Middle East and Islamic Studies Information and Resource Specialist

About the role

Screen reader users may encounter difficulty with this site. For assistance with applying, please contact hr-accessibleapplication@osu.edu . If you have questions while submitting an application, please review these frequently asked questions . Current Employees and Students: If you are currently employed or enrolled as a student at The Ohio State University, please l og in to Workday to use the internal application process. Welcome to The Ohio State University's career site. We invite you to apply to positions of interest. In order to ensure your application is complete, you must complete the following: Ensure you have all necessary documents available when starting the application process. You can review the additional job description section on postings for documents that may be required. Prior to submitting your application, please review and update (if necessary) the information in your candidate profile as it will transfer to your application. Job Title: Middle East and Islamic Studies Information and Resource Specialist Department: Libraries | Special Collections and Area Studies The Middle East and Islamic Studies Information and Resource Specialist will support the Middle East Studies Center (MES C ) and the Department of Near Eastern and South Asian Languages and Cultures (NESA) , by assisting with research support, instructional activities, and collection discovery during a period of transition. This role emphasizes research consultations, faculty engagement, and the active promotion of collections, helping users navigate and interpret resources in a complex, global research environment. University Libraries' faculty and staff embrace Ohio State's Shared Values and strive to enact the behaviors guided by those values in all that we do. This position is dedicated to advancing the culture of University Libraries and the work of the Special Collections and Area Studies unit. All other duties as assigned. This is a temporary position from the date of hire through December 31st, 2026. The Ohio State University Libraries supports one of the nation's leading public research institutions, Ohio State University, a Carnegie R1 university recognized for its strength in research, outreach, and innovation. The Libraries play a central role in advancing interdisciplinary and globally focused scholarship, including through a robust partnership with the Office of International Affairs and its Area Studies Centers. Primary Responsibilities: Liaison & Engagement Work collaboratively with departmental partners to identify, develop, and support programmatic outreach efforts and initiatives that enhance the visibility and use of collections and services. Supports liaison activities to NESA and the MESC in coordination with faculty, students, and visiting scholars to understand research and teaching needs, and assists with outreach and programmatic initiatives. Research & Instruction Support Provide basic research assistance in Middle East and Islamic Studies using established tools, guides, and referral pathways. Track and respond to research consultation requests, referring complex or specialized inquiries to senior staff. Log and categorize inquiries for reporting Update targeted research guides or source lists for courses, faculty projects, or visiting scholars based on existing templates and direction. Follow up with faculty after instruction sessions to refine support for future courses Note potential gaps in available resources and communicate observations in materials or digital tools to support research needs Collection Development & Discovery Support the development and discoverability of interdisciplinary research collections, with a focus on Arabic-language materials and, as appropriate, Turkish, Persian and other foreign language resources in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, reporting issues or questions. Check availability and access points for key resources; flag broken links or access issues Review new and existing materials (print and digital) to assess relevance for current teaching and research, with an eye toward communicating collection strengths and new acquisitions to users Digital Content & Resource Visibility Maintain and enhance the visibility and usability of research resources. Update and maintain LibGuides and other research pages for accuracy and functionality following established standards and guidelines. Check links, metadata, and descriptions on discovery pages to ensure functionality and clarity Assist with drafting short content blog posts or short features under direction, highlighting collections, new acquisitions, or research pathways, and connecting collections to current events, courses, or faculty research Assessment & Operational Support Contribute to assessment and reporting activities that support department program visibility and planning. Track statistics on consultations, instruction sessions, and reference interactions Compile basic usage data for guides, se

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