University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Philadelphia, PA
The University of Pennsylvania Libraries seek an experienced and innovative Middle East Studies Librarian to develop, catalog, and manage the Middle East collection and provide services to relevant academic programs across Penn’s schools and departments.
Middle Eastern Studies have been part of the University of Pennsylvania curriculum for more than two hundred years. The first professorship of Arabic in the United States was established at Penn in 1782, and a professorship in Semitics was set up in 1891. By 1907 Penn offered a rich program, consisting of Arabic, Aramaic, Ethiopic, Hebrew, and Syriac, with Coptic and Egyptian added in 1910, and the Iranian languages and Turkish instated in 1915. The program of study was largely historical and philological and was centered in the Department of Oriental Studies which later became the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies and today stands as the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Literatures.
Growth of the Library’s collections parallels the development of the academic program. The first Arabic book acquired by the Library belonged to the Founder’s Collection, a 1775 edition of the poems of ‘ Alî b. Abî Tâlib. By the end of the 19th century, Penn Libraries’ was widely recognized for its fine Arabic literature collection. Large-scale collection activities from the Middle East began after World War II with the establishment of the Middle East Center in 1965. The Library diversified its holdings to reflect the broad interests of students and faculty in Middle East.
Today the collection comprises more than 75,000 volumes and is particularly strong in Arabic, Persian and Turkish language and literature, Islamic studies, medieval and modern history of the Middle East. It also acquires resources related anthropology, religious studies, art history, political science, communications, archaeology, sociology, economics, law and popular culture.
The Penn Libraries include fifteen libraries and an off-site high density storage facility. System-wide scholarly resources number nearly 6 million books, 44,000 current serials (of which 16,000 are e-journals) and 700 databases. The library is a leader in the development of digital library services and collections and is aggressively experimenting with and adopting new technology in research and teaching, including courseware.
Position Summary:
Reporting to the Director of Collection Development & Management, the Middle East Studies Librarian selects and acquires scholarly resources from and about the Middle East, in a wide range of subjects primarily in Arabic, Persian and Turkish. The incumbent organizes and supervises the technical processing of these materials, including complex description and cataloging according to national standards. S/he also provides specialized reference services, instruction and consultations with scholars from the Penn community and beyond as well as maintains a seminar room with its own collection and teaching/lecture facilities.
The Middle East Studies Librarian will have knowledge of changing patterns of scholarship and publishing in relevant fields of study, and will be committed to the international and interdisciplinary strengths of Penn’s academic programs. While continuing to focus on traditional formats, the Middle East Studies Librarian will actively promote new digital media and services and is expected to seek out external funding opportunities and develop collaborative partnerships worldwide.
Position Responsibilities:
• Develops and manages the Middle East collection from and about the 22 countries of the Arab world in addition to Iran, Turkey, and countries with relevant émigré or diaspora communities. The languages covered are primarily in Arabic, Persian and Turkish, but include other languages such as Armenian, Azeri, Berber, Kurdish and Syriac as well as Western-language materials (English, French and German) to support research in Middle East Studies.
• Manages, coordinates, and participates in the process of acquisition and bibliographic control of all types of resources in Near Eastern languages, using the Voyager library management system and OCLC bibliographic utility. Performs original and complex copy cataloging for all resources in the vernacular and provides appropriate classification and subject analysis according to national and local standards. Serves as a resource person, both within the Middle East Unit and throughout the Libraries, on matters pertaining to the bibliographic control of resources from the region as well as the maintenance of the integrity of the online Middles East catalog data.
• Provides specialized reference, instruction and academic liaison services primarily to faculty and graduate students with research interests in Middle East studies. Works closely with the faculty and students, especially undergraduates, from several other departments and schools where the Middle East is included as a topic of study within more general coursework.
• Develops and maintains the Middle East Collection website, http://www.library.upenn.edu/...ctions/middleeast/.
• Participates in the larger field of Middle East librarianship on the national and international level.
• Promotes effective relationships with colleagues, especially those in other Area Studies Units and other humanities bibliographers, their respective campus constituencies, and donors.
• Supervises and trains one full-time Bibliographic Specialist and several student employees.
Qualifications:
An accredited Master’s degree in library or information science with five years of relevant professional experience or the equivalent in education and training. Advanced knowledge of area-based history, literature and culture with a graduate degree in Middle East Studies preferred. Experience in using bibliographic utilities for searching and cataloging in non-Roman scripts. Knowledge of the publishing industry in the Middle East and trends in scholarship. Fluent command of both written and spoken of one or more relevant languages, including Arabic, as well as excellent verbal and written communication skills in English. Ability to work independently and collegially with librarians and users.
Compensation and Benefits:
Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. Includes a generous benefits package, additional information available at http://www.hr.upenn.edu/jobs/benefits.asp.
To Apply: Potential candidates are invited to submit a letter of application that addresses the needs and qualifications of the position, along with their resume and the names, addresses, and phone numbers of three references who can address the suitability of the candidate for the position described, as well as complete an on-line employment application at http://www.hr.upenn.edu/jobs (Job Reference #090326386). Quick link: https://jobs.hr.upenn.edu/...tral?quickFind=189516
Applications will be accepted immediately and until the position is filled; however, applications submitted before May 4, 2009 will receive priority consideration.
The University of Pennsylvania is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.
See: http://publicboard.libgig.com/job/f806d635a87d864dd1b575bb90c25426/?d=1&source=rss_page