Senior Assistant Librarian – Multiple Campus Positions

About the role

Midlands State University is seeking four Senior Assistant Librarians to support its Law Library across Kwekwe, Zvishavane and Gweru campuses. The role involves delivering library and information services, assisting students and staff with legal research, and managing both print and electronic collections.

Key responsibilities

• Manage the automated library management and circulation system for issuing, returning and renewing legal materials.
• Guide students and staff in the effective use of subscription legal databases such as LexisNexis, Juta Stat, HeinOnline, Optima Legal and Taylor & Francis, as well as open‑access sources like ZimLII, AfricanLII and WorldLII.
• Provide specialised legal research assistance to LLB, LLM and Paralegal students and staff, including case‑law and statute tracing.
• Deliver current‑awareness services that alert users to newly enacted legislation, statutory instruments, amendments and recent judgments.
• Conduct library orientation sessions for incoming law students and support moot court preparation, legal clinics and student research projects.
• Assist the Law Librarian in selecting, evaluating and organising core collections and open‑shelf textbooks.
• Supervise junior library assistants, schedule shifts and oversee weekend/evening operations as needed.
• Manage daily operations at the Law Library information desk, ensuring courteous and equitable access to resources.
• Participate in inter‑library loans, digitisation projects, research consultations and community engagement activities.
• Implement procedures and workflow routines to improve efficiency of information services and coordinate the Information Literacy Skills programme.

Required profile

• Undergraduate degree in Library and Information Science.
• At least three (3) years of relevant experience in an academic library setting.
• Experience with legal information resources and academic support services is preferred.

Required skills

• LexisNexis
• Juta Stat
• HeinOnline
• Optima Legal
• Taylor & Francis
• ZimLII
• AfricanLII
• WorldLII