Librarian, Reference and Instruction (2993)

Vancouver Island University (VIU) Library is known as a leader for consistently identifying, leveraging, and advancing strategic regional, national, and international collaborations, for both local and collective benefit. The Library continues to transform, along with VIU, in response to the communities we serve. We are proud of our reputation and committed to continual improvement. We are actively implementing our 2025 Strategic Plan to articulate our sustained commitments and sustaining relationships together with a future roadmap for the department. At VIU, we commit to valuing human diversity in all its dimensions and to maintaining a learning and working environment which is equitable, diverse and inclusive. We strive to deliver inclusive service, affirming the dignity of those we serve, regardless of heritage, education, beliefs, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical or mental health, physical or cognitive capabilities, or socio-economic status. VIU Library upholds the VIU Indigenous Commitment by striving to acknowledge and better understand library relationships to Indigenous knowledges. We are concerned with how to respect and learn from principles and values of Indigenous knowledge systems in library practices and services, with a particular focus on the principles and practices of a Coast Salish knowledge system situated in this territory, so that we are grounded in culturally responsive practice, working toward decolonizing library services and promoting a sense of belonging that has often been lacking for Indigenous people in academic spaces.

This position will focus primarily on delivery of library reference and instructional services, with potential for participation in subject liaison activities, collection development, and select projects.

Our work is led by the VIU’s Strategic Plan, the VIU Academic Plan, and the Library Strategic Plan, and is guided by key documents and recommendations, as applicable to our local and regional contexts, including: UNDRIP; Truth & Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action; First Nations Principles of OCAP®; CFLA Position Statement on Indigenous Knowledge; CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance; the Protocols for Native American Archival Materials, and the Reconciliation Framework: The Response to the Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Taskforce. 

Employment Group

VIUFA

Position Number

00210

Division

Provost and Vice-President Academic

Department

Library Administration

Campus

Nanaimo campus *Successful candidates must be able to attend in person on campus as required.

Location

Nanaimo, British Columbia

Country

Canada

Appointment Type

temporary part-time

Workload

17.5 hours per week (may extend up to 21 hours per week)

Pay Level

VIUFA F2: $71,141 - $114,001 per annum (prorated if part-time).

Starting Salary

Faculty are placed on the salary scale based on education, experience and placement criteria as outlined in the Collective Agreement

Appointment Start Date

24-Aug-2026

Appointment End Date

28-May-2027

Leave Replacement

Appointment may be extended or end early, depending on return of incumbent.

Applicant Documents

CV/Resume, Cover Letter, Qualifications , Name and contact information of recent supervisors willing to provide a reference

Posted Date

02-Jul-2026

Closing Date

15-Jul-2026

Job Reference

2993

Duties:

• You are a member of a team of librarians, working together to design and deliver a cohesive program of research help, liaison services for assigned decanal areas, and collection-based solutions that enhance information and digital literacies and learning outcomes across the university.
• You are comfortable working within a collaborative professional environment. You contribute your perspectives to the Library’s strategic initiatives and day-to-day operations, and in turn you are pleased to see your ideas transformed by your colleagues’ perspectives into team-defined visions and plans that are greater than the sum of their parts.
• By engaging learners with your enthusiasm and ideas, you champion the Library’s goal of information and digital literacies as core competencies.
• You provide responsive, in-depth reference and research consultations to students and faculty across a range of formats, including in-person, chat, email, and individual appointments.
• In collaboration with faculty and library colleagues, you plan, develop and deliver information literacy instruction, including instruction within the Degree English Requirement foundational skills courses at VIU. You develop learning outcomes, instructional materials, activities, and research guides; assess student learning and instructional effectiveness; and respond to emerging instructional needs, including questions related to AI and new technologies.
• You work in partnership with other librarians to provide liaison responsibilities in assigned areas.
• You participate in student orientation events and tours.
• You engage with and draw from the core competencies of your profession and from collegial networks to shape your practice.
• You participate in the Library’s information and digital literacy community of practice to develop critical and effective approaches to emerging issues in the information environment.
• You participate in a range of activities, including institutional, faculty, and departmental committee meetings and other initiatives as needed; grant-funded or collaborative projects; and professional activities in keeping with their discipline in and outside the institution, as required.
• You work collegially and in close collaboration with library faculty, decanal areas, university and cohort stakeholders and partners, internal and external to VIU.
• You undertake additional library projects as assigned or required.

Required Qualifications:

Master of Library and Information Science, or equivalent, from an ALA- accredited program, and a minimum of 1 year experience working as a librarian, preference given to those with academic library experience but other library experience will be considered.

• Experience delivering reference and research help services, preferably in an academic library.
• Knowledge of current professional standards, frameworks, and best practices in information literacy, reference, research support, and academic librarianship, including those developed by ACRL and RUSA.
• Demonstrated ability to plan and deliver engaging, accessible and inclusive library instruction for learners with diverse backgrounds, abilities, and experiences, informed by knowledge of pedagogical approaches.
• Demonstrated familiarity with the environment of information related to academic libraries, including discovery layers, academic databases, openly-licensed resources, and common user-facing tools for managing and sharing information.
• Familiarity with key guidance for library collections in relation to decolonial practices; demonstrated record of connecting these with particular opportunities and challenges for practice in liaison work and library organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, in coordination with colleagues and using evidence-based approaches, with students, faculty, administrators, and staff, with external partners and community members, and having awareness and sensitivity in relation to equity deserving groups.
• Demonstrated confidence with technology, and familiarity with tools commonly used in the university environment.
• Evidence of student-centred learning focus in planning and decision-making.
• Demonstrated organizational, planning, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to take initiative, set priorities, manage time wisely, and make quick, effective decisions in a fast-paced collaborative environment while intentionally maintaining coordination and trust within a team.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Familiarity with principles of e-resource maintenance, proxied authentication, and digital collections infrastructure would be an asset.

If this job description is of interest to you, and you have a Master of Library/Information Science, or equivalent, from an ALA-accredited institution, we still encourage you to apply. We understand that experiences and qualifications vary.

VIU is pleased to offer eligible employees a comprehensive benefit plan; ample paid holiday time; professional development opportunities and a desirable pension plan. As part of the VIU campus community, our employees work with supportive colleagues within an encouraging environment and are provided with the tools and training that promote learning and development. The perks of VIU employment are multiple, and include well-being initiatives and services, strategic discounts, and flexible work opportunities.

Note: 

• Short-listed candidates must provide original transcripts, or applicable original certifications at time of interview.
• All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.
• Vancouver Island University (VIU) is collectively committed to building and sustaining a diverse and inclusive working and learning environment for faculty, staff, and students.  In our journey towards greater diversity, we invite applications from members of equity-seeking communities including women, racialized and Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, persons of all gender identities and sexual orientations who bring value to the VIU community through their lived experiences.  We encourage members of all equity-seeking groups to self-identify within their application cover letter.  When a candidate voluntarily discloses this information in their cover letter, the information will be used only for the fulfillment of the career opportunity.  Disclosure and/or self-identification with an equity-seeking group will not lead to advantageous treatment of a candidate who is not qualified.

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