Principal Librarian: Humanities, Education and Law needed at Rhodes University

Main Objectives

• The Principal Librarian: Faculty Services is the line manager for assigned Faculty Liaison Teams and primary contact person between the Library Directorate and a particular academic collective (Faculties/ Departments/ Institutes).
• The Principal Librarian is expected to understand the information and research needs and scholarly communication trends of assigned disciplines/fields to provide a number of services designed to optimally meet the needs of the primary user group, usually staff & students of the given Faculty.
• The Principal Librarian’s responsibilities include a range of interrelated activities:  provision and management of high-level subject information services; collection development, and management and evaluation in support of teaching, learning and especially research in the Faculty; to educate staff and students in the principles and techniques of effective information retrieval; to be aware of trends & innovation in the area of user information services and webpage content delivery; regular & ongoing liaison activities.
• Each Principal Librarian functions as a member of Faculty Teams and may call on resources and colleagues within and beyond the Team as required.
• The incumbent, with the other Principal Librarian: Science, Pharmacy and Commerce, is part of Middle Management reporting to the Senior Manager: Academic Support Services.

The Requirements

• An Honor’s degree in Library and Information Science (NQF level 8) OR a 3-year Bachelor’s Degree/BTech (NQF 7) plus a Post-Graduate Library Diploma (NQF level 8) with approximately 4 years’ relevant experience where such experience includes
• Experience in working in an academic or research library
• Having worked in a computerised academic and research library
• Previous exposure to IT applications, electronic Library & information tools.
• Previous experience in the design of Library instruction programmes and user services
• At least three years of previous supervision experience.