Librarian in Residence Program
Yale University
Yale University, founded in 1701, is the third oldest American university. Yale
has a student enrollment of approximately 11,000 undergraduate, graduate, and
professional school students with an ethnic makeup of 14 percent Asian, 7 percent
Black, 6 percent Hispanic/Latino, and 73 percent White/Other. Yale is located
in the heart of New Haven in southern Connecticut, 80 miles northeast of New York
City and 130 miles south of Boston. Rich in its cultural life and diversity, New
Haven boasts a multicultural population of over 130,000. Yale and the city of
New Haven frequently collaborate on projects to promote excellence in housing
and area schools.
The Library
For three hundred years, the Yale University Library has developed its rich collections
"by the steady labor of hundreds of librarians, faculty members, students,
and private collectors who have donated their life's work to the University."
Our collections, totaling more than 10 million volumes, are not easily surpassed.
More than twenty libraries make up the system, including the Sterling Memorial
Library, as well as libraries for art and architecture, divinity, drama, engineering,
forestry, law, medicine, and music.
The Librarian in Residence
Program
The purpose of the Librarian-in-Residence Program to increase
professional representation on the staff of its libraries and to further
the growth and development of librarians within the profession and to
help Yale library to secure:
- reader services strengthened by the residents'
considerable talents and by their particular experience, knowledge, and points
of view;
- an improved chance to recruit talented librarians to
permanent positions, including the residents and other librarians who
see that the library is genuinely open to them;
- a visible presence of
librarians, to increase especially the comfort and confidence of
students in making effective use of library resources; and
- professional
stimulation for the present staff arising from a mutual learning and teaching
association with librarians.
The two year postgraduate experience
offers recent library school graduates the opportunity to learn about academic
libraries, to work in a culturally diverse environment, and to gain substantial
experience in a particular department or school library. When possible, the resident's
assignment reflects his or her interests and aspirations, while at the same time
taking into consideration the library's programmatic needs. In addition, the Librarian-in-Residence
is afforded the same opportunities as other librarians, such as a comprehensive
library system orientation, administrative appointments, committee membership,
specialized training, and support for travel and professional development activities.
The resident is also held to the same performance expectations of Yale librarians.
History
Although the University Librarian and Diane Turner, as Director of Library
Human Resources, advocated for the creation of the Librarian-in-Residence Program,
it was the Library Management Council, a group of twenty-five who head up major
units and departmental libraries, who approved this new initiative and its funding.
This system-wide support and buy-in was important for the program's success. Members
of this council serve as mentors and provide invaluable feedback for evaluating
the program.
During the fall of 1995, we recruited and brought to campus
the first African American librarian since the 1980s. The library succeeded through
the development and support of a recruitment effort referred to as the
Librarian Internship Program. Soon after our first resident arrived, it became
clear to us that "internship" did not best describe our program so we
changed the name to Librarian-in-Residence Program.
To view a sample job
description and application information, please click here.
We are not currently recruiting for this position.
© 2007 Yale University Library
This file last modified 05/03/05
Send comments to andrew.gray@yale.edu
