LibraryBuzz

May is designated as Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage (AANHPI) Month. In 2021, it was previously known as Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. It started when Jeanie Jew, a Capitol Hill staffer, shared the idea with Rep. Frank Horton who introduced the legislation in 1992.

City Tech and the Library will be celebrating AANHPI Month in various ways. On Thursday, May 2nd, there will be a panel discussion how to combat Anti-Asian hate at the Academic Complex, Rm. A105 at 2:00PM. According to Stop AAPI Hate, there have been over 11,000 reported instances of violence against Asian Americans since 2020. Learn more about the panel.

The library will also host weekly films to celebrate the month from the library’s collection in the Multimedia Screening and Meeting Space:

Thursday, May 9, 2:30PM – Asian American Stories of Resilience and Beyond Parts 1 & 2 (58 minute runtime)
A series of short PBS documentaries that highlight Asian American life and experiences

Thursday, May 16, 2:30PM– Rising Against Asian Hate: One Day in March (54 minute runtime)
“Following the aftermath of the March 2021 mass shootings at three spas in Atlanta, this film chronicles how the Asian American community came together to fight back against hate.”

Wednesday, May 22, 2:30PM – Breaking the Model: Asian American Shorts Collection “Breaking the Model: Stories of Asian American History and Presence brings together four different short documentaries exploring immigration, genealogy, gentrification and resilience within America.”

Can’t make the screenings? You can access these through the library’s subscription to Alexander Video Online (AVON).

For more information, contact Prof. Junior Tidal – jtidal@citytech.cun.edu

On Thursday, April 11th, City Tech Library hosted a Wikipedia editathon to celebrate our new LGBTQIA collection and increase representation of this subject area on Wikipedia. With the support of City Tech’s Gender & Sexuality Studies program and the Pride Club, we welcomed guest speaker Anthony Amiewalan, whose books can be found in our library collection. Anthony spoke about his art and gave a short reading from his latest book, Eddie & Alan, which he also donated a copy of to the library.

We were joined by members of Wikimedia NYC for a few hours of editing. Over the course of the afternoon we created 5 new Wikipedia articles and Wikidata items; we made 105 edits to a total of 17 articles; we added 20 references to the encyclopedia; and we contributed almost 6000 words. Using material from City Tech’s online databases and our print LGBTQIA collection, we edited articles about Ma-Nee Chacaby, Samuel Levi Jones, Tsweng Kwong Chi, GenderFail, D’Angelo Lovell Williams, and more. We created wikidata items about Alteronce Gumby and about Anthony Amiewalan and his creative work.

This event was organized by librarians Kel Karpinski and Jen Hoyer with support from Professor Laura Westengard and intern Jaida Clouden of Gender & Sexuality Studies. Participation in this Pride event was made possible due to generous funding from the New York City Council Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual Caucus and the Office of the Mayor, and supported by The LaGuardia and Wagner Archives.

The library is currently accepting applications for the position of Access Services Librarian at the Instructor or Assistant Professor rank. The position is open until filled.

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 manage, support, and evaluate 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. The Instructor will be expected to complete a second master’s degree or doctoral degree within five years of hire to be recommended for appointment as Assistant Professor.

The Access Services Librarian will:

• Coordinate, develop, and evaluate all library material circulation services, 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 reserve services and maintain awareness of best practices in e-reserves management, implementing as future needs arise.
• Coordinate and evaluate stacks maintenance operations in consultation with collection management and cataloging librarians.
• Supervise training, workflow development, and scheduling for four to five technical support staff in a hybrid work environment, as well as for part-time library assistants.
• 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.
• Work as subject specialist in assigned areas to evaluate, select, and deselect library materials, with responsibilities including website content creation in areas of specialization, consultation with subject faculty regarding available resources and services, and support of information literacy and instruction.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Master’s degree in Library and Information Science (MLS/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 five years (CUNY tuition remission is available)

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in library access services or related field
• Experience working 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
• Engagement with 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
• Experience with systems migration projects
• Excellent interpersonal and leadership 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.

CLOSING DATE

Open until filled, with review of resumes to begin on or after April 8, 2024.