Assistant/Associate Librarian, Learning and Student Success & Unit Lead

Duties & Responsibilities

CHARACTERISTIC DUTIES

Unit Leadership Responsibilities

• Provides operational leadership for the unit in collaboration with the department head.
• Works with unit members to define and implement unit goals.
• Supervises and manages the day-to-day work of the staff and/or faculty in the unit, including the annual performance conversation process and any performance management processes.
• Works with staff and faculty within the unit to set individual priorities.
• Alongside the department head, provide ongoing mentorship to their direct reports for professional growth and career advancement and coach them on being active, contributing members of the department, UAL, and the University community.
• Recruits, hires, and onboards staff and faculty in unit.
• Participate in the Department Leadership Team (other Unit Leads and Department Head), communicating regularly to establish a holistic, cross-departmental vision for teaching, learning and student success working toward departmental goals and objectives.
• Works across UAL with other units and departments to advance unit, departmental, and UAL goals.
• Engage in strategic and operational planning, outcomes development, and assessment related to the libraries’ role in general education and foundational course work.
• Work collaboratively across Library departments and in partnership with Marketing and Communications (MarComm) to promote, publicize, and implement events, programs, and services.
• Stay abreast of local and national trends in student success initiatives, first year experience programming, information literacy, and student learning.
• Provide leadership and resources for a culture of engagement surrounding the Libraries role in campus Student Success and Retention Innovation (SSRI) programming (with focus on first year students, international students, first generation students, and students from underrepresented populations).
• Seek out and pursue opportunities where the Libraries can facilitate greater research or instructional productivity, or improve student learning by inserting new or existing services into teaching, learning, or research workflows.
• Gather data and analyze trends in teaching and research programs at departmental and college levels.
• Support Libraries and UA diversity and inclusiveness strategic initiatives designed to create an inclusive environment for all faculty, staff, and students.

Outreach and Student Success

• Serve as assigned program partner to selected student success initiatives across campus, including helping to train and support new student orientation assistants, participating in the libraries’ presence at campus orientations and new student events, and delivering orientation programming.
• Engage with select, assigned library partners (e.g. the Writing Center, Think Tank) to design and integrate Library services into campus-wide initiatives for undergraduate and graduate student success.
• Represent the UA Library perspective with other units on campus, system-wide, and nationally around relevant issues pertaining to Student Learning and Engagement.
• Help deliver student wellness and engagement programming for students, including study break events during exams periods.
• Provide strategic oversight for the Peer Information Counselor Program (operational oversight may reside with others in the unit or through a cross-unit collaboration).

Liaison Responsibilities

• Serve as a departmental liaison to one or more academic departments or schools, based on experience of the successful candidate and organizational needs.
• Remain aware of scholarship in assigned disciplines in order to respond to unit needs.
• Provide research or instructional consultations or point-of-need assistance for members of the University community one-on-one or in collaboration with colleagues, as appropriate, as well as expert consultation services and support in assigned areas.
• Work with faculty and instructors in assigned department and college level to integrate information literacy objectives and assignments into curricula and syllabi.
• Develop and deliver effective and efficient instructional services (providing students with active and accessible learning opportunities through faculty partnerships and the development of in-class or train-the-trainer sessions, online tutorials or guides, course assignments, or other appropriate learning activities).

Scholarly Research, Publications and Presentations, and Professional Service

• Conduct relevant scholarly research and disseminate findings through publication, poster presentations, and other avenues.
• Develop and deliver presentations related to academic libraries, higher education, and other topics relevant to areas of responsibility.
• Participate in the work of and serve in leadership positions for relevant professional associations.
• Contribute to local, state, and regional library initiatives.
• Participate in and contribute to outreach, marketing, assessment, diversity, curricular, and other library and university initiatives.
• Contribute to the goals and strategic initiatives of the Libraries through leadership of and/or active participation in committees, working groups, and task forces.
• Other duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Ability to coach and mentor direct reports.
• Ability to work in a highly collaborative and inclusive environment, one that values and leverages the benefits of diverse perspectives.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated initiative in working across organizational boundaries.
• Ability to identify opportunities and capitalize upon them.
• Excellent analytical, time management, organizational, and creative problem-solving skills.
• Ability to conceive of, plan, document, and complete projects or complex assignments.
• Demonstrated commitment to continual professional development, improvement, and learning.
• Demonstrated knowledge of best practices in instructional design and learning theories, teaching/pedagogy, emerging learning technologies, and the ACRL Information Literacy Framework, specifically in a higher education setting.
• Evidence of a high degree of computer/digital fluency and a commitment to staying abreast of emerging technologies.
• Ability to collaborate with faculty/instructors, especially on course, tutorial, or assignment design, or in developing educational programs, and in assessing their effectiveness.
• Strong demonstration of Our Values: Collaboration, Continuous Learning, Diversity, Innovation, and Integrity.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s degree in library/information science from an ALA-accredited institution or other relevant advanced degree.
• Evidence of the ability to achieve continuing status (equivalent to tenure), including contributing to the information/library profession and to fulfilling the responsibilities of a library faculty member through service and scholarship.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in instruction design or advanced degree in education, learning theory, or other relevant field.
• Liaison-related experience in a higher education environment or liaison experience/skills, coupled with a strong understanding of higher education.
• Experience leading teams or projects and building effective partnerships.
• Experience with existing and emerging research tools, methodologies, and resources in assigned areas.
• Experience in supporting faculty throughout the research lifecycle (e.g., grant support, in-depth reference consultations, research impact assessment, etc.).
• Experience consulting and working with faculty/instructors, especially on course, tutorial, or assignment design, or in developing educational programs.
• Experience assessing services or products, including a knowledge of research design/methodology and fluency with data analysis.