Senior Information Specialist - Department of Library Services

University of Pretoria/Universiteit van Pretoria · Pretoria, Gauteng

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RESPONSIBILITIES

The successful candidate's responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

Advising users on the research process;
Managing research queries at a high level of complexity;
Finding relevant information that is not readily available using knowledge of one's own collection and what is available globally;
Partnering with Departments and Institutes to identify and address their research needs;
Positioning the library as a bridge between researchers in different fields to facilitate interdisciplinary research;
Advising and guiding on research impact metrics and tools;

Providing instruction and training in the use of information resources for the assigned discipline or subject area;
Orientating and training users on available information resources;
Advising on relevant issues in the information environment that have an impact on teaching and learning;
Contributing content to the University Learning Management System;
Creating instructional online tutorials that supplement face-to-face training;
Developing and maintaining relevant, accurate, quality Libguides and subject guides;

Liaising and communicating with staff in assigned departments;
Building relations of trust with users;
Collaborating with staff on all levels of the organisation to support the delivery of library services;

Identifying material to assist with collection building according to the department's needs and the need for a balanced, comprehensive collection;
Evaluating, selecting and filtering sources for collection building, using expert knowledge of the subject and the content and format of information resources;
Ensuring easy access to the best available externally published, and internally created, information resources;
Benchmarking collection in collaboration with a senior staff member/leader/mentor;
Managing the information resources budget on behalf of the departments;
Enduring electronic reserved collection items are identified and made accessible;

Marketing library products and services to the users, using relevant mediums for optimum reach e.g. social media, emails, newsletters;
Participating in marketing initiatives of the library such as orientations, exhibitions, promotional events and other outreach activities;
Contributing to the marketing plan of the team;
Identifying and working with champions in the departments;

Improving subject and professional knowledge and skills continuously;
Translating and implementing Library strategies in own work environment;
Contributing to the advancement of the LIS profession;
Participating in projects, both individual and collaborative in scope, identifying ways to improve, extend, and integrate the Library's services;

Attending to and resolving requests from Research Commons users;
Liaising with and guiding student assistants in the Research Commons;
Providing professional leadership with regard to the best practice and matters arising at the Research Commons.

WITH

Subject knowledge;
Information sources in various formats;
Building information retrieval strategies;
The research process and methodology;
Information organisation methods/packages/tools;
Relevant information technology software and hardware;
Marketing methods/procedures;
Benchmarking methods;
Administration systems, policies and processes;
Legal requirements with regard to information distribution and information media;
Training and evaluation methods;
Work processes in the environment/industry;
Bibliometric knowledge and skills;
Libguides and Blackboard;
Patenting process;
Management/leadership;