospatial data, tools, and methods. They will play a critical role in supporting advancements in research and in educating patrons on the use of GIS. The Geospatial Information Librarian will also be engaged in outreach to students, faculty, staff, and community members across multiple disciplines to elevate geospatial literacy at UCR in the frameworks of academic excellence and workforce development.

Responsibilities

Reporting to the Director of Research Services, the Geospatial Information Librarian is responsible for providing support to faculty, students, and staff in the use of geospatial data, tools and methods.

• Provides assistance regarding the use of geospatial data and technology in research and academic inquiry;
• Offers workshops and course-related instruction on geospatial tools and methods;
• Organizes innovative symposia related to GIS and its intersection with other technologies or disciplines, such as artificial intelligence (AI);
• Creates collaborative alliances across the campus and in the community to promote support for using geospatial methods in instruction, research, and workforce development;
• Collaborates with Research and Teaching and Learning Services department colleagues having expertise in data science, digital scholarship, AI research, innovative media and maker services to better support geospatial elements of research and instruction;
• Maintains knowledge of best practices and developments in GIS, including data collection methods, accessibility, geospatial ethics, and the use of AI;
• Develops and updates geospatial resource guides;
• Answers reference questions related to GIS and collaborates with library colleagues on GIS related reference services.
• Promotes the library's geospatial services and resources;
• Contributes and collaborates in the ongoing development and care of assigned map-related collections
• Collaborates with Library colleagues to develop and implement strategies to support the acquisition, management, curation and preservation of GIS data;
• Participates in general library-wide activities, committees, special projects and programs; represents the UCR Library in various University of California committees and ad-hoc groups related to geospatial information.

UC professional librarians are academic appointees and are represented by an exclusive bargaining unit; The University Council-American Federation of Teachers (UC-AFT). This position is in the bargaining unit.

Appointment at rank of Assistant Librarian to Librarian - Potential Career depending upon qualifications and experience. Advancement through the librarian ranks at the University of California is through a series of structured, merit-based evaluations, occurring every two to three years.

See Table 26B Represented Librarian Series for the salary range for this position. A reasonable estimate for this position is $72,224 - $126,379. Excellent retirement system, health, and vacation benefits.

QUALIFICATIONS

Basic qualifications (required at time of application)

• Master's or doctoral degree from an ALA-accredited Library & Information Science program, OR accredited graduate degree (Master's or Ph.D) in a field strongly integrated with geospatial information, OR an equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Demonstrated experience working with, and a working knowledge of, how geospatial data are created, processed, organized, and used;
• Demonstrated experience using GIS and mapping software such as ArcGIS and QGIS;
• Demonstrated interest in learning new skills and adapting to new technologies;
• Ability to effectively teach the use of GIS to students and faculty in an academic environment;
• Willingness to collaborate with industry partners such as Esri, and to foster connections with other local users and developers of geospatial technology;
• Fosters a respectful, cooperative, professional and courteous work environment;
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage and prioritize multiple tasks and projects, working cooperatively with others or independently;
• Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing;
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to work successfully with a broad range of people from culturally diverse backgrounds including colleagues, students, faculty, and staff from a variety of disciplines.

Preferred qualifications

• Existing knowledge of, or intent to gain knowledge in, current and emerging trends, issues, workflows, and best practices associated with applications of AI in geospatial technology;
• Experience related to the use of AI in GIS (ArcGIS or other proprietary or open source GIS, or GIS-related applications);
• Existing knowledge of, or interest in providing support for, the workflows for using imagery or data collected by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs/drones) in geospatial mapping;
• Knowledge of critical issues regarding the GIS research data lifecycle and scholarly communication;
• Familiarity with basic data cleaning and analysis in Python, R, SPSS, Stata, or another statistical programming environment;
• Demonstrated project management skills;
• Willingness to collaboratively reimagine and restructure the position's service model in response to evolving campus needs or internal library organization.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Document requirements

• Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.
• Cover Letter
• Statement of Research (Optional)
• Statement of Teaching (Optional)

Reference requirements

• 3-5 required (contact information only)

Apply link: https://aprecruit.ucr.edu/JPF02247