Data & Society Research Institute is seeking an engaging and collaborative Research and Reference Librarian, to lead a special project to build a sociotechnical knowledge hub that will make the broader body of sociotechnical research
Organizational Summary:
Data & Society is an independent nonprofit research organization, studying the social implications of data-centric technologies, automation, and AI. We recognize that the same innovative technologies that may benefit society can also be abused to invade privacy, provide new tools of discrimination, foreclose opportunity, and harm individuals and communities. Through original research and inclusive engagement, we work to ensure that empirical evidence and respect for human dignity guide how technology is developed and governed.
About the Role
The Research and Reference Librarian is a professional with expertise in information organization and retrieval in the context of research production. This role will be a general resource within our organization for finding and organizing research to maximize discoverability and impact. They will be instrumental in cataloging existing Data & Society publications and other materials produced over our 10 year history and championing principles of citational justice within the organization.
They will lead a special project to build a sociotechnical knowledge hub that will make the broader body of sociotechnical research (much of it produced outside of traditional institutions of knowledge production) more discoverable. Hiring a qualified, visionary research librarian with the foundational skills of librarianship in research contexts and an ability to respectfully steward relationships with peer organizations will facilitate the success of this effort.
This position is a vital part of the growing Research Management team at Data & Society, supporting the essential work of research archiving and network building. The librarian will collaborate on the planning, delivery, and field scan to ensure the project meets the needs of our organization, alumni network, and broader research community. In connecting together organizations that do research outside of traditional institutions of knowledge production, they will also partner with our network engagement team and the Trustworthy Infrastructures team.
Responsibilities
Sociotechnical Knowledge Hub
- Comprehensively catalog Data & Society publications produced over our 10 year history;
- Oversee the collection of materials across a range of formats and file types produced by Data & Society, alums, and our networks;
- Consult and steward relationships with non-profit and community research organizations that do sociotechnical research to identify needs and devise a strategy for developing a public repository of sociotechnical knowledge;
- Maintain documentation and staff training materials for repository management, usage, and workflows;
- Lead repository maintenance and updates;
- Assist staff, researchers, and network partners in locating relevant sociotechnical knowledge held in the repository or elsewhere;
- Create reports or guides to share out learnings from our effort to build a sociotechnical knowledge base; and
- Curate retrospectives on sociotechnical knowledge collected in our repository or housed elsewhere, and engage in other outreach activities.
Collaboration & Connections
- In connecting together organizations that do research outside of traditional institutions of knowledge production, partner with our network engagement team and the Trustworthy Infrastructures team;
- Collaborate on the planning, delivery, and field scan to ensure the project meets the needs of our organization, alumni network, and broader research community.
Skills and Qualifications
- Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) degree or 4+ years relevant experience;
- Four or more years of experience as a research librarian working in any type of institution that produces research (academia, industry, government, nonprofits, or civil society organizations);
- Expertise in information organization and retrieval in the context of research production;
- Disciplinary exposure or training in anthropology, sociology, communication, media studies, ethnic studies, gender and sexuality studies, science and technology studies, critical data studies, or information science;
- Experience working with and familiarity with existing repository infrastructures;
- Experience in community outreach and partnership building;
- Superior writing, editing, and oral communication skills;
- High-level proficiency with Google Workspace;
- Strong project management skills;
- Detail-oriented with experience tracking multiple priorities simultaneously;
- Ability to respectfully steward relationships with peer organizations.
Core Competencies
- Inclusiveness and commitment to organizational transparency and accountability;
- Accountability to agreed-upon deadlines;
- Building coalitions;
- Communication across all organizational levels and teams;
- Cultural humility;
- Conflict resolution;
- Managing complexity; and
- Effective diplomatic skills, good judgment, and discretion.
Organizational Values and Participation
- Commitment to advancing organizational diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Actively participate in programs and professional development opportunities that work to ensure we continue our commitment to being an anti-racist and anti-discrimination organization.
- To attend, where able, whole-organization activities such as staff meetings, retreats, town halls, listening sessions, workshops, training, and social events.
- To participate, where able and appropriate, in contributing to the culture of D&S by participating in working groups and committees (eg. DEIA Working Group, Remote Working Culture Committee, etc).
Practical Considerations
- Data & Society has committed to safety requirements to protect our staff from the COVID-19 pandemic. We require that prospective employees are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before joining our organization. Please note that any reasonable accommodation request is not guaranteed to be approved, and we will comply with ADA-related requirements to evaluate the accommodation against business needs.
- This is currently a Full-time, remote position in the Research Department. This role is initially for a 2 year appointment, with a longer timeline depending on funding. Data & Society is based in New York City, and will for the foreseeable future operate as a Remote-First organization. While this role will start as completely virtual, it may involve onsite components in the future.
- You must be living and authorized to work in the United States; we are unable to sponsor visas.
The salary range for this role is $85,000 to $95,000 annually, commensurate with experience. This salary offer will include a generous benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurance and access to a range of opt-in products and services including additional insurance and 401k management as well as paid time off, and paid federal holidays.
The salary range for this position is noted within this job posting. Where a prospective employee or employee is compensated within this salary range is dependent upon, among other factors, actual compensation for current/former employees in the subject position; market considerations; budgetary considerations; tenure, and standing with the organization (applicable to current employees); as well as the employee’s/applicant’s overall qualifications: knowledge, skills, pertinent experience, and abilities.
To apply, please submit the following by July 10, 2024
(applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis):
- Resume or CV.
- Cover letter describing your current expertise in information organization and retrieval in the context of research production. Highlight any experiences that may contribute to your success in this position.
Please feel free to contact us at jobs@datasociety.net should you have any questions about the role. Questions about the opportunity or process will not reflect negatively on your application.
