Libraries

OSU Libraries and Press is seeking a Faculty Research Assistant. This is a full-time (1.0 FTE) 12-month, fixed-term position.
The Faculty Research Assistant (FRA) performs cataloging of monograph and Special Collections resources for all RDA media types collected by the library. This includes resources in English as well as other languages. The position assigns Library of Congress call numbers, uses Library of Congress subject headings, and performs name authority work. This position performs copy, complex, and original cataloging using advanced knowledge of library and information procedures, services, and resources. The FRA will contribute to the cataloging of other materials and do project work as needed. The position classifies and provides subject analysis. The FRA assists the Lead Cataloger with training other catalogers and serves as a project lead. The position may supervise student employees and is responsible for hiring, training, and leading their daily work. The FRA contributes to departmental research and assessment activities. The position collaborates with colleagues across library departments and in professional organizations and societies and engages in service activities.

Posting Closing Date: 04/04/2024

Anticipated Appointment Begin Date: 05/20/2024

For additional information please contact: Vance Woods, vance.woods@oregonstate.edu, 254-424-3456
Read the full position description and apply at the Oregon State Univeristy Jobs Portal , posting number: P07845UF

Key Responsibilities

Primary Assignment (85%)

Oregon State University Libraries and Press (OSULP) faculty work strategically to support research and creativity, enhance learning, and build community for the students, faculty, and staff of Oregon State and for the citizens of Oregon. Their work has a demonstrable impact on the three main pillars of OSU’s mission: teaching and learning, research and inquiry, and outreach and engagement. OSULP faculty apply specialized expertise from library and information science, archival studies, and related fields to ensure that the Oregon State community has rich, organized, affordable, accessible, and inclusive information resources to help the OSU community learn new things, solve difficult problems, investigate important questions, and create knowledge. They also work to create or support the administrative and physical infrastructure that enables delivery of high-quality services. OSULP faculty support the educational mission of the university, both directly and indirectly, by building the dynamic, engaging collections, services, and spaces that foster independent inquiry and learning. They develop and nurture relationships with colleagues, inside the library and out, to support and enrich their work and they participate in the shared governance of OSULP and OSU. They strive to understand the diverse communities they serve, and work to make OSULP an inclusive, just organization. To support all of this, OSULP faculty engage in regular, critical reflection on practice to understand the impact of their work and to dismantle harmful assumptions. Performance in the primary assignment is evaluated annually in a structured, reflective conversation between the faculty member and their direct supervisor.
 

The specific duties and expectations for the FRA include:

• Performs copy cataloging and original cataloging of monographs and Special Collections resources including the assignment of Library of Congress call numbers and Library of Congress subject headings, as well as name authority work. Using OCLC systems, searches and interprets name, subject, and series authority records. Upgrades and corrects OCLC bibliographic records to cataloging standards.
• Improves discovery of content related to or written by underrepresented communities and advances equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism while contributing to the development of cataloging policies and standards.
• Supports student success and research productivity by increasing the discoverability of high-quality information resources for OSU researchers.
• Serves as a project manager.
• In accordance with local and national policies, standards, and guidelines, performs original and complex cataloging and classification of resources in a variety of formats, including physical and digital, and in a variety of languages. Performs cataloging using policies, guidelines, and standards that may include: RDA, AACR2, DCRM, MARC, LCSH, LCC, OCLC, NACO, BIBCO, CONSER, and other cataloging standards.
• Assists the Lead Cataloger to coordinate and/or deliver training sessions to the catalogers and other library staff.
• Participates in the development and maintenance of the catalog, including record maintenance and the resolution of inconsistencies.
• Provides authority control for access points in catalog records, including names, titles, and subjects. Creates original name authority records on OCLC; submits new subject headings to NACO coordinator.
• Assists with cataloging on rush and reserve materials, DVDs, CDs, theses, dissertations, and foreign language materials.
• Batch loads bibliographic records into the local catalog system on an as needed basis.
• Supervises student employees within the Cataloging & Government Documents Unit, including hiring, training, developing projects, and conducting daily work of student employees.
• Develops, maintains and documents cataloging procedures by writing new procedures and updating current procedures.
• Keeps current with changes that develop in the OCLC and Alma systems, local and national cataloging rules, and PCC policies and rules.
• Assists with other cataloging projects as assigned.

Professional development and service (15%)

OSULP faculty serve as engaged participants in the shared work of the Libraries and Press and in the shared governance of Oregon State University. As faculty members at a land grant university, they engage in service to shape and strengthen the library and archival professions in Oregon and beyond, and to benefit the citizens of Oregon. Service commitments are usually closely aligned with daily practice in the primary assignment and should allow the faculty member to: 1) share the expertise developed through their practice with colleagues in the library, on campus, and throughout their professional communities; and 2) engage in conversations and contribute to projects that will inform and enrich their practice. OSULP faculty may, from time to time, undertake service that does not directly align with their primary assignment but that does tap an area of interest or expertise or willingness that they possess. These commitments, however, should not dominate their service portfolio. OSULP faculty should be able to demonstrate the impact of their work on both personal and institutional levels.

The specific duties and expectations for the FRA include:

• Participates in library governance and activities, including (but not limited to) membership in the Library Faculty Association.
• Participates in unit, departmental, and library wide meetings, contributing to discussions and decision-making, and working on special projects, task forces, and committees.
• May serve on Orbis Cascade Alliance Teams and Work Groups in areas concerning cataloging and technical services.
• May Contribute to scholarly and professional conversations relevant to the primary assignment through: participation in professional associations, contributions to departmental research and assessment work; formal and informal publications or presentations, or work on committees or working groups creating standards, policies or best practices