Information Specialist - Richter Library

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The University of Miami's Library has an exciting opportunity for a full time Information Specialist to work in Coral Gables, FL.

Reporting to the Librarian for History, Religious Studies, Political Science, International Studies, and Modern Languages & Literatures, the Information Specialist is responsible for providing research assistance in the use of electronic and print information resources, providing basic computing support to patrons, answering information, research, and computing questions received in person, by telephone, via email, or chat in the University of Miami Libraries' Learning Commons. Research assistance provided includes advising patrons on the effective and ethical use of AI tools and appropriate integration into research. The Information Specialist also supports students in the First Year Directions (FYD) program, among other curricular programs focused on student success, and provides additional support to Access Services. The Information Specialist refers patrons (undergraduate and graduate students, faculty members, employees and community members), to Learning Commons' academic support services, including services provided by the Writing Center and the Camner Center for Academic Resources, and other campus units. In addition, the Information Specialist responds to queries on formatting and editing for the Electronic Dissertations and Theses (ETD) program and provides guidance to Peer Research Consultants (undergraduate and graduate student employees) in the evenings and on Sundays. In the course of the work, the Information Specialist collaborates frequently with liaison librarians, Access Services employees, and the Learning Commons' employees to ensure excellent patron support. The Information Specialist may also work on special projects, as assigned.

Work schedule: Full time, Sunday through Thursday, 2 p.m.- 10 p.m., with some exceptions during the academic year, and Sunday through Thursday 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. during summer.

Department Specific Functions:

Information and research assistance

• Provide assistance with patron queries requiring extensive knowledge of general library services, collections, policies, and systems.
• Ask follow-up questions, determine patrons' informational needs.
• Provide research assistance for the library's online catalog and electronic resources.
• Advise patrons on how to write effective and clear prompts for AI tools and vet AI search results for clarity, accuracy and relevance.
• Provide students in First Year Directions (FYD) classes with research support.
• Participate in cross-training with Access Services and collaborate with Access Services' employees to ensure excellent patron support.
• Answer directional and informational questions.
• Make referrals to liaison librarians for more specialized research assistance.
• Provide referrals to, and basic information about, other Learning Commons services, including the Writing Center, Camner Center for Academic Resources, Math Lab, and Creative Studio.
• Provide support for the Learning Commons computing by:
• Maintaining strong knowledge of productivity software.
• Reporting network issues.
• Collaborating frequently with Learning Commons employees.
• Attend biweekly department meetings.
• Create and update research guides.
• Promote the use of Open Access (OA) and Open Educational Resources (OER).

Electronic Dissertations and Theses (ETD) program assistance

• In collaboration with the Peer Research and Learning Coordinator and the Scholarly Publishing Specialist, provide formatting and editing support as needed to UM graduate students preparing to upload documents to the institutional repository, Scholarship@Miami.
• Create and maintain ETD research guides and develop new content.
• Collaborate with the Research Data & Open Scholarship department and maintain a working knowledge of Scholarship@Miami, the online scholarly repository.
• Collaborate with the Graduate School's Dissertation Editor, the Humanities Librarian and Research Impact Librarian to provide in-person and virtual training to graduate students writing dissertations and theses.
• Track statistics and compiles reports of editorial assistance provided.

Peer Research Consultant Program

• Assist with supervision of the work of Peer Research Consultants, in collaboration with the Peer Research and Learning Coordinator.
• Promote a welcoming and collaborative customer service environment among the Peer Research Consultants in the Learning Commons and the Libraries as a whole.
• Provide back-up Research Service Point scheduling and student timecard approvals, as needed.

This list of duties and responsibilities is not intended to be all-inclusive and may be expanded to include other duties or responsibilities as necessary.

Core Qualifications:

• High school diploma or equivalent. Bachelor's preferred.
• Three years of relevant work experience. Two years of experience working in academic or public libraries.
• Previous experience with formatting professional documents preferred.
• Experience with academic writing and/or publishing preferred.
• Familiarity with LaTex, InDesign, LibreOffice and Photoshop preferred.
• Excellent customer service skills.
• Proficiency and troubleshooting experience in Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software, as well as other document preparation software, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader, and open software alternatives like LibreOffice.
• Strong self-motivation and team player.
• Ability to work in a changing, progressive environment.

Position will develop proficiency in the following on the technical skills

• Knowledge of library and departmental policies and procedures.
• Knowledge of Ex Libris' Alma integrated Library System and Primo Discovery Layer.
• Knowledge of the University of Miami's scholarly repository, Scholarship@Miami.
• Ability to use Workday to supervise student employees.
• Ability to use Workday to order office supplies for the department.

Any relevant education, certifications and/or work experience may be considered.

The University of Miami is recognized as one of the nation's premier research institutions and academic health systems and is among the largest employers in South Florida.

With more than 20,000 faculty and staff, the University is committed to excellence and guided by a mission to positively impact the lives of students, patients, and communities locally and globally.

We are dedicated to fostering a culture where every individual feels valued and empowered to contribute meaningfully. United by shared values, the University community works together to build an environment defined by purpose, collaboration, and service.

The University of Miami is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants and employees are protected from discrimination based on certain categories protected by Federal law. Click here for additional information.

Job Status:

Full time

Employee Type:

Staff