Academic
Job CategoryFaculty Bargaining
Job TitleHumanities & Social Sciences Librarian (Data)
DepartmentUBC Library | Koerner Library (Doug Brigham)
Posting End DateAugust 2, 2026
Note:Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.
Job End DateOctober 1, 2029
The expected pay range for this position is $86,474 to $89,116 per annum.
Humanities & Social Sciences Librarian (Data)
Koerner Library, UBC Library | Vancouver Campus
Full-time, Confirmation-track/Confirmed Librarian
Anticipated Start Date: as soon as possible
POSITION OVERVIEW
As a member of our exceptional Koerner Library team, the librarian will provide integral support and services in a global centre for teaching, learning, and research. The librarian cooperates with other librarians and staff in Koerner Library, and across UBC Library to provide outstanding reference, information, and instruction services for faculty, students, staff and community users. The librarian will be responsible for assigned disciplines, and will collaborate on in-depth research projects requiring complex and sophisticated information services and solutions. The ideal candidate will take a creative and service-oriented approach in order to maintain and innovate excellent Library services and collections in all formats, drawing on their passion for and knowledge of the humanities and social sciences. The librarian will critically assess existing collections and learning resources and will develop these accordingly, updating online courses, subject guides, and other appropriate tools. The librarian fosters relationships with internal and external partners to support and produce events. Through this role, the librarian will be responsible for the coordination and management of projects and services, as well as staff and student employees, as required.
The librarian prioritizes principles of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion in their work and participates in the planning and implementation of Library policies, procedures and services that support the diverse needs of UBC’s international community. The librarian’s disciplinary responsibilities will include a combination of humanities and/or social sciences disciplines. Koerner Library's immediate needs include Asian Studies, Classical Studies, Linguistics and Middle East Studies.
In addition to disciplinary responsibilities, the librarian will assume Data Librarian duties for approximately 30% of their time.
WORKING RELATIONSHIPS
Reports to the Head of Koerner Library. Consults and works collaboratively with colleagues within Koerner Library and across the Library in the provision of services. A high degree of planning, collaboration and coordination, especially with the Research Commons and with campus and external partners, is required. Works with faculty, students, staff and members of the public. May supervise the work of Library staff and/or students in the provision of services.
QUALIFICATIONS
Required
- Masters-level degree from an accredited program of library or information science, or equivalent internationally accredited program.
- An advanced degree in and professional experience in a humanities or social sciences discipline.
- Reading / writing competency in languages relevant to the collections, especially French, German, Spanish, Classical Latin and Classical Greek Knowledge of other languages is also desirable.
- Demonstrated capability in humanities and social sciences research methods and tools such as quantitative or qualitative data skills, knowledge synthesis, or other related skills.
- Ability and enthusiasm to develop, deliver, update, and evaluate instructional content.
- Demonstrated reference experience via walk-in, phone, email, and other communication channels; understanding of how changes in technology, networking, and bibliographic structure impact reference services; ability to advance and develop reference skills and services.
- Experience with collections development for both print and electronic resources.
- Demonstrated knowledge of and experience with data analysis techniques and tools, including one or more of the following quantitative or qualitative software packages for data and statistical analysis: SPSS, Stata, R, SAS, NVivo, ATLAS.ti.
- Demonstrated ability to initiate, plan and carry out projects, both independently and as a member of a team.
- Demonstrated understanding of the research lifecycle and research data management.
- Ability to identify, retrieve and use data resources and the ability to provide research and consultation services to researchers with varying levels of technical expertise.
- Flexibility and willingness to assume a variety of assignments.
- Ability to write professional reports and to deliver presentations in English.
- Ability to build relationships and work collegially in a diverse, proactive, and team-oriented environment, in keeping with the UBC Respectful Environment Statement.
- Ability to contribute to and collaborate on diversity and inclusion initiatives.
Preferred
- A solid understanding of the research process and the ways in which new tools and technologies are affecting the production, dissemination and reception of research in the humanities and social sciences.
- Experience and understanding of budgets when planning and executing projects and collection development.
- Commitment to responsive and innovative information services and trends in data services.
- Familiarity with Canadian census and demographic data.
- Demonstrated knowledge of and experience with data visualization techniques and tools, including one or more of the following: D3.js, Tableau, Mathematica, R.
- Interest in leadership as related to committee and project work.
- Experience or demonstrated interest in participating or leading community engagement activities.
- Ability to provide proactive, user-centred services.
- Strong information technology and digital literacy skills.
- Familiarity with current trends in instruction and best practices in learning pedagogies.
- Evidence of curiosity, creativity and innovation, pursuit of opportunities and exploration of new initiatives.
- Experience with outreach, promotion and marketing of library services and resources.
DUTIES
Disciplinary Responsibilities
- Initiates and maintains strong working relationships and collaboration with faculty in assigned disciplines.
- Creates creative on-line and in-person learning tools to support the research and learning of students, faculty and staff with varying levels of expertise and diverse learning styles.
- Collaborates with faculty to provide service and course-integrated instruction to students.
- Provides research assistance, consultation and support to users in assigned disciplines and across disciplines in the humanities and social sciences.
- Develops and maintains a range of web-based resources to deliver information to users, including the creation of web pages, instructional materials, subject guides and tutorials.
- Develops and maintains relevant baseline expertise and discipline-specific instructional materials related to research data management, focused on assigned disciplines.
- Participates in program and service development and delivery in Koerner Library.
- Engages in a range of liaison and outreach activities with departments in areas of assigned responsibility and across the UBC campus with other interested departments and individuals.
- Selects materials in all formats and cooperates with other librarians in the selection of materials for the collections. Engages with faculty to identify collection needs.
- Identifies and engages with community members to collaborate on discipline-specific programming, events, and resources.
- Assists in collections special projects and the development of policies. Proactively assesses the use of the collections, adjusting purchasing activities to align with user needs and interests.
Data Responsibilities
- In collaboration with the Data Librarian, provides specialized research assistance, consultation and support to students, faculty, staff and other library users related to locating, acquiring, managing, analyzing and visualizing data across disciplines.
- Assists the Data Librarian with the ongoing development, management, maintenance and preservation of UBC Library data collections. Identifies and acquires data resources for inclusion in the Library’s collection. Reviews licenses and contracts for appropriate terms of agreement in cooperation with e-Resources staff as needed.
- Coordinates with appropriate colleagues and committees to ensure ongoing assessment of the scope and value of data collections.
- Teaches workshops on data topics, including data access and use. Creates new workshops in collaboration with other librarians on subject-specific data needs.