General Summary:

The University of Chicago Library empowers users with deep and rich collections, extensive expertise, innovative programs, and diverse spaces. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive community, enhancing access to scholarly resources, advancing digital scholarship, engaging locally and globally, and excelling in a changing environment. Home to one of the most comprehensive and dynamic East Asian collections, the University of Chicago is an active partner and collaborator in both the Big Ten Academic Alliance and the Ivy Plus Libraries.

The Library is seeking a collaborative, service-oriented, and forward-thinking individual for the position of Japanese Studies Librarian. The incumbent of this position manages the Japanese Studies collection and develops and delivers research services to a wide range of users across the University, as well as engages in community, to support new methods and innovations in research. The ideal candidate possesses skills and abilities to help transform collections, instruction, outreach, and reference and is creative in solving problems in a collaborative environment.

Responsibilities:

Reporting to the Director of the East Asian Collection, the Japanese Studies Librarian will perform the following duties, but not limited to:

• Serve as the Library’s primary expert and liaison for Japanese Studies, independently cultivating and sustaining relationships with students and faculty across departments, professional schools, and programs.
• Lead the development, promotion, preservation, and assessment of distinctive, interdisciplinary, multi-format, and intersectional Japanese studies collections that serve the wide-ranging needs of students and faculty.
• Design, deliver and assess a comprehensive program of research services, instruction, and outreach for Japanese Studies adapting to the shifting pedagogical and research needs across the university.
•  Manage the Japanese Studies acquisition budget, making strategic allocation decisions and maintaining accountability for expenditures and vendor relationships
•  Serve as the primary representative for the Library on Japanese Studies in the Big Ten Academic Alliance and the Ivy Plus Libraries, actively contributing to collaborative collection development initiatives and services innovations.
• Collaborate with subject librarians and digital scholarship units on complex, cross-functional initiatives involving Japanese language materials, contributing subject expertise and taking ownership of the Japanese Studies dimensions of those projects.
•  Perform original and complex copy cataloging for Japanese language materials using national and local standards and serve as a local resource for cataloging questions involving Japanese language content.
• Actively participate in departmental, divisional and library-wide projects, initiatives, committees and task forces.
• Represent the Library externally through active engagement with professional organizations, consortia, and scholarly communities, and contribute meaningfully to the advancement of the profession through publications, presentations or leadership roles in relevant professional associations.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required:

• Master’s degree from an ALA-accredited institution of library and information science or advanced degree in a relevant academic discipline.
• Demonstrated native or bilingual proficiency in written and spoken Japanese and excellent oral and written communication skills in English.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively, as part of a team and independently, in a culturally diverse and constantly changing environment.
• Demonstrated user-centered commitment to public service, including outreach and service excellence.
• Advanced knowledge of Japanese history, literature, and culture.
• Minimum 3 years of experience working in an academic or other type of research library or in a scholarly research setting.

Preferred:

• MA or PhD in Japanese studies
• Knowledge of Japanese publishing industry, book trade, and latest developments in Japanese resources.
• Knowledge of classical Japanese and/or other East Asian languages.
• Knowledge of current relevant library trends and issues.
• Experience working in an academic library.
• Experience working with cataloging and/or acquisitions modules in a library management system.
• Experience using digital scholarship methodologies and tools.
• Demonstrated commitment to continuing education and active involvement in the library profession.