Information Specialist

Duties and Responsibilities:

Management of the Information Centre Information Centre Administration

• Plan and design annual training programmes for the year to include entry/orientation level to advanced and just-in-time information, research, literacy and academic writing sessions
• Assist students and researchers in the use of plagiarism prevention and research tools
• Ensure that collections and subscriptions answers to needs
• Marketing, Awareness, and Dissemination of Information Services Communication
• Plan and design guidelines, notices and create and awareness of postgraduate library services
• Create research profiles for researchers and lecturers and disseminate information accordingly
• Create library guides and handouts
• Actively participate in campus activities e.g. research conferences etc
• Actively take part in academic forums on campus to create awareness of the value chain of library services within Teaching and Learning

Teaching and Learning Support, Information Literacies

• Plan and present advanced research and information sessions to postgraduate students, and researchers in collaboration with academic departments and staff
• Display an excellent level of digital literacies and eResources knowledge e.g. EbscoHOST and other sources functionality, and transfer these skills to students and researchers
• Present workshops on academic integrity, plagiarism prevention, and referencing techniques
• Assist students in using referencing, plagiarism prevention, and research tools
• Deliver embedded library services on the learning management services

Policy and Standards Compliance

• Monitor adherence to all library and library-related policies and research policies and report progress or anomalies
• Ensure copyright and trademarks compliance not only in the library but with the appropriate campus Line Manager
• Promote academic ethics and intellectual integrity

Collection, Maintenance, Management, and Development

• Ensure that the library collection has up-to-date resources on research methods and methodology per discipline
• Ensure that there is access to seminal work, giving preference to having online and electronic editions rather than print where possible
• Augment available collections with interlibrary loans as and when needed
• Introduce postgraduate students to peer-reviewed articles
• Submit completed research to the research repository

Networking, Communication, and Reporting

• Compile and distribution of monthly statistical reports, with analyses and comments on trends
• Stay abreast of industry developments and participate on all internal and external forums
• Ad hoc and auxiliary duties

The incumbent will be required to:

• Work evening, after-hours and weekend shifts
• Do counter duties
• Cataloguing, classification, indexing, and item editing
• Weeding and stock control

Competencies required:

• Interpersonal and communication skills
• Coaching and mentoring skills
• Problem solving skills & Time management skills
• Best suited to a friendly, organised person who works accurately and is able to handle pressure
• Information & Digital Fluency Skills
• Digital literacy skills
• Working knowledge of MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Understanding of library-related technology e.g. Law online databases, Sirsi Dynix, Emerald, Ebscohost, Sabinet. etc.
• Multi-literacy Skills
• Innovative and Energetic
• Producing own Research

Minimum Qualification Requirements:

• Postgraduate qualification with a research component in Information Sciences or equivalent.

Minimum Experience Requirements:

• 3-5 years relevant experience