Description

Under the general supervision of the Associate Dean for Academic Services, the Business Librarian serves as a strategic partner to align instructional support, research services, and collection decisions with Cal Poly’s "Learn by Doing" philosophy. A central responsibility of the position is sustained engagement as the primary liaison to the Orfalea College of Business (OCOB), where they support undergraduate and graduate programs across the San Luis Obispo, Solano, and community college 2+2 degree contexts. Additionally, the Business Librarian plays a lead liaison role for Agribusiness in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences (CAFES), supporting hands-on, interdisciplinary programs that integrate quantitative analysis and industry engagement. In this capacity, the position will also support the growing portfolio of innovation and entrepreneurship at Cal Poly, ensuring strategic library alignment with campus-wide initiatives.

Because business-related research and instruction are highly interdisciplinary at Cal Poly, the role extends to several academic units including Marine Transportation, Wine and Viticulture, Industrial Manufacturing and Engineering, Graphic Communication, and the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. To meet evolving curricular priorities and accreditation requirements, the Business Librarian actively collaborates with library colleagues, students, faculty, and administrators. This work is executed through a strategic blend of shared services, internal capacity building, and leadership in research consultation and outreach to ensure a vibrant learning experience across all business-related disciplines at Cal Poly.

In addition to discipline-specific liaison responsibilities, the Business Librarian contributes to library-wide initiatives that advance institutional goals and learning outcomes. These include general reference, campus engagement, and service activities that strengthen the library’s role as an integrated academic partner.

Tenure-track librarians hold full faculty status and are expected to be prepared to meet the requirements for tenure and promotion. This includes supporting their practice through an active program of scholarship or creative work; participating in shared governance; and contributing service at the library, campus, and professional levels in alignment with the goals of the University Library, Cal Poly, and the California State University system.

Kennedy Library recognizes that candidates may have acquired relevant experience in a variety of ways.  We expect candidates to be stronger in some required qualifications than others.  We are committed to helping future colleagues expand their skills as well as learning from their areas of strength.

Requirements

Professional Responsibilities

• Serves as the primary library liaison to the Orfalea College of Business and the Agricultural Business Department in the College of Agriculture and
• Environmental Sciences, actively integrating library programs, services, and resources into curricular and research activities.
• Provides specialized business reference and research services, including scheduled and unscheduled consultations via email, chat, phone, and in-person.
• Designs and delivers workshops, orientations, and instructional materials in both in-person and online environments.In collaboration with library colleagues, builds and maintains the Library’s collections in all formats to support business curricular and research needs at Cal Poly.
• Takes individual and collaborative measures to understand constituent needs, assess the reach and effectiveness of library services, and close the assessment loop by taking steps to ensure the Cal Poly goal of universal student success.
• Develops and assists with library outreach and collaborative initiatives, participates in campus events, and fosters community engagement for the mutual benefit of students and the region.
• Active and contributing member of the Academic Services team.

Professional Growth and Contribution

• Leverages knowledge of users’ needs and trends in librarianship and business education to develop and maintain effective programs that support innovative teaching, learning, and productive research.
• Maintains awareness of trends in scholarly communication, data management, and other emerging program areas, integrating these into outreach and instructional services for business-related programs and the university.
• Engages in an active program of research and scholarship, including externally validated presentations and publications.
• Contributes to the knowledge base of the profession, particularly within areas of specialized expertise.

Service and Other Activities

• Serves on select library, university, and system-wide committees, working groups, and special initiatives related to professional expertise and the needs of the library.
• Contributes to shared governance as an active member of the library and campus faculties.

Required Qualifications

• ALA-accredited Master’s Degree in Library and Information Sciences, or comparable experience with a relevant advanced degree, at the time of appointment.
• Three years of relevant experience.
• Skill in using business information resources, including economic, financial, legal, management, competitive intelligence, and marketing data sources.
• Familiarity with content, licensing, and functionality considerations for core academic and/or commercial business information products.
• Awareness of equity-related issues in business and economics, such as sustainability, inclusive entrepreneurship, and structural dynamics affecting leadership, education, and labor.
• Experience providing instruction and/or reference support for entrepreneurship, company/industry research, labor relations, operations and supply chain management, or intellectual property information needs.
• Ability to design and deliver effective, accessible learning experiences in in-person, virtual, and asynchronous environments.
• Experience or demonstrated ability communicating and promoting library services to varied audiences.
• Experience participating in collections planning, assessment, or prioritization. 
• Ability to work at both tactical and strategic levels, translating disciplinary needs into sustainable research support and collections approaches.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team, with and in support of culturally diverse faculty, students, and staff.
• Excellent oral and written communication, collaboration, and project management skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree, or substantial subject experience, in business, economics, marketing, or a related field.
• Ability to articulate trade-offs, advocate for resources in consortial decision-making, and incorporate diverse economic perspectives, global contexts, and nontraditional research outputs.
• Familiarity with evidence synthesis practices and their implications for research support and collection strategy.
• Familiarity or expertise with quantitative, statistical, or spatial analysis tools (e.g., SPSS, ArcGIS, or programming languages/environments such as R).
• Skill in using instructional software and multimedia tools (such as Camtasia, Articulate, Powtoon, etc.), to create engaging learning experiences.
• General public services experience in an academic or special library.
• Professional competency in Spanish.