Job Summary

The GIS Outreach Librarian works to improve awareness on campus about geospatial technology and to spread the skills to use that technology.  The position works with faculty and their TFs to design spatially oriented projects that are academically rigorous but achievable within the limited time available to the students. This includes assessing the landscape of available tools and recommending/selecting suitable options.  It also includes instruction on in-demand tools and broader topics such as geoliteracy, bias and racism as reflected in spatial data collection and use, and spatial analysis concepts through both in-person workshops and asynchronous tutorials.

The GIS Outreach Librarian collaborates with library colleagues to apply geospatial methods to traditional materials and uncover new insights into the Collections holdings. 

Although the position will remain posted until filled, applicants are strongly encouraged to apply by end of day on February 26, 2021. 

Job-Specific Responsibilities

• Partner with campus scholars to integrate new spatial technologies and methodologies with traditional resources and approaches in the areas of research and teaching through education, referrals, consultations, and other programmatic efforts
• Consult with researchers about options for integrating spatial methods and tools into their classes and projects and assist in implementing those methods and tools
• Use spatial scholarship tools and methods in the design and support of library projects
• Advocate for sharing digital outputs (for example, adding research product spatial data to University repositories using an open license) and advise on open research and reproducibility applications
• Teach and support workshops on spatial scholarship methods or tools for a variety of audiences
• Create teaching tools that address bias in the use and analysis of spatial data

Basic Qualifications

• BA/BS
• 3+ years experience using spatial analysis/visualization software
• Fluency with the ESRI suite of software products and at least one on-line cartographic/spatial tool, such as Carto, Leaflet, OpenLayers or MapBox

Additional Qualifications and Skills

• MLS or other advanced degree
• Demonstrated experience working effectively in a collaborative team environment
• Experience with geospatial analysis and tools in an academic setting
• Experience leading training sessions or workshops in spatial tools
• Experience using GitHub and APIs   
• Knowledge of web map presentation tools like Leaflet, OpenLayers
• Knowledge of OSGeo libraries, QGIS, XML, Python
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Solid understanding applications of spatial thinking across disciplines
• Knowledge of the geospatial scholarship landscape, including data management practices, metadata requirements, and commonly used sources for data
• Flexibility and creative problem solving skills

Physical Requirements

The duties of this job will require the employee to sit, talk, stand, reach with hands and arms, and use specific vision abilities.  The employee will occasionally lift and/or move map folders and/or computer equipment that will weigh up to 25 pounds.

Working Conditions

Operates in a collegial, team-based environment, where policies are discussed and change evaluated.  Work environment is that of a specialized library public service environment with moderate noise levels.  It is a library that continually transitions itself back and forth between its extensive digital resources and its vast traditional format collections.

The work associated with this position is currently being performed remotely in response to COVID-19. Work in the longer-term is expected to be conducted on campus.  Harvard University is a Massachusetts employer and the selected candidate will need to reside or relocate to the Massachusetts area.  
 

Additional Information

Across the Harvard Library, our work is enriched by our diverse campus community. Our unique and wide-ranging abilities, experiences, and perspectives are integral to achieving Harvard University’s mission of excellence in research, teaching, and learning for our patrons, our collections, and our workplace. We believe that an inclusive environment that cultivates and promotes understanding, respect, and collaboration across our diverse workforce enables our success.

We invite individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences and abilities to be a part of our community of over 700 staff members. Our work with faculty, students and researchers to explore answers to intellectual questions, enduring and new, and to seek solutions to the world’s most consequential problems, requires that we not only reflect, but also champion our diverse society.

Harvard Library inspires collaboration, reflection, experimentation, and discovery connecting users to related disciplines and to University-wide teaching resources. The Library engages users through curated discovery, digital collections, reimagined physical space, and specialized research support.  Today, Harvard Library’s holdings range from traditional print collections to rapidly expanding access to digital resources. Harvard Library provides the University's faculty, students, and researchers—now and in the future—with exceptional experiences and comprehensive access to these materials.

Learn more about our contributions to the academic enterprise by visiting us at http://library.harvard.edu and about the Harvard University community at http://hr.harvard.edu/why-harvard.

The Harvard Library is a proud member of the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) Diversity Alliance.