Immersive Learning (Gaming) Librarian

An article appeared in our campus “Daily News” today about the new Immersive Learning (Gaming) Librarian. It’s a great article and really highlights how the library is transforming. Check it out!

http://dailynews.mcmaster.ca/story.cfm?id=4868

E-Resources Librarian Appointed

I’m pleased to announce our sixth new appointment, Janice Adlington. Janice will be starting her position as E-Resources Librarian on October 1, 2007.

Janice graduated from the University of Toronto in 1991 with an MLS. She has been working as the Electronic Resources Librarian at Vanderbilt University (Nashville) since July 2006. She chaired the SFX Management Group to identify and implement new services. With a team of six, activated portfolios, maintained thresholds, and responded to user problem reports. Worked with the Serials Coordinator, serials vendors (Ebsco, Swets, Harrassowitz), and publishers to activate new online subscriptions and resolve access problems. Chaired the ERMS Investigation Project Team. Established process and criteria for ERMS selection. Evaluated and recommended e-resources as a member of the system-wide Collections Committee and the Central Library’s Electronic Resources Committee. Work with the AUL Collections to store and analyze licenses. From October 2000 - June 2006 was the Bibliographer for Classics, Philosophy, and Psychology June 2006 Central Library, Vanderbilt University where she provided reference service in the humanities, social sciences, and arts. Provided general and subject-specific library instruction. Selected for Classics, Philosophy, and Psychology. Liaison for faculty in these disciplines. She was also a member of the Digital Library Steering Committee and Chair, LibQual+ project team.

Welcome Janice!

new vision/mission statements

The University Library has been engaged in a strategic planning process to update our vision/mission and strategic directions. We have completed the first phase of that process and have updated our vision and mission statements. The next phase of the process will include an update to our strategic directions, goals/objectives, and metrics.

Vision
McMaster University Library will be recognized as Canada’s most innovative, user-centred, academic library.

Mission

The University Library advances teaching, learning and research at McMaster by:
· teaching students to be successful, ethical information seekers
· facilitating access to information resources
· providing welcoming spaces for intellectual discovery
· promoting the innovative adoption of emerging learning technologies

We value:
· excellent customer service,
· collaboration, innovation, creativity and risk taking,
· inclusiveness and respect for the individual
· accountability for our actions and decisions

Strategic Planning

The McMaster University Library has just launched a process to review our vision, mission and strategic directions. As a first step we held an open forum for all staff and asked them to read the David Lewis paper, A Model for Academic Libraries 2005 to 2025. The staff were assigned to work in small groups where we asked them to (quickly) brainstorm trends and implications and then develop a vision and mission statement. Then, we asked them to think about the initiatives we should be involved in. Their remarks are attached to this as word documents.

As a next step the leadership team will meet with a consultant to synthesize the results and come up with a draft vision, mission and strategic directions draft document and more meetings will be held with staff until we’ve developed our final strategic plan. More to come!

Part one of staff responses

Part two of staff responses

Russell Journal now on DIgital Commons

Congratulations to Anne Pottier (AUL, Collections and Facilities) and all of those involved in moving the Russell Journal from print to electronic. Founded by McMaster Library in 1971, the journal is published by McMaster University’s Bertrand Russell Research Centre with the assistance of grants from the Aid to Journals programme of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and from McMaster’s Faculty of Humanities.

This is a huge accomplishment and is our first foray into digital publishing. All issues since 1971 are now available electronically and fully searchable. The articles up to the most recent four years are also now fully and freely accessible from the Russell Journal site.

See full story

Search: Archivist/Librarian

McMaster University Libraries is in the process of hiring a seventh new librarian.  We are seeking a creative, innovative Archivist Librarian to join a team of archivists, librarians, library support staff, systems and web facilitators, and conservators in the Department of Archives and Research Collections.

This is a full-time continuing appointment reporting to the Research Collections Librarian.

The successful candidate will:

• Supervise and be responsible for the training of three archivists plus students and part-time staff.
• Oversee the smooth operation of  the Department of Archives and Research Collections in the absence of the Research Collections Librarian.
• Work with the Research Collections Librarian in building the collections, enhancing them digitally, meeting donors and antiquarian booksellers, and writing grant applications.
• Appraise, arrange and describe archives according to accepted rules of archival description and procedures, making sure that archival descriptions are available to researchers in a variety of formats (hard copy and electronically).
• Provide reference service and research consultation to researchers in person and by telephone, mail, and e-mail.
• Coordinate and publicize all exhibitions on site and virtually.
• Give presentations to classes and groups as required.
• Serve as a Liaison Librarian to selected University departments.

The successful candidate must hold a MLS (or an equivalent degree, such as the MLIS, MIS, MAS, or MIST) from an ALA-accredited library school or information science program with a speciality in archives, rare books, bibliography, or the digitization of historical resources. S/he must also have some supervisory experience, proven leadership abilities, the ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team, and excellent oral and written communication skills. The preferred candidate will hold an advanced degree in the humanities and sciences and should be able to read and communicate in at least one other European language.

This position is included in the McMaster University Faculty Association (MUFA) for Librarians. The appointment will be made at Level 2 or 3.  Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. The position includes a competitive and comprehensive benefit package.

The Position Responsibility Statement is available from the Library Human Resources Office. Further information about the Library is available from its web site at http://library.mcmaster.ca/.

Librarians who wish to be considered for this opportunity should send their c.v. with a covering letter and the names of three references to:

 

Library Human Resources Office

Mills Memorial Library, Room 209

1280 Main Street West

Hamilton, Ontario  L8S 4L6

Phone: 905-525-9140 ext. 24722

Fax: 905-522-0691

E-mail: libjobs@mcmaster.ca

 

 

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be considered first for this position. McMaster University is strongly committed to employment equity within its community and to recruiting a diverse faculty and staff.  The University encourages applications from all qualified candidates, including women, members of visible minorities, Aboriginal persons, members of sexual minorities and persons with disabilities.

Karen Nicholson - New Teaching and Learning Librarian

The University Library is pleased to announce the recent hire of Karen Nicholson as the Teaching and Learning Librarian.  Karen is currently employed as Liaison Librarian and Information Literacy Coordinator at the Humanities and Social Sciences Library, McGill University where she has been since July 2002.  In this role she is responsible for collection development, liaison, and instruction for the department of Langue et littérature françaises and the Graduate School of Library and Information Studies. She is actively involved in information literacy instruction and outreach at McGill: coordinates the Humanities and Social Sciences Library’s “Discover Your Library” program and am responsible for implementing a new campus-wide orientation program for McGill’s thirteen branch libraries. She works with several campus units, including Teaching and Learning Services, the Academic Integrity Subcommittee and the First-Year Office, to raise awareness of information literacy at the University.  On a broader level, as a member of the CREPUQ Groupe de travail sur la formation documentaire, she also collaborated with colleagues from other Québec universities on information literacy issues and projects. She is a graduate of ACRL’s Information Literacy Immersion Program and brings a strong understanding of learning theory and libraries. She has put this knowledge into practice in the workshops and classes she facilitates for students, librarians and faculty at McGill and in teaching the Introduction to Library Research Practices (INST/INSZ 250) course for the past three years at Concordia University.

Welcome Karen!

Daily news at McMaster: McMaster Libraries offer research services on Second Life

Our university “Daily News” service just announced our offerings in Second Life.

Marketing, Communications and Outreach Librarian appointed

The University Library is pleased to announce the appointment of Catherine Baird to the position of Marketing, Communications, and Outreach Librarian.  Catherine’s official start date is June 18, 2007.  Catherine comes to us from York University where she is an Adjunct Librarian at the Scott Library.  Catherine is also a section editor for Partnership:  the Canadian Journal of Library and Information Practice and Research.  Catherine’s primary responsibility will be for developing and implementing a marketing and communications programme for the library.

Immersive Learning (Gaming) Librarian appointed

The University Library is pleased to announce the appointment of Shawn McCann to the position of Immersive Learning (Gaming) Librarian. Shawn comes to us from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan where he is the Digital Projects Librarian and has also held the position Web Librarian. Shawn’s official start date is August 1 2007. Shawn’s primary responsibility will be for exploring, creating, supporting and promoting library resources through gaming and virtual worlds. In particular, he brings strong technical skills; library experience; grant writing; classroom teaching experience; and, of course, a personal interest in gaming.

We believe this is the first position of its kind. The hiring of an Immersive Learning Librarian places McMaster in a leadership position. This position will provide an opportunity for the libraries to provide leadership in research, teaching and learning through the implementation of gaming environments and virtal worlds.