Korean Studies Librarian (Librarian I/II; Permanent Status Stream)

Job Tittle:  Korean Studies Librarian (Librarian I/II; Permanent Status Stream)  

Date Posted: 12/20/2024

Closing Date: 01/20/2025

Req ID: 40946

Job Category: Librarian - Permanent Status Stream

Faculty/Division: Library 

Department: East Asian Library

Campus: St. George (Downtown Toronto)  

Are you looking for challenging, meaningful work in a supportive and diverse environment? Are you looking for a career at one of Canada’s top employers? Work where the world comes to think, discover and learn. Consider a career at the University of Toronto.

About the University of Toronto Libraries

The University of Toronto Libraries system is the largest academic library in Canada and is consistently ranked in the top ten among academic research libraries in North America. The system consists of 40 libraries located on three university campuses: St. George, Mississauga, and Scarborough. This array of college libraries, special collections, and specialized libraries and information centres supports the teaching and research requirements of over 300 graduate programs, more than 70 professional programs, and about 700 undergraduate degree programs. In addition to more than 12 million volumes in 341 languages, the library system currently provides access to millions of electronic resources in various forms and over 31,000 linear metres of archival material. More than 150,000 new print volumes are acquired each year. The Libraries' data centre houses more than 600 servers with a storage capacity of 1.5 petabytes.

The Cheng Yu Tung East Asian Library

The Cheng Yu Tung East Asian Library is a leading research library in North America and the most extensive research library in Canada for East Asian Studies. As the intellectual and cultural hub of the academic community for East Asian and Asian Canadian-related studies and programs at the University of Toronto, the library is committed to engaging with faculty, students, and the wider community to provide exceptional resources and services in support of scholarship, research, and learning.

The library's history dates back to the 1930s with the acquisition of a collection of rare materials from China, known today as the Mu Collection (慕氏藏書). Since then, the library has grown significantly, evolving into a premier research collection that includes over 700,000 physical volumes in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Tibetan, along with limited resources in Mongolian, Manchu, and Uighur. In addition to its impressive physical collection, the library provides access to numerous electronic resources, making it a valuable asset in the field of East Asian Studies and related disciplines. Its resources and services support scholars and researchers in the region and beyond, offering unparalleled access to rare and unique materials.

Through continued expansion of its collections and partnerships, the library is dedicated to supporting teaching, research, and learning both within and beyond the university. The library has done multiple digitization projects to improve discoverability and accessibility of the library's unique and rare collections through various partnerships and is committed to developing collections in Asian Canadian studies, in collaboration with other central libraries at the UTL and external partners and community partners.

The library also organizes a range of public outreach events working with campus partners, local community groups, and national and international partners to inspire scholarship and cultivate relations with the campus and the community. Its physical space has gone through a series of expansion and revitalization processes to create a vibrant and user-friendly space for its community.
 
The Opportunity

The University of Toronto Libraries seeks an innovative, service-oriented, and collaborative professional for an exciting opportunity to serve as Korean Studies Librarian. The successful candidate will report to the Director of the Cheng Yu Tung East Asian Library. The incumbent will provide specialized support for the planning, development, acquisition, cataloguing, and management of the library’s growing Korean Studies collections. The successful candidate will also work closely with subject liaison librarians, archivists, and members of the Central Library’s Collection Development Department, Metadata Services, as well as provide public service and research support to meet the growing needs of a diverse community of faculty, visiting scholars, graduate, and undergraduate students.
 

• Acquire and maintain collections of Korean-language resources in various formats that are relevant to the study of the region and support the diverse Korean Studies academic programs. Communicate with Korean book vendors and other resource providers to ensure smooth acquisition operations, while supervising acquisition staff
• Undertake original cataloguing of Korean language materials in all formats to enhance their discoverability. Supervise processing staff, including an original cataloguer/metadata creation specialist, and prepare name authority metadata for contribution to the NACO according to the standards of the Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC)
• Act as the primary liaison librarian for Korean Studies across relevant academic departments and programs in the humanities and social sciences at the University of Toronto. Proactively engage with faculty and students to understand their information needs
• Design and deliver tailored instruction and learning opportunities in various formats to support the curriculum in Korean Studies, enhancing teaching, learning, and research at the University
• Support innovative resources and services, including digital scholarship, to enhance research and academic excellence in Korean Studies at the University
• Participate in the cooperative collection development program of the Korean Collections Consortium of North America (KCCNA)
• Identify and evaluate archival resources for Korean Studies
• Participate in the department's reference desk services and provide reference and research support to students, faculty members, staff, and visiting scholars
• Facilitate connections with external researchers, donors, and international partners
• Engage in professional development, committees, and other scholarly activities
• Supports faculty with their digital scholarship, as well as research data management (RDM) and open access requirements, as mandated by funding agencies and open education initiatives
• Provides support to faculty and students on the effective and ethical use of AI tools in the context of research  
• In collaboration with colleagues across UTL, builds, maintains and assesses library collections, ensuring that library resources meet the evolving, increasingly digital scholarly needs of students and faculty

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in library, archival or information science from an accredited institution
• Demonstrated commitment to the values of inclusivity, diversity and accessibility and anti-racism
• Knowledge of Korean history, literature, culture, and Korean Canadian studies
• Knowledge of current research trends in Korean Studies
• Understanding of East Asian librarianship and the Korean publishing landscape, including the book trade
• Excellent proficiency in both written and spoken Korean and English, including knowledge of Hancha and McCune–Reischauer romanization
• Knowledge of collection development practices
• Demonstrated interest in area studies librarianship, rare books, and special collections
• Knowledge of and ability to apply current cataloguing standards
• Outstanding interpersonal, organizational, presentation, and communication skills
• Demonstrated flexibility, creativity and ability to innovate and adapt to a changing environment
• Strong initiative and ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities effectively
• Ability to work collaboratively as part of a team and independently
• Demonstrated commitment to providing outstanding public service
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills

Preferred Qualifications

• An advanced degree in a discipline related to Korean Studies
• Experience in an academic research library
• Experience in original cataloguing and authority control in an automated environment within an academic or research library setting
• Supplemental knowledge of Chinese, Japanese, or other Asian languages, along with relevant history and/or literature
• Knowledge of digital methods

Salary and Terms of Appointment:  

It is anticipated that this position will be filled at the Librarian I/II level, subject to review and experience. Minimum salary: LIB I: $76,403; LIB II: $79,720 (Salary is dependent on rank at hire and qualifications).

Benefits: We offer generous benefits packages to all employees. Additional information is available at: https://people.utoronto.ca/careers/benefits/

Additional information:

Librarians at the University of Toronto are members of the University of Toronto Faculty Association. 

How to Apply:

Application Materials Required: A cover letter, curriculum vitae, and contact information for three references of which at least two have supervised your work. Please attach a single electronic file into the “Resume” Field. (MS Word or pdf) with a file name convention of Surname, FirstName, 40946.

The University of Toronto Libraries thanks all applicants but will only contact applicants selected for an interview. 

University of Toronto Library System: http://onesearch.library.utoronto.ca/

University of Toronto: https://people.utoronto.ca/

Policies for librarians: https://people.utoronto.ca/policies/

This search aligns with the University’s commitment to strategically and proactively promote diversity among our community members (Statement on Equity, Diversity & Excellence). Recognizing that Black, Indigenous, and other Racialized communities have experienced inequities that have developed historically and are ongoing, we strongly welcome and encourage candidates from those communities to apply.

University of Toronto Libraries’ Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Statement:  

https://www.library.utoronto.ca/inclusion-diversity-and-equity-statement

University of Toronto Libraries' Anti-Racism Statement:

https://www.library.utoronto.ca/anti-racism-statement