Now hiring! Part-time reference and instruction librarians for Spring 2025

City Tech Library seeks to hire Reference and Instruction librarians for part-time work during the Spring 2025 semester, which runs from January 25 to May 22, 2025. Adjunct reference and instruction librarians will be responsible for providing high quality reference service in person and online, for teaching in-person library instruction classes, and for contributing to instructional design and outreach projects. Other projects, including blogging, maintaining library guides and tutorials, assisting with collection development, occasional website updates, and collaborating on promotion and outreach efforts are within the scope of this position.

Successful candidates will have experience working in an academic library, experience providing in-person and online library reference, experience with library instruction, the ability to work as part of a team of diverse individuals, and excellent communication skills, including the ability to interact positively with colleagues, students, faculty, staff in the library and at the college. Experience with LibGuides and WordPress preferred.

Shifts during the Spring 2025 semester will likely be scheduled between 9am-5pm Monday through Thursday, with a possibility of occasional reference desk shifts on weeknights from 5pm-9pm and Saturdays from 10am-5pm. The successful candidates will be able to work around 15 hours per week over 2 or 3 weekdays. Applicants must have an ALA-accredited MLIS; an additional graduate degree is required for appointment at the rank of Assistant Professor.

Applicants should send a cover letter and CV by email to Prof. Anne Leonard at Anne.Leonard81@login.cuny.edu. The position is open until filled, and review of applications will begin immediately. Preference is given to applications submitted before December 18.

Hourly rate: approximately $50 per hour; consult the PSC-CUNY salary schedule for non-teaching adjunct hourly rates.

Workshop, Dec. 4, Get Organized! Zotero Basics

Zotero logo Get Organized! Zotero Basics
Dec. 4, 4-5 PM
Attendees will learn the capabilities of this powerful, free open-source reference management software program. The session covers the functionalities of the Zotero client, adding the Zotero plugin to your browser, and importing citations to generate a bibliography. To maximize our workshop time, please download Zotero from https://www.zotero.org and create your username and password in the Zotero client software by going to EDIT > PREFERENCES > >SYNC
Registration

Job posting: Access Services Librarian

Access Services Librarian – Instructor or Assistant Professor

FACULTY VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

New York City College of Technology (City Tech), City University of New York, is the largest public baccalaureate college of technology in the Northeast. The college awards both associate and baccalaureate degrees that allow graduates to pursue careers in the architectural and engineering technologies, the computer, entertainment, and health professions, human services, advertising and publishing, hospitality, business, and law-related professions, as well as programs in career and technical teacher education.

The Ursula C. Schwerin Library at New York City College of Technology, CUNY, seeks a library faculty member at the Instructor or Assistant Professor rank to serve as Access Services Librarian. The Access Services Librarian will lead, coordinate, support, and supervise library circulation and reserve services, working with colleagues in the library, the college and university. The Access Services Librarian will also offer reference service and be responsible for designated areas of subject specialist work. All members of the library faculty must maintain a record of excellence in librarianship, scholarly achievement and publication, and service.

The Ursula C. Schwerin Library is committed to enhancing our diverse academic community by actively encouraging people with disabilities, minorities, veterans, and women to apply. This is a twelve-month renewable appointment. The Assistant Professor is a tenure-track position. In order for an Instructor to be recommended for appointment to Assistant Professor, candidates will be expected to complete a second master’s degree or doctoral degree within five years of appointment.

Reporting to the Chief Librarian, the Access Services Librarian will:

  • Coordinate, develop, and evaluate procedures involving the lending and returning of library materials, policies, workflows, and procedures.
  • Serve as representative for Alma services in partnership with the CUNY Office of Library Services.
  • Formulate and implement circulation and reserves policies and procedures in response to evolving operational needs.
  • Manage and administer the library’s print and electronic reserves and maintain awareness of best practices, implementing as future needs arise.
  • Coordinate and evaluate stacks maintenance operations, in consultation with collection management and cataloging librarians.
  • Supervise, train, and oversee scheduling for four to five technical support staff and part time library assistants in a hybrid work environment.
  • Provide comprehensive reference consultation to members of the college community in person and online. Develop and maintain knowledge of resources in general reference areas and degree fields.
  • Serve as a subject librarian and faculty liaison in an assigned area, with responsibilities including collection development, website content creation in areas of specialization, and consultation with subject faculty regarding resources and services, including information literacy and instruction.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Master’s in Library Science (MLS), Master’s in Library Information Studies (MLIS), or closely related discipline from an ALA-accredited institution. A second master’s degree OR doctorate is required for appointment as Assistant Professor. If appointed as Instructor, the candidate will be expected to complete an additional graduate degree within 5 years (CUNY tuition remission is available). Also required is the ability to work with others for the good of the institution.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • Experience in library access services or related field, preferably in an academic or research library
  • Supervisory experience
  • An interest in scholarship or creative achievement appropriate for a tenure-track position
  • Strong analytical, organizational, planning, oral, and written communication skills
  • Background, experience, or degree in STEM fields, especially health sciences or engineering technologies
  • Experience with coordinating a service area composed of multiple team members
  • Awareness of current trends in scholarly communication, including open access publishing and open educational resources
  • Knowledge of assessment practices in libraries and higher education
  • Familiarity with Alma, OCLC, Springshare, or related products
  • Excellent interpersonal and leadership qualities skills, a commitment to collaboration and mutual respect, and the ability to work efficiently and effectively on shared projects and committees in a diverse library and college/university community

COMPENSATION

Instructor: $65,471 – $74,417

Assistant Professor: $75,465 – $93,134

Salary commensurate with education and experience.

CUNY offers faculty a competitive compensation and benefits package covering health insurance, pension and retirement benefits, paid parental leave, and savings programs. We also provide mentoring and support for research, scholarship, and publication as part of our commitment to ongoing faculty professional development.

HOW TO APPLY

Visit www.cuny.edu, access the employment page, log in or create a new user account, and search for this vacancy using the Job ID or Title. Select “Apply Now” and provide the requested information.

Candidates should provide a cover letter, CV/resume and statement of scholarly interests as a single document.

CLOSING DATE

Open until filled, with review of resumes to begin on or after November 29, 2024.

JOB SEARCH CATEGORY

CUNY Job Posting: Faculty

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

CUNY encourages people with disabilities, minorities, veterans and women to apply. At CUNY, Italian Americans are also included among our protected groups. Applicants and employees will not be discriminated against on the basis of any legally protected category, including sexual orientation or gender identity. EEO/AA/Vet/Disability Employer.

Job ID

29267

Location

NYC College of Technology

Faculty Workshop, October 23, Introduction to Manifold

Introduction to Manifold
Wednesday, October 23, 11:00am-12:30pm
with Robin Miller, Open Educational Technology Specialist at the Graduate Center

Manifold is a free digital publishing platform for the entire CUNY community, where you can create and share your own scholarship, custom classroom versions of texts and textbooks that are openly licensed or in the public domain, Open Educational Resources (OER), journals, or use Manifold Reading Groups to build your own course reader. Come find out more about the platform and how to get started using Manifold in your teaching at CUNY!

Register in advance for this meeting on Zoom. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Participants are encouraged to bring questions to the sessions; no level of familiarity with the topic is required. Workshops will be conducted remotely over Zoom. Part-time faculty who participate will be compensated at their hourly non-teaching adjunct rate for attending.

If you have any questions about this workshop, please contact Joshua Peach, OER Librarian, at jpeach@citytech.cuny.edu

On campus spaces for online courses

Looking for a space to participate in your online class on campus? The following areas are available.

AtoL Computer Labs:

Computer stations in G600 and V217 (8-11 in each room, including Macs) will be marked with colored stickers to indicate priority use for students enrolled in online courses.

Computer Lab Hours (when campus is open):

G600:
Monday – Thursday, 10am – 6pm;
Friday 10am-5pm

V217:
Monday – Thursday, 11am – 6pm;
Friday 11am – 5pm

Library Study Rooms:
Students can use the study rooms in the library to participate in bring-your-on-device online courses.

More information on how to book a study room

Study room policies

Library Hours (when campus is open):
L534, L535, L536, L537, L538 (enter on 4th floor):
Monday – Thursday 9am – 9pm;
Friday 9am-7pm;
Saturday 10am-5pm

Please note that the library’s 5th floor is intended for silent study.

Fall 2024 Scholarly Publishing Workshops, Save the Dates

Academic Works logoAcademic Works Demystified
Nov. 6, 11 AM-12 PM
What is Academic Works and how does it benefit you as a scholar? You will learn more about how and why publishers allow you to contribute to Academic Works and the many benefits to sharing your scholarship openly to you, your students, and the public.
Registration


Zotero logo Get Organized! Zotero Basics
Dec. 4, 4-5 PM
Attendees will learn the capabilities of this powerful, free open-source reference management software program. The session covers the functionalities of the Zotero client, adding the Zotero plugin to your browser, and importing citations to generate a bibliography. To maximize our workshop time, please download Zotero from https://www.zotero.org and create your username and password in the Zotero client software by going to EDIT > PREFERENCES > >SYNC
Registration

National Hispanic Heritage Month Exhibit: Trajes Típicos

To celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, Professor Inés Corujo Martín of the Humanities department and City Tech’s Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Committee, mounted an exhibit in the library’s display cases.

Trajes Típicos honors the diversity of tradiional dress from Mexico, Spain, Spanish Philippines, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala (and its regions Nejab and Santa Catarina Palopó), Perú, Chile, and Argentina. In addition to the riot of color on display, information about the origin and importance of the garments featured communicate just a small part of the vibrancy and distinctiveness of Hispanic cultural textiles.

Some pieces have been generously borrowed from the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP) Metro NY. This display connects with the course LATS/ARTH 2204 Latin American Fashion and Culture, which is part of the Academic Minor in Hispanic Studies.

“City Tech is a federally designated Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI).  As an HSI that is “committed to providing broad access to high quality technological and professional education for a diverse urban population,”[2] and in anticipation of the expected growth in its Hispanic* population, City Tech must reflect on its current policies and the culture of the institution to ensure an atmosphere of inclusion and respect, and meet the needs of Hispanic students.”
NYCCT HSI Committee via OpenLab

Here at City Tech, 35% of the student population identifies as Hispanic or Latinx/o/a. In accordance with Hispanic Heritage Month, this display seeks to celebrate and give visibility to this community while reflecting on the importance of Hispanic/Latinx cultural roots and traditions.*

A selection of textile related titles from our collection:

*Thank you to Professor Inés Corujo Martín for her contributions to this post.

It’s Banned Books Week

Banned Books Week Logo: Book with a ribbon tied around it

It’s banned books week, which some people think of as a celebration of our freedom to read and others as an awareness campaign about the dangers of restricting access to information and infringing free speech. Book bans, impacting libraries and schools and other state funded educational spaces, have gained more media attention in a time of political polarization. There has been some contradictory reporting about whether more books are being banned in 2024 than in previous years, but book banning has become more prevalent since the pandemic and is still limiting people’s freedom to read and access information, impacting budgets and school curricula, and in some extreme cases, getting librarians fired (and fired up). A few librarians who have opposed banned books or defied banned books laws, have been harassed  or received violent threats.

Who bans books and why? Books are banned by politicians, typically through local legislation at the state level. Conservative groups have frequently been cited as mobilizing legislators to ban books they they deem controversial, especially for younger audiences. The motivation for banning books is arguably political and most commonly banned books are those about “race, history, gender identity, sexuality, and reproductive health.” 

Where are books banned? Book bans are uneven and primarily effect school libraries and school curricula. Texas and Florida are usually cited as the states with the most banned books but even in places where books aren’t formally banned there might be “challenged” books or changes to school and library budgets that work to effectively make certain reading material inaccessible to the public and especially to youth.

What books are banned? In some states hundreds of books are banned or “challenged.” The top banned books last year, according to the American Library Association, were:

  1. “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe
  2. “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George M. Johnson
  3. “This Book Is Gay” by Juno Dawson
  4. “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky
  5. “Flamer” by Mike Curato
  6. “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison
  7. “Tricks” by Ellen Hopkins
  8.  “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” by Jesse Andrews
  9. “Let’s Talk About It” by Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan
  10. “Sold” by Patricia McCormick

How are people standing up against book bans? The American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom has reported a slight dip in book bans this year. They think that legal success, community advocacy, and “young heroes” are responsible for making a difference.

At the City Tech Library we believe in the freedom to read and try to raise awareness about censorship. We’ve got plenty of banned and challenged books in our collection (here are just a few that we wanted to highlight, which were all written by Black authors, who are more frequently targeted by book bans). So check them out!

Literally, you can borrow books from the library for 16 weeks. And want a banned (or really any) book we don’t have? You can request one from any CUNY or SUNY library or use our Interlibrary Loan service. If we don’t have it, we’ll try to get it for you!