Specialist Librarian for Sinology

Deadline
October 21, 2016

The Max Planck Institute for the History of Science (MPIWG) wishes to enlarge the team of its research library, and is seeking a

 

Specialist Librarian for Sinology

 

for a two-year position, to begin as soon as possible. Remuneration is based on the German TVöD

scale, up to grade E14 depending on qualifications.

 

The MPIWG is one of the more than eighty research institutes of the Max Planck Society, and is among the leading centers for research into the history of science. It offers excellent working conditions for its scholars and promotes the sustainable application of digital methods in the humanities.

 

Your tasks:

- researching, selecting, acquiring, and cataloguing Chinese sources and secondary literature in the Common Library Network (GBV)

- advising individual scholars who are researching East Asian sources related to the history of science

- creating bibliographies

- providing information skills training in the area of East Asian studies with a focus on sinology

- supporting the library management in the maintenance of existing cooperative agreements and the creation of new collaborations with collections and institutes in East Asia studies as relevant to the history of science

- supporting digitization projects by making digital material accessible and curating East Asian sources

 

Your qualifications:

- successful completion of a master’s degree and, preferably, a PhD in sinology

- very good knowledge of classical Chinese; fluent spoken and written modern Chinese and English

- sound knowledge of Chinese culture

- experience in the tasks of a research library and sound knowledge of library-related IT applications

- command of the pinyin transliteration system for Chinese characters

- familiarity with the cataloguing of Western and Chinese titles (we use PICA following the German handbook RAK-WB)

- understanding of the structure of holdings for sinological sources and secondary literature

- familiarity with the Chinese book market (PR China, Taiwan, Hong Kong)

- knowledge of the relevant electronic resources in East Asian studies

- very good oral and written communication skills, teamwork, reliability, and ability to work under pressure

- the flexibility to adapt to a continually changing academic environment, and an independent style of working

 

Desirable skills and knowledge:

- knowledge of a second East Asian language (Japanese, Korean)

- knowledge in the field of digital humanities

 

The Max Planck Society wishes to increase the proportion of women in those areas in which they are currently underrepresented. We therefore specifically encourage women to apply. The Max Planck Society is committed to employing more disabled individuals, and applications from disabled people are especially welcome. Our Institute places great value on the compatibility of work and family life. We support our employees by offering family-friendly working hours, opportunities to work at home, and help in finding appropriate childcare facilities and schools.

 

 Please send your application (letter; résumé; copies of qualifications; contact details of two referees), in a single PDF file, exclusively through our online application portal:

 

https://s-lotus.gwdg.de/mpg/mbwg/chinese_studies_librarian.nsf/application

 

Your application must be received by

 

October 21, 2016 (23:59 CET)

 

Please note that only applications submitted electronically can be considered.

Inquiries

For inquiries regarding the position, please contact Ms. Esther Chen (echen@mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de); for inquiries on the application process, contact Ms. Tanja Neuendorf (tneuendorf@mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de).