Health Sciences Liaison and Scholarly Communications Librarian in Fort Smith, Arkansas at Arkansas Colleges of Health Education

About Arkansas Colleges of Health Education

Arkansas Colleges of Health Education (ACHE) is a private, non-profit, graduate-level health sciences institution located on over 500 acres in Fort Smith, Arkansas. ACHE’s service-driven mission is to educate and train a diverse group of competent and compassionate healthcare professionals; to create health and research support facilities; and to provide healthy living environments to improve the lives of others. Founded in 2014, ACHE has experienced rapid growth and is poised to be a leader in healthcare education for years to come. ACHE is the first and only private institution in Arkansas that is dedicated solely to healthcare and wellness, and maintains a strong commitment to the surrounding community.

About Fort Smith and the Arkansas River Valley

Fort Smith is a vibrant community of around 90,000, with a low cost of living and ample recreational opportunities. Located in the beautiful Arkansas River Valley at the foothills of the Ozark mountains, Fort Smith is nestled between the Ozark-St. Francis and Ouachita National Forests. The region provides hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, hang gliding, whitewater rafting, and camping all within a short drive. In addition, the city supports a variety of cultural attractions, including museums, theaters, an award-winning symphony, and two historic entertainment districts.

LOCATION

This position is fully on-site and requires a regular presence in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Remote or hybrid work is not available for this position.

JOB SUMMARY

Under the direction of the Director of Library Services, the Health Sciences Liaison and Scholarly Communications Librarian plays a critical role in delivering information services to ACHE students, faculty, staff, and affiliated users. Serving as the primary liaison to the Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Public Health, Doctor of Medical Science, and Physician Associate Practice programs, as well as the Research Institute, this position provides specialized support in collection development, research assistance, reference services, and instructional programming. The librarian collaborates closely with faculty, students, and researchers to advance teaching, learning, and scholarship across the institution. In addition, the position leads scholarly communications initiatives, including support for scholarly publishing, open access, research impact, institutional repository activities, and the development of a systematic review education service.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as the primary library liaison to the Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Public Health, Doctor of Medical Science, and Physician Associate Practice programs, as well as the Research Institute.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with faculty, administrators, researchers, healthcare providers, and students to identify and support their teaching, learning, clinical, and research needs.
• Provide expert references, research consultations, and information services to students, faculty, staff, residents, and affiliated users.
• Design, deliver, and assess course-integrated instruction, workshops, orientations, and other educational programs that support information literacy, evidence-based practice, and lifelong learning.
• Create, maintain, and enhance LibGuides, tutorials, and other instructional materials that facilitate access to and use of library resources and services.
• Develop and manage collections and resources that support assigned liaison areas, including evaluating usage data, gathering stakeholder feedback, and recommending acquisitions and cancellations.
• Establish and coordinate a systematic review education service that provides instruction and consultation on review methodologies, literature searching, database selection, citation management, and research best practices.
• Provide scholarly communications support, including guidance on scholarly publishing, copyright, author rights, licensing, open access publishing, transformative agreements, and compliance with funder and publisher requirements.
• Educate faculty, students, and staff on responsible scholarly publishing practices, including identifying and avoiding predatory journals, publishers, and conferences.
• Support institutional repository initiatives by promoting, collecting, organizing, and disseminating faculty, staff, and student scholarship.
• Provide consultation on research impact and scholarly visibility, including citation metrics, bibliometrics, altmetrics, ORCID profiles, and strategies for increasing research dissemination and impact.
• Collaborate with academic programs, the Research Institute, and other campus stakeholders to support research, scholarships, accreditation, and institutional initiatives.
• Participate in faculty meetings, student activities, institutional committees, and professional organizations as assigned.
• Maintain current knowledge of emerging trends, technologies, best practices, and developments in health sciences librarianship, scholarly communications, and evidence synthesis through professional development and continuing education.
• Provide coverage for the responsibilities of other librarians during absences and periods of increased service demand.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Director of Library Services or their designee.

QUALIFICATIONS AND CREDENTIALS

Education and Experience

Minimum Qualifications

• An ALA accredited master’s degree in library or information science.
• Strong customer service orientation.
• Curiosity and drive to acquire new skills and knowledge.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively.
• Ability to be flexible and creative in response to rapidly changing needs and priorities.
• Demonstrated commitment to embracing diverse backgrounds, values, and points of view, and supporting an inclusive educational and employment environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• 1+ years’ experience in an academic and/or health sciences library environment.
• Experience providing library instruction and reference services.
• Working knowledge of health sciences information resources (CINAHL, Cochrane, etc.).
• Working knowledge of copyright and fair use guidelines.
• Familiarity with applications that support or enhance online learning environments such as LibGuides, Canvas.
• Knowledge of evidence-based practice principles.

Required knowledge, skills, and abilities

• Demonstrate proficiency in computer skills, i.e., Microsoft Office.
• Display professionalism for the college in all communication and interaction.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and privacy.
• Ability to prioritize and organize numerous and varied assignments.

ABILITIES AND COMPETENCIES ESSENTIAL TO THE FUNCTION OF THE JOB

Communication and Comprehension

ACHE is in full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and does not discriminate with regard to applicants or employees with disabilities and will make reasonable accommodations when necessary. The following are essential abilities and physical requirements for all positions at the college.

• Ability to orally communicate effectively with others with strong interpersonal skills and customer service orientation.
• Ability to work cooperatively with colleagues and supervisory staff at all levels.
• Ability to understand oral and written information, using the English language, and organize thoughts and ideas into effective forms of communication.
• Ability to make decisions which range from moderate to a significant impact on the immediate work environment, as well as outside contributors.
• Possess public communication skills that allow professional representation of ACHE to a variety of business and community customers and associates.
• Strong organizational skills.

Problem Solving

• Intuitively able to reason, analyze information and events, and apply judgment in order to solve problems of both a routine and complex nature.
• Expertise in negotiation.

Physical and Sensory Abilities

• May be exposed to short, intermittent, and/or prolonged periods of sitting and/or standing in performance of job duties.
• May be required to accomplish job duties using various types of equipment/supplies to include, but not limited to pens, pencils, calculators, computer keyboards, telephone, etc.
• May be required to transport oneself to other campus offices, conference rooms, and on occasion, to off-campus sites to attend meetings, conferences, workshops, seminars, etc.
• May require significant travel or work away from campus.
• Requires attendance at events representing ACHE both within as well as outside of the college setting.
• Frequently required to work at a desk, conference table or in meetings of various configurations.
• Frequently required to see for purposes of reading matter.
• Frequently required to hear and understand speech at normal levels.
• Occasionally required to lift items in a normal office environment.
• Ability to safely lift and carry up to 25 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Frequently required to operate office and presentation equipment.

If you need assistance in the application process because of a disability, or any other reason, please contact Vicki Broadaway, Vice President and Chief People Officer, at 479.308.2290 or hr@achehealth.edu.

Arkansas Colleges of Health Education is an equal opportunity employer.