STEM Innovation Librarian
This is a one year specified term position with the possibility of extension for a second year based on budget and needs of department.
The University of Iowa Libraries is seeking to hire a STEM Innovation Librarian for a one year specified term position to support research, teaching, and learning across the engineering and science disciplines. Working as a member of the Engineering and Sciences Libraries team, the librarian provides research assistance, instructional support, outreach, and customer service for students, faculty, researchers, and staff. The position contributes to a broad range of library services, helping address evolving operational and service needs while supporting strategic initiatives across STEM disciplines.
The librarian develops and provides services related to scientific and technical information resources, research support, information literacy, innovation and entrepreneurship, intellectual property, patents, trademarks, and standards. The position collaborates with colleagues across the Libraries and campus to connect users with information resources, services, and expertise that advance research, scholarship, and innovation.
The position will be fully on campus and maintains a primary office location in Van Allen Hall with regularly scheduled service hours in the Lichtenberger Engineering Library and Sciences Library.
KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITIES AND SPECIFIC JOB TASKS
Instruction, Consultation, and Research Services
• Provides research assistance, consultation, and reference services to students, faculty, researchers, and staff across engineering, physical sciences, and related STEM disciplines.
• Assists users in identifying, accessing, evaluating, and using scholarly, scientific, and technical information resources.
• Delivers course-integrated instruction, workshops, orientations, and other learning opportunities supporting information literacy, research skills, and effective use of library resources.
• Supports instructional efforts for first-year experience courses, STEM disciplines, and other library programs as assigned.
• Develops and maintains instructional materials, research guides, tutorials, and other educational resources.
• Provides support for innovation, entrepreneurship, intellectual property, patents, trademarks, standards, and related areas as needed.
• Participates in public service activities, including in-person, virtual, and email-based reference and consultation services.
• Provides scheduled service and consultation hours in the Engineering Library and Sciences Library.
Select, Acquire, Organize, Preserve, and Provide Information Resources and Services
• Promotes awareness and effective use of library collections, services, technologies, and specialized information resources that support STEM teaching, learning, and research.
• Assists users with discovery and access to scholarly literature, technical information, standards, data resources, patents, and other specialized research materials.
• Collaborates with colleagues to identify opportunities for enhancing services, resources, and user access to information.
• Contributes subject expertise and user perspectives to collection, resource, and service-related discussions as appropriate.
• Supports the development, implementation, and assessment of services that address evolving research, teaching, and learning needs within engineering and the sciences.
• Maintains knowledge of emerging tools, technologies, and information resources relevant to STEM disciplines and innovation-related activities.
Continuous Learning & Skills Development
• Pursues ongoing professional development related to STEM librarianship, instruction, research support, emerging technologies, innovation, and user services.
• Maintains knowledge of best practices and trends affecting academic libraries, engineering, and scientific research.
Professional Contributions
• Participates in Libraries, university, and professional activities as appropriate.
• Contributes to projects, committees, and initiatives that advance the goals of the Engineering and Sciences Libraries and University Libraries.
Required Qualifications
• Master's degree from an ALA-accredited program in Library and Information Science, or an equivalent international degree.
• Experience providing customer service focused reference, research consultation, or information services in an academic, research, special, or professional library setting.
• Experience developing and delivering instruction, workshops, presentations, or training to a variety of audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to teach information literacy concepts and support users in locating, evaluating, and using information resources.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and build collaborative relationships with students, faculty, researchers, staff, and colleagues, including the ability to present information clearly in instructional, consultative, and written formats.
• Experience creating instructional materials, online guides, tutorials, or other educational resources.
• Demonstrated ability to learn and apply new technologies, tools, and information resources.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Evidence of ability to work independently and with others in a demanding and rapidly changing environment where collaboration, consultation, and cooperation are essential.
Desired Qualifications
• Experience supporting engineering, physical sciences, computer science, mathematics, or other STEM disciplines in an academic or research environment.
• Educational background in a STEM field through coursework, degree, or professional experience.
• Knowledge of information literacy, scholarly communication, research impact metrics, open access publishing, or research data services.
• Familiarity with scientific and technical databases, discovery tools, and information resources relevant to engineering and STEM disciplines.
• Experience supporting innovation, entrepreneurship, intellectual property, patents, trademarks, standards, or technology transfer activities.
• Familiarity with emerging technologies, artificial intelligence tools, or other technologies relevant to teaching, learning, and research.
Application Details:
Applications are only accepted through the Jobs@UIOWA website.
In order to be eligible for interview, applicants must upload the following and check the box to mark them as “relevant files” when you upload the documents:
- Cover letter that clearly addresses how you meet each of the required and any desired qualifications of this position. To ensure strongest consideration, applicants are encouraged to review all required qualifications and state directly how they meet each of them.
- Current resume
This job ad will be posted for a minimum of two weeks and may be removed from posting and filled any time after that date. Please contact andrea-rost@uiowa.edu if you have any questions about the position.
This is a one year specified term position with the possibility of extension for a second year based on budget and needs of department. The hiring salary range for this specified term Specialist Librarian position is $55,000 - $74,000.
Successful candidates will be required to self-disclose any conviction history and will be subject to a criminal background check and credential/education verification. Up to 5 professional references will be requested at a later step in the recruitment process.
This position is not eligible for University sponsorship for employment authorization.
Joining the University of Iowa means becoming a vital part of the Hawkeye community, where your work directly impacts education, research, and student success. Enjoy exceptional health coverage, university-paid life insurance, robust retirement plans, and generous leave policies. Benefit from 24/7 support services, well-being resources, and access to UI Health Care specialists. Grow professionally with advanced training, leadership development, and tuition assistance. Iowa City offers a great quality of life with world-class performances at Hancher Auditorium, Big Ten athletics, top-ranked public schools, and outdoor recreation.
Join us in making a difference at a leading Big Ten university and premier public research institution.
Equal opportunity employer
The University of Iowa is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment free from discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth and related conditions), disability, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, service in the U.S. military, sexual orientation, or associational preferences.
Persons with disabilities who need assistance or accommodations with the application or interview process may contact University Human Resources/Faculty and Staff Disability Services, (319) 335-2660 or fsds@uiowa.edu. For jobs in UI Health care, please contact UI Health care Leave & Disability Administration at 319-356-7543.
