Gustavus Adolphus College seeks Visiting Instructor and Academic Librarian

Text courtesy of Michelle Twait, Professor and Academic Librarian, Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library, Gustavus Adolphus College

Position Details: Gustavus Adolphus College invites applications for a full-time, one-year position of Visiting Instructor (or Visiting Assistant Professor with appropriate qualifications) and Academic Librarian in the Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library to begin September 1, 2021, and ending May 31, 2022.

Institution Information: Gustavus Adolphus College seeks employees who are committed to and will be resolute in advancing inclusion and equity. We seek candidates whose experience has prepared them to help us realize our college-wide goal of engagement and inclusion of culturally and racially diverse audiences in liberal arts and sciences. The Gustavus Acts strategic plan renews our commitment to equip students to lead purposeful lives, and to act on the great challenges of our time by diversifying and expanding the Gustavus community and delivering a distinctive and integrated liberal arts education. 

Minnesota is home to a vibrant African American community and growing communities of Hmong, Latinx, and Somali peoples, as well as significant numbers of Indigenous people. We believe that representation from all of these groups contributes positively to our student body.

We are committed to fostering a community that embodies the value of a liberal arts education rooted in pluralism. We engage in this work at a coeducational, private, Lutheran (ELCA) College of Swedish immigrant heritage that is a leading residential, national liberal arts institution of 2200 students.

Library mission statement: The library advances the teaching mission and intellectual life of the College by selecting and facilitating access to information and by instructing in its use, interpretation, and evaluation.

Major/Essential Functions: Primary teaching responsibilities will include participating in a supportive, collegial management structure to provide quality instruction to undergraduates. Teaching in the library occurs in the form of reference, instruction and collection development. The successful candidate will also have the opportunity to undertake additional projects related to teaching and learning in the library.

Application Procedures: To apply, visit the Gustavus Employment website and complete the online application. The documents that must be uploaded include the following:

• Letter of application that addresses the position qualifications;
• Curriculum vitae;
• A brief (one page) statement of teaching philosophy;
• Transcripts (scanned copies acceptable); and
• The names and contact information for three professional references (at least one must be able to address teaching experience and teaching effectiveness; please indicate the teaching reference in your letter of application). Please do not ask references to submit letters of recommendation; the committee will conduct reference checks by phone.

For full consideration, applications must be received by March 19, 2021. While applications may be accepted after this date, it is not guaranteed that they will be considered. At this time, please only upload the required documents listed above; finalists will be asked to submit a recording of a teaching demonstration. Incomplete applications will not be considered by the search committee.

Gustavus Adolphus College is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. The College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, marital status, disability, or veteran status in its education or employment programs or activities.

Prerequisites

Minimum Qualifications:

• ALA-accredited MLS or MLIS, or who will have the degree finished prior to the start date.
• Experience working in an academic library, including reference, instruction, and collection development.
• Knowledge of trends affecting academic libraries.
• As we are a teaching library, candidates must have demonstrated evidence of a commitment to undergraduate teaching and student advising within the context of library instruction.
• Experience working with people from diverse backgrounds and a demonstrated commitment to pedagogical methods that enable students across racial, ethnic, and socio-economic groups to reach their maximum potential.

Preferred Qualifications:

• The ability to create inclusive learning environments for an increasingly diverse student body will be an important characteristic of the successful candidate.
• A second master’s degree is not required for the position, but will be required for the Visiting Assistant Professor rank.