Position Summary: The Librarian for Japanese Studies focuses on service, innovation, collaboration and professional leadership in Japanese Studies and Asian American Studies. The librarian serves as primary liaison to Japanese and Asian American Studies faculty, students, visiting scholars and staff in a variety of departments and academic programs, manages and evaluates the related collections, providing instruction, reference and digital consultation services.
Responsibilities
Engagement
- Serves as primary liaison to Japanese Studies and Asian American Studies faculty and users in a variety of departments and academic programs at Duke and in TRLN.
- Provides in-depth, specialized research consultation for students, faculty, and visiting scholars in Japanese Studies and Asian American Studies.
- Serves as a member of the Asian/Pacific Studies Institute and the Triangle Center for Japanese Studies.
- Teaches research tools and skills relevant to the disciplines and collaborates in Rubenstein Library instruction using primary sources.
- Connects faculty and students with and promotes library services related to scholarly communication, data management, open access, institutional repositories, digital scholarship, and information literacy.
- Works with library and campus colleagues to envision new projects and services to support teaching and outreach.
- Depending on qualifications, may serve as Director of Graduate Studies for the M.A. in East Asian Studies.
Collections
- Proactively and systematically develops and manages collections to support research and instruction in Japanese Studies and Asian American Studies in the Triangle by formulating policies and selecting materials in relevant formats and languages.
- Works with the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library to collect suitable materials that support Japanese and Asian American Studies at Duke.
- Leads Duke’s participation in national projects, such as the North American Coordinating Council on Japanese Library Resources and Ivy Plus.
- Collects, analyzes, and reports on metrics relevant to departmental goals; uses relevant metrics in making judgments and recommendations; identifies and uses trend information in planning.
- Collaborates with colleagues at Duke, in TRLN, and in Ivy Plus to acquire materials and to ensure their ongoing accessibility.
Collective Responsibilities
- Displays continuing growth in professional and subject knowledge and takes an active interest in the profession. Growth and interest should be demonstrated through continuing development of professional knowledge and abilities, membership and participation in professional organizations, and service to the library, University, or community in a professional capacity
- Participates in the planning, review, and implementation of the goals, policies, and procedures of the International & Area Studies Department and in Duke University Libraries.
- Works with staff in library Technical Services departments to ensure accurate and easy access to scholarly resources. Assists the Rubenstein Library with metadata as appropriate.
- Provides subject and language expertise and information for exhibits as well as development and fund-raising efforts as appropriate.
Education:
Required: Master’s degree from an ALA-accredited program or PhD in relevant subject area or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Preferred: Advanced degree in a relevant subject field.
Experience:
Required: Ability to read and speak Japanese; knowledge of the history, politics, economics, literatures and cultures of Japan and of Asian American studies; knowledge of the Japanese publishing industries and book trades; familiarity with electronic resources and reference tools for Japanese studies and Asian American studies; knowledge of the principles and practices of collection development and management for both print and electronic resources; ability to coordinate collaborative projects; excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills; demonstrated ability to work effectively in a service-oriented library environment with faculty, students, staff, donors, and the public; ability to work independently and as a member of a team; creativity, initiative, and interest in non-traditional as well as traditional collecting areas; successful experience in and aptitude for learning emerging technologies and web applications; commitment to data-informed decision-making.
Preferred:
Experience working in an academic research library; familiarity with and experience using archives and libraries in Japan; experience with digital research tools and approaches (e.g., text mining, data visualization, image analysis, and augmented reality). Experience with quantitative and qualitative research methods in the humanities and social sciences.
