Call for Applications for the 2010 OCLC Minority Librarian Fellowship Program
Application deadline: September 8, 2009
OCLC has announced the expansion and increased support of the OCLC Minority Librarian Fellowship program designed to provide a unique opportunity for aspiring library professionals from historically under-represented groups.
OCLC’s Minority Librarian Fellowship offers an opportunity unlike any other. As the world’s leading library cooperative, OCLC offers global exposure through its enterprise-wide product portfolios and operations. OCLC Minority Librarian Fellows will spend time in one of two assigned host units, Metadata Contract Services or Question Point, working on content-specific projects in cataloging or cooperative reference services. In addition, the Minority Librarian Fellows will spend time in the Global and Regional Councils division, with an orientation to OCLC and the OCLC member community, participation in OCLC governance meetings, and opportunities for shared learning experiences with many library and information professionals. Each Fellow will have a unique and specifically tailored experience. More information is available online at:
http://www.oclc.org/us/en/community/careerdevelopment/minorityfellows/
Description of the fellowships
In 2010 there will be two fellowships with different assignments.
Cataloging and Metadata Services
The Cataloging fellow will participate in several Metadata services, including cataloging for client libraries with emphasis on non-English materials, assistance in the selection and cataloging of materials for language sets, quality control work for WorldCat, and CIP upgrades. The opportunity to work with and create NACO authority records, along with exposure to a book vendor warehouse operation is included. This fellow will spend 3-4 months each in Metadata Contract Services, Quality Control, and the Cataloging in Publication Upgrade. (The fellow will spend 8-9 months in Dublin, OH and 3-4 months in Blackwood, NJ.)
Specific requirements:
Strong interest in specializing in cataloging/technical services
Fluent reading skills in a language other than English
Some familiarity with MARC, AACR2, Dewey decimal classification or Library of Congress Classification, Library of
Congress subject headings (course work would be acceptable).
Good communication skills
Flexibility
Self-directed
Question Point-Cooperative reference service
The Question Point fellow will have a unique opportunity to help develop an intern/practicum program for MLIS students geared towards virtual reference. The fellow will make contact with MLIS schools in the U.S. and Canada and work with designated faculty or staff to outline areas of possible interest, research, and work within the Question Point platform, cooperative, and databases. The fellow will have a significant role in launching the program and overseeing MLIS interns during the fellowship year.
Specific requirements:
Strong interest, with significant MLIS coursework or experience, in library reference services
Strong interest, with significant MLIS coursework or experience, in virtual reference
Some experience at a reference desk or other public services desk is highly desirable
Good communication skills
Flexibility
Self-directed
Salary and Benefits
· Salary will be very competitive and commensurate with experience and applicable market compensation
· The Fellows will be eligible for health & welfare benefits such as is provided to other similarly situated term-limited employees
· Relocation Assistance will be offered in the form of a lump sum distributed in two installments (50% at signing of offer and 50% after 90 days). The amount of the lump sum will be determined by the distance required for relocation during the term of the fellowship
Eligibility
Listed below are the position requirements:
· ALA-accredited MLS/MLIS or other graduate degree in technology with a special emphasis in libraries or other cultural heritage institutions (granted by January 2010)
· Have less than three years’ post graduate work experience
· Demonstrated awareness and sensitivity in issues of inclusion/diversity: strong awareness of other cultures and viewpoints, appreciation for the benefits of diversity in the workplace and library community, behavior which demonstrates the ability to work with people at all levels and from different backgrounds
· Strong organizational skills which include the ability to organize work plans and processes toward a targeted outcome
· Exceptional communication skills – written, oral, small group presentation
· Selected individual must represent historically underrepresented groups (i.e., defined in a manner consistent with the 2007 EEO-1 reporting classifications)
Applications are initiated by applying to a specific fellowship. The Metadata Services Job ID number is 1763 and the Question Point cooperative reference Job ID 1764, OCLC Minority Librarian Fellowship Program, at the OCLC Careers Center Internet site, www.oclc.jobs, where you will need to create an OCLC candidate profile. The application deadline is Tuesday, September 8, 2009.