Foreign, Comparative, and International Law Librarian, Biddle Law Library (Hybrid Eligible)

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America's Best Employers By State in 2021.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

COVID-19 vaccination is a requirement for all positions at the University of Pennsylvania. New hires are expected to be fully vaccinated before beginning work at the University. For more information about Penn's vaccine requirements and the use of Penn Open Pass, visit the Penn COVID-19 Response website for the latest information.

Posted Job Title
Foreign, Comparative, and International Law Librarian, Biddle Law Library (Hybrid Eligible)

Job Profile Title
Librarian C

Job Description Summary
Penn Law is one of the nation's oldest and most distinguished law schools. The school offers a distinctive cross-disciplinary legal education, drawing on the depth and breadth of the University of Pennsylvania. The resulting intellectual opportunities and professional relationships bridge traditional boundaries and disciplines, making Penn Law an extraordinarily supportive academic community for its scholars and students alike.

Penn Law staff play a critical role in providing a world-class educational environment, supporting faculty, students, alumni, and fellow staff members in a collaborative and ambitious environment.

The Biddle Law Library is an inclusive team of professionals with a kind, collaborative spirit and a drive to innovate. We meet our strategic goals by fostering a mutually supportive culture that encourages teamwork, while also creating space for individuals to cultivate their own initiatives. The Law School and law library administration provide abundant support and guidance for new projects and ideas to flourish. Biddle is an integral part of the Penn Carey Law community. We provide essential support to our world-class faculty, highly motivated student body, and welcoming, convivial staff. Biddle team members have ample opportunities for professional growth, including funding for professional development, collaboration across departments and colleges, and freedom to explore new areas of interest. Penn supports its employees' well-being with a sensible approach to hybrid work, excellent benefits, and a commitment to equity and inclusion.

Reporting to the Associate Director for Research Services, the FCIL Librarian will be part of the research and instruction team, providing legal research and reference services for all jurisdictions to students, faculty, staff, and the community. The librarian will also be part of the law library's collection development team with selection responsibilities based on their experience and language skills. In addition, each academic year the librarian will be expected to teach one section of either a foreign and international legal research course or advanced legal research course and one section of LLM legal research.
The primary focus of this position offers the opportunity to learn, grow, and contribute to the Biddle Law Library's work in the areas of foreign, comparative, and international law reference, research, and collection development while supporting our world-class faculty.

Job Description

Reference and Research Support

• Serves as a subject matter specialist for in-depth questions related to foreign, international, and comparative law through research consultations, research planning, and research support, in-person and online
• Provides research services in all areas of law for all jurisdictions, as well as in cross-disciplinary subject areas, through reference service and research consultations
• Serves as a library liaison to provide personalized services to assigned faculty, including providing complex and in-depth research support, identifying new resources, and providing current awareness services
• Provides expert research support to students engaged in foreign, international, and comparative research and writing projects, particularly LLM and SJD students
• Provides research support to other law school departments, centers, journals, student groups, and clinics
• Participates in reference desk and chat rotation, helping patrons with identifying possible research sources in all formats, suggesting research strategies, offering thorough guidance in the use of online databases, assisting in the use of library equipment, and exercising discretion and tact in representing the library to walk-in, chat, email, or call-in patrons
• Trains research assistants for liaison faculty
• Creates and updates library guides, handouts, etc., and contributes to webpage projects

Collection Development and Stewardship

• In collaboration with Reference & FCIL Librarian, provides leadership and direction for development and stewardship of the law library's foreign and international collections in all formats
• Identifies and selects appropriate materials in all formats in the areas of foreign, international, and comparative law; primary selection responsibilities will be based on the candidate's experience and language skills
• Evaluates on a continuing basis the current print and electronic collection of foreign, international, and comparative materials, weeding and making recommendations as appropriate for purchases, cancellation, or other modifications
• In partnership with the other collection development librarians, proposes changes to policies for collection development, retention, weeding, binding, and preservation
• Represents the Biddle Law Library at NEFLLCG meetings and ensures that the library meets its NEFLLCG commitments
  

Instruction

• Develops, maintains, and provides instructional materials on FCIL topics, in collaboration with the Associate Director for Educational Programs
• Conducts specialized orientations, trainings, and research instruction sessions on international, comparative, and foreign law for seminars, journals, clinics, student groups, and departments
• Participates in the library's co-curricular educational programming

Professional Development

• Contributes to the library's teams and strategic initiatives
• Serves on professional committees and attends conferences
• Keeps abreast of trends and new information regarding legal education, legal research instruction, and library services
  

Other Duties as Assigned

Qualifications:

Required:

• J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school (or foreign equivalent) and master's degree from ALA-accredited program for library/information science (or foreign equivalent)
• Experience or interest in foreign and international law collection development
• Demonstrated knowledge or interest in foreign, international, and comparative law
• A strong service orientation
• Some experience performing legal research in an academic, court, or law firm setting
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and as part of a team
• Commitment to the Penn Law Ideals

Preferred:

• Demonstrated experience working with foreign and international law materials
• Foreign language skills (reading ability in German and/or Hebrew preferred)
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with other decision makers
• At least two years of experience providing research and reference support services in an academic, public, or private law library
• Experience teaching in a classroom setting or presenting in another learning environment

Special Requirements
Background check required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

Job Location - City, State
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Hybrid Eligible - This position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule with a work week divided between working onsite and working remotely.

Department / School
Law School

Pay Range
$51,824.00 - $78,096.00
Salary offers are made based on the candidate's qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, as well as internal and market factors and grade profile.

Affirmative Action Statement
Penn adheres to a policy that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class.

Special Requirements
Background check required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family's health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
  
• Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
  
• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn's Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
  
• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.
  
• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you're newly hired, you won't have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
  
• Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That's why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.
  
• Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.
  
• University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University's libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There's always something going on at Penn, whether it's a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you're right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.
  
• Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.
  
• Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.
  
• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.
  
• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.
  

To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay

To apply, visit https://wd1.myworkdaysite.com/en-US/recruiting/upenn/careers-at-penn/job/Tanenbaum-Hall-Biddle-Law-Library---2nd-Floor/Foreign--Comparative--and-International-Law-Librarian--Biddle-Law-Library--Hybrid-Eligible-_JR00056054