Assistant Professor, Tenure Track, in Library and Information Science
Position Overview
Organization: Information School
Title: Assistant Professor, Tenure Track, in Library and Information Science
Position Details
Position Description
The University of Washington Information School (iSchool) is accepting applications for a tenure-track faculty position at the Assistant Professor level starting September 1, 2025.
We are seeking a scholar of Library and Information Science (LIS). This position will be expected to engage in creative, collaborative, and forward-thinking research and education, to support the Information School’s goal of forging a more just and sustainable future.
As a highly interdisciplinary unit, we encourage our faculty to engage in information-based approaches to understand and to address systemic challenges and to make social impact. This position will be expected to contribute to our research and teaching portfolio in LIS. Duties include conducting original and innovative research that examines the critical roles and evolving landscape of libraries, archives, and other knowledge organizations in a diverse, networked, and information-rich world, in one or more of the Information School’s current strategic areas: climate change, health and wellness, healthy information environments, and responsibility in artificial intelligence.
The UW iSchool places an emphasis in research and teaching on a deep understanding of social and ethical dimensions and issues in LIS and to how we can use data and digital technologies to empower diverse communities and to advance informational justice. We also seek applicants who will contribute through LIS research to one or more of the iSchool’s strategic areas. The successful candidate’s scholarship and teaching focus may be in particular focus areas such as:
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libraries and archives as catalysts for intellectual freedom, decolonization, and the democratization of civic engagement, including through partnerships with community organizations and professionals such as social workers and public health experts;
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cultural, social, and ideological politics and practices of knowledge organization, representation, metadata and categorization, and management of digital content and cultural heritage collections;
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building, managing, and deploying emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence for and in libraries;
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facilitating learning of all types with children and youth that leverages the strength of libraries and archives as learning institutions;
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the role of libraries and archives in advancing Indigenous knowledges and data sovereignty;
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improving community health and decreasing health disparities through libraries and other knowledge organizations;
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the design, delivery, and assessment of ethically informed information systems sensitive to the needs of diverse communities;
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addressing cultural heritage concerns amid the climate crisis and advancing sustainability in and via libraries and archives.
Candidates with interests in other cutting-edge LIS-related topics are also encouraged to apply. Successful candidates will conduct research and teaching that either centers on or strongly aligns with libraries and archives.
The faculty member hired for this position will be expected to develop expertise and a strong research trajectory in order to contribute to fostering a more informed, just, and equitable society through libraries, archives, and the wider information world. We expect that candidates will help augment the educational mission of the iSchool’s highly-ranked MLIS degree program in preparing future information professionals to responsibly develop and use information technologies.
The iSchool is committed to the values of equity, diversity, inclusion, tribal sovereignty, and accessibility. This position will be expected to contribute to our interdisciplinary environment that respects a wide variety of research and practice traditions, and that embraces innovation in research and methods.
The position is a full-time 9-month tenure track appointment at the rank of Assistant Professor, with an anticipated start date of September 1, 2025. All University of Washington faculty engage in teaching, research, and service. This position will be expected to:
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Conduct high-quality research
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Seek and acquire extramural funding for research
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Engage with the University of Washington Information School’s strategic commitments to one or more of the following areas:
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(1) promote equity in health and wellbeing
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(2) encourage environmental sustainability and resilience
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(3) foster a more informed, just, and equitable democratic society
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(4) responsibility in artificial intelligence
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Teach undergraduate and graduate courses in their area of specialization, as well as advance our MLIS curriculum
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Perform service that furthers the mission of the Information School and the University of Washington more broadly
About the iSchool
The UW Information School is dedicated to hiring faculty who will enhance our inclusion, diversity, equity, access, and sovereignty (IDEAS) mission and vision through their research, teaching, and service. As information systems and institutions serve increasingly diverse and global constituencies, it is vital to understand the ways in which differences in gender, class, race, ethnicity, sexuality, religious affiliation, national and cultural boundaries, national origin, worldview, intellectual origin, ability, and other identities can both divide us and offer us better ways of thinking and working. The Information School faculty are committed to preparing professionals who work in an increasingly diverse global society by promoting equity and justice for all individuals, actively working to eliminate barriers and obstacles created by institutional discrimination.
The successful candidate will join a broad-based, inclusive information school, whose faculty members pursue their scholarship, teaching, and service across multiple degree programs, with particular emphasis on this position contributing to the Masters of Library and Information Science degree program. The University of Washington is an institution that encourages inclusive research and community outreach, situated between the Puget Sound and Lake Washington, in the city of Seattle. The University of Washington acknowledges the Coast Salish peoples of this land, the land which touches the shared waters of all tribes and bands within the Suquamish, Tulalip and Muckleshoot nations. Seattle is a rapidly growing, dynamic, and diverse metropolitan area with a leading technology sector and vibrant civic sector. Applicants may find further information about the Information School at: ischool.uw.edu.
The base salary for this position will be $12,000 - $14,500 per month ($108,000 - $130,500 per 9-month academic year), commensurate with experience and qualifications, or as mandated by a U.S. Department of Labor prevailing wage determination.
Qualifications
Applicants must have a PhD (or foreign equivalent) in Information Science or a relevant field by date of appointment.
Instructions
Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Preference will be given to applications submitted by October 31, 2024. Selected candidates will be invited for zoom interviews and campus visits.
Application packages should include the following elements (please note the strict page limit for each component):
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CV
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Letter of intent [1 page]
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Introduce your research agenda, and use this space to explain how your research will complement and extend research and teaching expertise at the UW iSchool.
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Research statement [2 pages]
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Give an in-depth description of your current research agenda, major research contributions to date, and future research plans including potential topics and avenues of research funding.
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Teaching statement [2 pages]
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Describe your approach to and experience teaching at the undergraduate or graduate level. Where appropriate, please include any experience designing courses, instructional materials, or curricula in LIS.
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Diversity statement [2 page]
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See extended details below.
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Two sample publications or scholarly works that exemplify your current research agenda
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Names and contact information for three references. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for letters of reference.
Please contact Dr. Marika Cifor, Associate Professor, Information School and Chair, Library and Information Science Tenure Track Search Committee, with questions (iApply@uw.edu).
iSchool Diversity Statement Guidelines
Inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility, and sovereignty (IDEAS) are core values of the University of Washington’s Information School, as described on our website: https://ischool.uw.edu/diversity. The Diversity Statement provides an opportunity for applicants to reflect on their research, teaching, and service accomplishments and goals that contribute to those values. The Diversity Statement should elaborate on the candidates’ commitment to these values, as reflected in various aspects of their teaching, research, and service.
Applicants may find further information about the UW iSchool at the following websites:
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iSchool: ischool.uw.edu
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, gender identity or expression, age, disability, or protected veteran status.
Benefits Information
A summary of benefits associated with this title/rank can be found at https://hr.uw.edu/benefits/benefits-orientation/benefit-summary-pdfs/. Appointees solely employed and paid directly by a non-UW entity are not UW employees and are not eligible for UW or Washington State employee benefits.
Commitment to Diversity
The University of Washington is committed to building diversity among its faculty, librarian, staff, and student communities, and articulates that commitment in the UW Diversity Blueprint (http://www.washington.edu/diversity/diversity-blueprint/). Additionally, the University’s Faculty Code recognizes faculty efforts in research, teaching and/or service that address diversity and equal opportunity as important contributions to a faculty member’s academic profile and responsibilities (https://www.washington.edu/admin/rules/policies/FCG/FCCH24.html#2432).
Privacy Notice
Review the University of Washington Privacy Notice for Demographic Data of Job Applicants and University Personnel to learn how your demographic data are protected, when the data may be used, and your rights.
Disability Services
To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 or dso@uw.edu.