Reference Specialist

Support organizational decision making through the acquisition, analysis and dissemination of research, information and resources. Maintenance and administration of the WSIB’s Knowledge Centre & Reference Library operations.

Support compliance with copyright, confidentiality, privacy and integrity of content in the information center and corporate portal.

**Major Duties & Responsibilities**

1. Provide specialized research and reference services to users by:

- Analyzing research questions to develop and execute literature search strategies to find and manage relevant evidence from a variety of sources on wide range workers’ compensation, strategic, and health care topics;
- Utilizing catalogues, databases and other reference works in order to respond to reference questions;
- Developing customized research and information summaries / products (knowledge summaries, literature reviews, and research reports) to support client decision making and planning at the WSIB;
- Liaising with internal and external sources/specialists (libraries, organizations) to obtain information, reference, and research materials; recommending overall information resource solutions for business areas;
- Assessing relevance and evaluating credibility of resources to assist clients with their research needs; providing analysis of literature and or information curation for delivery in various formats to Knowledge Centre and Reference Library clients;
- Monitoring references, information sources and emerging technology and trends;
- Curating content in a manner that lets clients know of new research on a variety of topics to support decision making and planning within the WSIB;
- Conducting evaluation of current awareness services in order to make adjustments as necessary to fulfill customer needs and maintain a high level of relevance to targeted stakeholders.

3. Manage relationships with internal stakeholders and outside vendors responsible for information products by:

- Conducting in person consultation with clients across the business to clarify business objectives/needs, requirements of information requests and communication channel to deliver information;
- Meeting with Knowledge Centre and Reference Library clients to gather their feedback on acquired resources and make recommendations to the Knowledge Centre and Reference Library Manager for future services;
- Monitoring regular performance of outside vendors in meeting terms of contract on a quarterly or annual basis;
- Identifying and resolving any performance issues with vendors;
- Recommending improvements to vendor relations and contracts; participating in and monitoring vendor provisions of all technical and content management support, upgrades, and the Knowledge Centre and Reference Library system.

4. Maintain and administer Knowledge Centre and Reference Library operations and digital services by:

- Gathering, analyzing, and maintaining data on Knowledge Centre and Reference Library e-based services and physical resource usage in order to create and present statistical reports on a quarterly basis; leverage usage statistics to make recommendations on collection management and future services;
- Leading the overall assessment, evaluation and continual improvement of the Knowledge Centre and Reference Library website and digital services; including the restructuring the architecture based on usability studies and standards and in keeping with WSIB approved guidelines; ensures compliance with accessibility standards and security;
- Developing and implementing policies and procedures for Knowledge Centre and Reference Library services; includes collaborating with record management team to ensure document retention and preservation aligns with corporate policy and standards;
- Preparing the annual Knowledge Centre and Reference Library budget for review and approval by tracking expenses, reviewing usage statistics, liaising with business areas, and recommending resources to renew, add or cancel;
- Monitoring and analyzing monthly expenses, providing variance explanations and facilitating payments of invoices;
- Analyzing, classifying and cataloguing Knowledge Centre and Reference Library materials, utilizing original and derivative cataloguing standards.

5. Provide training to WSIB employees on how to conduct basic and specialized search techniques, as well as how to leverage e-services to self-serve their research needs. This includes;
- Leveraging vendor training resources by integrating modules and resources onto the Knowledge Centre and Reference Library website;
- Developing training resources (modules, tip sheets, process guides, etc.) that provide self-help guidelines for Knowledge Centre and Reference Library customers;
- Providing in-person or group based training on specific resources to meet the needs of various Knowledge Centre and Reference Library customers.

6. Interpret and implement systems, tools, standards, strategies and guidelines to support compli