Tag Archives: University of Florida

Museums Challenge: A Symposium for Transformative Practice University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida February 17-18 2020

UF Museum Studies 20th Anniversary Symposium

In 2000, the University of Florida (UF) established a graduate program in Museum Studies. In the last twenty years, museums and museum professions have undergone critical transformations. To mark the twentieth anniversary of the program and the radical changes in Museum Studies and museums, UF is convening a symposium to examine the history and future of museums and museum professionals challenging ideas and practices in order to shape transformational knowledge and experiences.

The UF Museum Studies program states: “We believe museums can change the world.” Thus, the program centers the transformational power of museums. At this interdisciplinary symposium, we will focus on museums and Museum Studies programs:

For the history of museums: how have they engaged with and made visible the social and political challenges of their times? Particular interest will be given to how institutions, individuals, and communities manifest transformations that challenge accepted ideas and/or practices.
How have Museum Studies programs and other forms of professional training evolved to respond to changes to bring about transformations?
For the future, how can museums and Museum Studies best work in concert to lead change through transformational practice?

Twenty-years ago Stephen Weil posited that American museums were in a moment of great transformation, shifting from “Being about Something to Being for Somebody.” No longer able to be ‘salvage and warehouse business[s]’, he argued that it was imperative for museums to become more entrepreneurial and to demonstrate their impact and advocate for their value. In the decades prior to Weil’s essay, New Museology or New Museum Theory established a critical discourse for museum practice around how museums construct knowledge, engage with communities, and operate in society. Pierre Mayrand argued that this critical discourse “mobilize[d] the supporters of the radical transformation of the aims of museology, and advocates profound changes in the thinking and attitudes of the museologist.”

Today, museums continue to strive to assert their public value and critically engage with the systems and structures upon which they have been built. Many museums have shed guises of neutrality. Museum professionals are positioning their work and institutions as inherently engaged with justice, representation, and addressing historic traumas. Some museums have taken more overt stances to address critical contemporary social issues such hate crime, genocide, migration, mass incarceration, racism, and climate change through their collections and programs.

This symposium celebrates the work of museums, Museum Studies, and our communities over the past twenty years. In doing so, this program looks to the future as we work together for a more just and equitable world.

We seek proposals for participation in the symposium in various formats:

Presentations (20 minutes inclusive of discussion )
Panels (3 presentations, 75 minutes inclusive of discussion)
Roundtables (multiple presenters in conversation, 1 hour)
Lightning round presentations (5 minutes)

A publication in the form of an edited volume is planned. Selected participants will be asked to contribute to this publication with texts due in Feb 2020.

Proposals Due: Monday, August 26th
Acceptance Notifications: by Friday, September 20th

Proposal for each formats should include:

Presentations: 250 word abstract and short bio (100 words),
Panels: 500word abstract of the panel including a summary of the goals of the panel and topic the individual papers and short bios for each presenter (100 words)
Roundtables: 250 word abstract of the theme of the roundtable including the guiding questions for the conversation and short bios for each roundtable participant (100 words)
Lightning round presentations: 250 word abstract and short bio (100 words)

proposal submission form

If you have inquiries about the symposium or the proposal process you may send them to:
museumschallenge@arts.ufl.edu

New Job Postings: Student Success Librarian AND Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Librarian at UF

The George A. Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida are currently hiring two brand new and very important positions.

Student Success Librarian.

The Student Success Librarian is a year-round (12 month) tenure track faculty position that will coordinate student success support within the libraries and collaborate with student success initiatives across campus. We are seeking a service-oriented candidate who is committed to empowering undergraduate students of diverse experiences, races, ethnicities, genders, sexualities, abilities, and socioeconomic backgrounds; an innovative instructor who will develop engaging information literacy learning experiences; a creative collaborator who will coordinate and participate in campus-wide outreach efforts; and a student-centered advocate for inclusion.

Applications are due by August 20, 2019. For more information, check out the job posting: http://library.ufl.edu/pers/documents/StudentSuccessLib_PVA_Final.pdf

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Librarian.

Through a participatory Strategic Directions development process in 2018, the Libraries committed to better understanding and fostering a more inclusive workplace. As one element in our efforts, the DEI Librarian position will help the Libraries’ team members recognize, understand, value and embrace our differences as crucial to our communal work. As part of the development and implementation of a DEI program for the Libraries, the DEI Librarian will serve as the Libraries’ Campus Diversity Liaison (CDL), working within a network of peer positions from across the University as well as serving as a liaison within the Libraries. We seek a capacity builder who will create, in collaboration with people of diverse cultural backgrounds and origins, races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, and perspectives, meaningful dialogue and change.

The DEI Librarian will participate in national dialogues within the United States and globally that promote the establishment of professional practices in libraries and programs to enhance the opportunities of minority and underrepresented groups in the library profession.

Applications are due by August 30, 2019. For more information, check out the job posting: http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/pers/documents/DEILib_PVA-FINAL_2019.pdf

Authors@UF: Dr. Barbara Mennel

Barbara Mennel
Rothman Chair and Director, Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere
Associate Professor, Departments of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, and English.

Wednesday, March 20, 2019
3:30 p.m., Smathers Library, Room 100

Women at Work in Twenty-First-Century European Cinema
University of Illinois Press, 2019

From hairdressers and caregivers to reproductive workers and power-suited executives, images of women’s labor have powered a fascinating new movement within twenty-first century European cinema. Social realist dramas capture precarious working conditions. Comedies exaggerate the habits of the global managerial class. Stories from countries battered by the global financial crisis emphasize the patriarchal family, debt, and unemployment. Barbara Mennel delves into the ways these films about female labor capture the tension between feminist advances and their appropriation by capitalism in a time of ongoing transformation.

Looking at independent and genre films from a cross-section of European nations, Mennel sees a focus on economics and work adapted to the continent’s varied kinds of capitalism and influenced by concepts in second-wave feminism. More than ever, narratives of work put female characters front and center–and female directors behind the camera. Yet her analysis shows that each film remains a complex mix of progressive and retrogressive dynamics as it addresses the changing nature of work in Europe.

Barbara Mennel’s research interests include transnational cinematic practices, feminist and queer theory, and the intersection of urban studies and film studies. She is author of four books on literature and film and two co-edited volumes, including Women at Work in Twenty-first Century European Cinema (2019). The second revised edition of her book Cities and Cinema (Routledge, 2008) is forthcoming this June. She is currently working on a director study of experimental filmmaker Su Friedrich, under contract with University of Illinois Press as well.

Position Vacancy Announcement: Anthropology Librarian at UF

POSITION VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

POSITION: Anthropology Librarian
RANK: Assistant University Librarian or Associate University Librarian
REPORTS TO: Associate Chair, Humanities & Social Sciences Library (Library West)
SALARY: Minimum salary at the Assistant University Librarian rank is $54,035
Minimum salary at the Associate University Librarian rank is $62,500
Actual salary will reflect selected professional’s experience and credentials
REQUISITION #: 43739
DEADLINE DATE: March 29, 2019 – applications will be reviewed as received.
Please note: this posting has specific instructions for the submission of application materials. Failure to submit required documents may result in the application not being considered.

JOB SUMMARY
The Anthropology Librarian is a year-round (12 month) tenure track library faculty position responsible for the overall development, management and coordination of the George A. Smathers Libraries resources in all formats for archaeology, and biological, cultural and linguistic anthropology. The position supports the University’s academic programs including the Department of Anthropology as well as interdisciplinary programs supported by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Responsibilities include analyzing the University’s programs in anthropology, collaborating with librarians and academic faculty to establish collection profiles, selection guidelines, and preservation, location and cataloging priorities; and evaluating existing collection strengths and current collecting intensities. Collaborates with other employees to provide support in the broader area of the social sciences, especially interdisciplinary areas. This position manages specialized subject area reference services, library instruction, and online database services.
The Smathers Libraries encourage staff participation in reaching management decisions and consequently the Anthropology Librarian will serve on various committees and teams. To support all students and faculty, and foster excellence in a diverse and collaborative society, the Libraries are actively seeking candidates who bring culturally-rich lived experiences to work with individuals of diverse backgrounds, experiences, races, ethnicities, genders, gender identities, sexual orientation, and perspectives. The Smathers Libraries recently created a new strategic direction focused on ensuring that the Libraries are a safe, supportive and welcoming learning environment for all users and on focusing engagement efforts to diverse populations within the University and local community. The Anthropology Librarian will pursue professional development opportunities, including research, publication, and professional service activities in order to meet library-wide criteria for tenure and promotion.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
– Develops relationships with appropriate academic faculty, including those in the Department of Anthropology and interdisciplinary programs supported by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
– Keeps informed of the development of academic programs and faculty interests to ensure that the Libraries’ collections and services support curriculum and research needs, and informs clientele about relevant Libraries’ issues.
– Responsible for advanced reference and research consultation in support of anthropological studies, including the development of LibGuides and other online resources.
– Defines goals, establishes objectives, plans and manages budgets, and coordinates collection development activities with other subject specialists, and librarians, with respect to resources for the anthropological studies, and related collections.
– Analyzes the anthropology collection development program and activities and provides reports, strategies, assessments, and studies or surveys as required. Participates in the Humanities and Social Sciences general reference program.
– Participates in outreach and instruction programs using traditional classroom and active learning methods and innovative educational technologies.
– Supports diversity, equity and inclusion efforts as part of the Libraries Strategic Directions.
– Participates in appropriate professional development and continuing education endeavors and engages in scholarly service and research resulting in publication.
– Liaises and collaborates with faculty, students, researchers and other departments to further library scholarship initiatives and partnerships.
-Performs scholarly research and provides service at the institutional and professional levels as related to assignment and in accordance with tenure and promotion criteria
– Participates in Library fundraising efforts and grant projects.

QUALIFICATIONS:
Required:
– Master’s degree in Library or Information Science from an ALA-accredited program, or other relevant advanced degree in subject specialty with a minimum of two years of library work experience.
– For appointment at the Associate University Librarian rank, eight years of relevant experience
– Familiarity with scholarly literature of anthropology.
– Excellent analytical and organizational skills.
– Ability to work both independently and collaboratively with faculty, students, administrators, and the general public.
– Excellent verbal and written communication skills as well as effective presentation skills.
– Commitment to including individuals of diverse backgrounds, experiences, races, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientation, and perspectives in research, teaching, service and other work.
– Initiative, flexibility and the ability to adapt to a complex, rapidly changing academic environment.
– Competence with information technologies and demonstrated effectiveness in integrating technology with traditional services and resources.
– Competence with office technology and willingness to learn new technology.
– Strong potential for meeting the requirements of tenure and promotion.
Preferred:
– Advanced degree in anthropology or related field.
– Undergraduate degree in anthropology or other relevant discipline, or extensive work experience in a relevant subject area.
– Experience providing reference and/or instructional services related to anthropology and social sciences in an academic or research library environment.
– Sound knowledge of collection management, reference, and instructional practices and standards.
– Experience in evaluating print and online resources.
– Experience managing collections in an academic or research library.
– Proficient in the creation of web pages and web based materials
– Experience in digital scholarship and data curation.

THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
The University of Florida (UF) is a major, public, comprehensive, land-grant, research university. The state’s oldest and most comprehensive university, UF is among the nation’s most academically diverse public universities and won the 2018 Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization.
UF was ranked 9th among public universities in Forbes’ “America’s Best Employers 2015” and 8th among “Top Public Schools” in U.S. News and World in 2018. UF has a long history of established programs in
international education, research and service. In 2013 the Florida Legislature designated UF as the state’s preeminent institution which grew into an opportunity to achieve national and international recognition for
the University’s work in serving students and the world. It is one of only 17 public, land-grant universities that belong to the Association of American Universities. UF traces its beginnings to a small seminary in 1853 and is now one of the largest universities in the nation, with more than 50,000 students. For more information, please consult the UF homepage at http://www.ufl.edu.

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA LIBRARIES
The libraries of the University of Florida form the largest information resource system in the state of Florida. The UF Libraries consist of seven libraries on the Gainesville campus and three off-campus facilities; six of the campus libraries, and all of the off-site facilities, are in the system known as the George A. Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida. The remaining library is the Lawton Chiles Legal Information Center. Collectively, the UF Libraries (the Smathers Libraries and the Legal
Information Center) hold or provide access to over 6 million print volumes, 8.1 million microfilms, 1.5 million e-books, over 145,000 full-text electronic journals, 827 electronic databases, 1.3 million documents and 1.4 million maps and images. The UF Libraries have built a number of nationally significant research collections, including the Latin American, Judaica, Florida History, Children’s Literature, and Maps and Imagery collections. The UF Libraries are a member of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), the Center for Research Libraries (CRL), and the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries (ASERL). The library staff consists of
more than 300 FTE librarians, technical/clerical staff and student assistants. The organizational chart is available at http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/orgchart.pdf.
The George A. Smathers Libraries are strong advocates for inclusion and intellectual freedom. The Libraries’ commitment to both is articulated in the Inclusion Statement and Intellectual Freedom Statement, both of which are posted at http://cms.uflib.ufl.edu/InclusionAndIntellectualFreedom.

HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES LIBRARY (Library West)
The Humanities and Social Sciences Library (Library West) is the largest branch library on the UF campus, with 17 faculty and 13 staff members, seating for 1,600 patrons, and 217 public computers, including iPads and other circulating technologies. Last year, Library West received over 1.2 million visitors. Renovated in 2006, the branch offers 18 group study rooms, a student video production space, faculty and graduate carrels as well as a limited-access floor for graduate students. One classroom is available with 19 computers for hands-on instruction. The Scott Nygren Digital Scholars Studio is a flexible space that allows seats to be arranged for individual or group projects, or auditorium style for presentations/workshops. Within the branch, there are four functional units: Research Assistance, Instruction and Outreach, Collections, and Circulation; these units are managed by coordinators who oversee the daily functions. See the organizational chart for current structure of the department.

COMMUNITY
Gainesville, Florida and the surrounding community are home to approximately 257,000 people and both the University of Florida and Santa Fe College. Situated just over an hour from the Gulf of Mexico and the
Atlantic Ocean, the city is surrounded by over 40 nature parks, including many spring-fed lakes and rivers.
In 2015, Gainesville was named the “Best Midsize College City in America” by WalletHub and ranked no.7 on Livability.com “Top 10 College Towns.” Gainesville is known as an innovative municipal government and an innovative city. Gainesville continues to receive national recognition as a top-rated city. Some of Gainesville’s accolades are listed at the Gainesville Awards and Recognition link. The Guide to Greater Gainesville combines award winning photography and compelling articles that capture all of the reasons for calling Greater Gainesville your next home. The area has numerous cultural institutions and is a haven for sports fans. Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, Tallahassee, and St. Augustine are all within a two-hour drive. Gainesville is an affordable city and area to live in – using a cost of living calculator you can compare cities across the United States. See how affordable Gainesville really is.

BENEFITS
Vacation days, paid holidays, and sick leave days; retirement plan options; insurance benefits; tuition fee waiver program; no state or local income tax. Prospective employees should review the information about employment and benefits at UF available at http://hr.ufl.edu/benefits/. UF offers a comprehensive new online benefits tool called ALEX to help employees and prospective employees review benefit choices at UF.

APPLICATION PROCESS
To apply, submit 1) a cover letter detailing your interest in and qualifications for this position; 2) a written essay on this topic (in 250 words or less) “As the Anthropology Librarian, how would you reach out to students and faculty to promote library programs and services?”; 3) your current resume or CV; and 4) a list of three references including their contact information (address, telephone number, and email). Apply by March 29, 2019 (applications will be reviewed as received). Submit all application materials through the Jobs at UF online application system at Requisition 43739. Failure to submit the required documents may result in the application not being considered. If you have any questions or concerns about this process please contact Bonnie Smith, George A. Smathers Libraries Human Resources Office, at bonniesmith@ufl.edu.
Final candidate will be required to provide official transcript to the hiring department upon hire. A transcript will not be considered “official” if a designation of “Issued to Student” is visible. Degrees earned from an education institution outside of the United States are required to be evaluated by a professional credentialing service provider approved by National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), which can be found at http://www.naces.org/.

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EEO
The University of Florida is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from women and minority group members. We are dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse and pluralistic environment; we strongly encourage applications from women, members of underrepresented groups, individuals with disabilities, and veterans. As part of the application process, applicants are invited to complete an on-line confidential and voluntary demographic self-disclosure form. This information is collected by the University of Florida’s Office of Human Resources to track applicant trends and is in no way considered by the Smathers Libraries in the selection process.

Graduate Student Workshop Series: Building Your Career. Spring 2019

Graduate Student Workshop Series: Building Your Career.

Spring 2019

Getting Published: Navigating the Peer Review Process (Feb. 6). This workshop provides an “authors-eye view” of the peer review process. Covered topics include selecting appropriate journals, understanding editors’ goals, formatting your manuscript, responding to reviews, and more.

Dr. David Schwieder, Political Science Librarian.

Getting Hired: Navigating the Academic Job Market (Feb. 13). This workshop provides a brief introduction and discussion about approaching the academic job market and application process in the last year of graduate school.

Dr. Megan Daly, Classics, Philosophy, and Religion Librarian.

Getting Known: Developing a Web Presence (Feb. 20). This workshop provides an overview of how to create and maintain a professional web presence by using personal websites, digital projects, and social media platforms like Twitter or Facebook.

Dr. Hélène Huet, European Studies Librarian.

Getting (Mildly) Famous: Broadcasting Your Expertise (Feb. 27). This workshop provides tips on how to pitch an op-ed and start a podcast: two tried-and-true techniques for making anonymous graduate students into publicly-recognized experts in their fields.

Dr. Sean Trainor, Lecturer, Management Communication Center.

All sessions are Period 4 10:40-11:30 a.m.

Room 212 Library West (Scott Nygren Studio)

No registration required

All UF Graduate and Professional Students Are Welcome

Poster for Graduate Student Workshop Series Spring 2019

New Book Chapter is Out: Improving Graduate Students’ Research Skills

Hello everyone. I am pleased to announce that my book chapter “Improving Graduate Students’ Research Skills: The Graduate Student Research Series at the University of Florida.” is out in the book Transforming Libraries to Serve Graduate Students.

Interested in buying the book? You can find it here: https://www.alastore.ala.org/content/transforming-libraries-serve-graduate-students.

Thanks to the editors Crystal Renfro and Cheryl Stiles for their hard work.

Graduate Student Research Series – Fall 2018

Image of the poster for the Graduate STudent Research Series for Fall 2018

Fall 2018
Graduate Student Research Series

Could you use a little help with your research? With finding and synthesizing scholarly materials? With becoming an expert in your field? With editing and polishing your works as well as becoming a more effective academic writer?

UF Librarians Hélène Huet (European Studies), David Schwieder (Political Science), and Megan Daly (Classics, Philosophy, and Religion), and UF Professional Writing Professor Sean Trainor, will present a series of research-focused sessions to help graduate students with the following topics:

Wednesday October 3         Session 1: Finding Scholarly Materials for Your Research
Wednesday October 10       Session 2: Synthesizing Scholarly Materials and Becoming an Expert in Your Field
Wednesday October 17       Session 3: Becoming a Versatile, Effective Academic Writer
Wednesday October 24       Session 4: Editing and Polishing Abstracts, Papers, and Articles for Submission

All sessions are Period 4 10:40-11:30 a.m.
Room 212 Library West (Scott Nygren Studio)
No registration required
All UF Graduate and Professional Students Are Welcome

Session 1: Finding Scholarly Materials for Your Research

In this session, you will learn how to navigate the library’s website in order to find the books, articles, videos, and other materials needed for your research. You will also learn about various library and on-campus resources that will be of help during your academic career at the University of Florida

Session 2: Synthesizing Scholarly Materials and Becoming an Expert in Your Field

The heart of a graduate school education involves becoming an expert in your field. This session draws on cognitive and social psychology literatures to offer practical approaches designed to help you synthesize your voluminous graduate school reading load and effectively and efficiently develop subject field expertise.

Session 3: Becoming a Versatile, Effective Academic Writer

In this session, you will learn:

– Four simple techniques you can adopt to enhance your academic writing, and;
– Why writing like a journalist can make you a better scholarly writer.

Dr. Sean Trainor will lead the session. Dr. Trainor is a professor of professional writing at the University of Florida and a freelance writer.

Session 4: Editing and Polishing Abstracts, Papers, and Articles for Submission

How do you edit an abstract so it’s less than 300 words but still effectively communicates your ideas? How can you polish your conference paper so it reads well in front of a live audience? How can you perfect a draft of an article to make it clear, scholarly, and professional? This session offers tips on how to put the finishing touches on your work so you can put your best foot forward.

Passport to Great Teaching at the University of Florida

The Office of Faculty Development & Teaching Excellence is kicking off a new certificate program this fall called Passport to Great Teaching! Earn “travel miles” by participating in workshops, conferences, faculty learning communities and much more. Receive badges after traveling 400 miles in a specific category. Get your Great Teaching for New Faculty Certificate or your Great Teaching Certificate after traveling 1,000 miles. Check out the September offerings in the attached newsletter.

The Passport to Great teaching includes a Faculty Learning Community track for folks interested in a deep dive into a specific topic.

To learn more and register for one of the Faculty Learning Communities please visit the FLC registration webpage. Current Communities are:

Creative Assessment: Facilitated by Dr. Tim Brophy
Experiential Learning: Facilitated by Dr. Crystal Marull and Dr. Pamela Dickrell
Digital Literacy: Facilitated by Dr. Sid Dobrin

Check out some of our resources on the new Teach.ufl.edu website such as the Resource Library, recent episodes of the Beyond the Podium Podcast and Magna Campus which includes a full subscription to Faculty Focus.

University of Florida Special Collections/Area Studies Travel Grants

The Special and Area Studies Collections at the University of Florida has issued its call for Travel to Collections grants.
Travel grants up to $2,500 are available to undertake research between August 1, 2018 and June 30, 2019 with any of UF’s Special and Area Studies Collections. Proposals are due Friday, June 1, 2018 with award notifications expected the week of July 1, 2018.
Judging criteria includes prioritization for interdisciplinary research and/or use of more than one collection, and proposals that support a feasible and tangible publication (e.g., an article, dissertation or book chapter). Awardees must travel 100 miles or farther to be eligible.

For application process and guidelines, please visit: http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/spec/Travel2CollectionsCFP.pdf
For information on Special and Area Studies Collections, University of Florida: http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/spec/
If you have questions about the suitability of your proposal, or need information on any aspect of the program, please contact Flo Turcotte by phone (352-273-2767) or email (turcotte@ufl.edu).

Digital Humanities Study Abroad, UF in Trinidad and Tobago

UF Digital Humanities & Public History Study Abroad in Trinidad & Tobago

The deadline to apply for UF in Trinidad and Tobago, a new and unique study abroad opportunity during Summer B, is little more than a week away—March 15.
UF in Trinidad and Tobago is designed to immerse students in the history and cultures of Trinidad and the broader Caribbean through oral history fieldwork and digital humanities production. Major themes of the course are religion, Trinidadian literature, anti-slavery and anti-colonial movements, oral history, historical memory, and public history. Excursions include Nelson Island, the island of Tobago, key heritage and eco-tourist sites, beaches, and more.
Dr. Ortiz, the lead faculty instructor and director of the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program, is very excited to bring students to Trinidad and Tobago for a fun, immersive, and hands-on learning experience.
Students will earn six history credits at the 4,000-level through the program. Visit the link below to apply. Please send any application or program questions to portiz@ufl.edu or akotipoyina@gmail.com.
https://www.abroad.ufic.ufl.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=programs.ViewProgram&Program_ID=12655