Instructional Design Librarian

THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA LIBRARIES

Instructional Design Librarian

RESPONSIBILITIES: The University of Alabama seeks a proactive, team-oriented, and creative person to serve as Instructional Design Librarian. This position serves a dual role as a librarian participating in multimodal library and information literacy instruction and as an instructional design specialist directly developing content and training liaison librarians who are building instructional design projects. 

The ideal candidate will have the ability to work collaboratively and creatively with University Libraries faculty and staff to plan, develop, and deliver asynchronous and classroom library instruction. This includes training and working with librarians to design active learning environments, multimedia tutorials, and other digital learning objects. This also includes working with staff and faculty in the Sanford Media Center to design programmatic curricula for multimodal projects and instruction. The Instructional Design Librarian will also develop and support training activities for best practices in utilizing instructional technology tools. The person in this position will also serve as the administrator for Springshare. The successful candidate must be willing to continually learn, develop, and apply additional expertise through work-related experiences and professional development opportunities. They will pursue grant writing opportunities and submission of projects relevant to the mission of University Libraries and the University of Alabama. They must also possess the ability to navigate change and ambiguity as they successfully solve the types of complex problems encountered in research settings.

Reporting to the Head of Gorgas Information Services, the Instructional Design Librarian will participate proactively in the unit’s priorities and initiatives. In addition, the Instructional Design Librarian will work collaboratively with The University of Alabama Faculty Resource Center and the College of Continuing Studies to support online learning initiatives in the broader campus community. Responsibilities of the position evolve as the library environment continues to change. 

This is an excellent opportunity for a recent graduate or early career professional to gain an expert knowledge in multimodal library and information literacy instruction, and develop skills in instructional design while producing content and training materials for liaison librarians.

Responsibilities include, but are subject to the needs and resources of the University Libraries:

• Develop and maintain major instructional design projects for the University Libraries. 
• Train liaison librarians who are building instructional design projects for distance learning, classroom supplementation, and flipped classroom pedagogy. 
• Participate in instruction efforts by leading instruction sessions for multimodal projects and by helping to design programmatic instructional curricula in partnership with the Sanford Media Center.  
• Serves as a knowledgeable resource to support greater liaison presence in University of Alabama’s learning management system (LMS; BlackBoard Learn).  
• Help design and conduct assessment of University Libraries’ instructional design efforts and multimodal projects. 
• Participate in research services and the University Libraries’ larger information literacy instruction for UA’s First-Year Writing Program as needed. 
• Participates in multimedia production of University Libraries promotional materials in partnership with the Sanford Media Center. 

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Masters in Library Science from an ALA accredited program OR Masters in Instructional Design, Education, Educational Technology or a related field. 
• Excellent verbal and written communication, including associated skills such as listening, negotiating, and adapting. 
• Demonstrated experience/expertise with relevant academic and instructional design technologies, including but not limited to: video capture and editing software (e.g., Camtasia, iMovie), e-learning authoring tools (e.g., Storyline 360, Adobe Captivate), content creation and design in Blackboard Learn or an equivalent learning management system (LMS) (e.g., d2L, Canvas, Moodle). 
• Proven interpersonal skills, evidenced by the ability to work cooperatively and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues, faculty, students, and staff. 
• Knowledge of and ability to apply teaching methodologies and learning theories.
• Knowledge of emerging technologies, standards, and their applications to distance education.  
• Ability to conceptualize, communicate, and execute plans to meet short- and long-term goals. 
• Ability to support and enhance a diverse learning and working environment. 
• Ability to conceptualize, articulate, and implement short and long-range goals.
• Ability to work independently and as a team member to solve problems, using sound judgment in decision-making according to an established timeframe.
• Demonstrated ability to plan, initiate, and implement effective programs, projects, and services.
• Demonstrated ability to be flexible in a dynamic work environment.
• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a complex changing environment and complete tasks according to an established timeframe.  
• Demonstrated strong commitment to customer service excellence. 

Preferred QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Academic library experience. 
• Two to three years of professional experience in an educational environment. 
• Online teaching experience. 
• Experience in the systematic design of instruction for online, blended/hybrid and/or traditional courses. 
• Experience designing, developing, and delivering training programs and workshops on teaching methods and technology utilization in the classroom.
• Familiarity with issues related to scholarly communication, e.g., copyright, authors’ rights, open access, etc.
• Experience with creative media applications to support content creation (e.g., Adobe Creative Suite, video and audio editing). 
• Experience with Springshare Familiarity with and dedication to creating accessible content, including familiarity with WCAG 2.0 guidelines for interactive and video content. 
• Knowledge of funding sources and organizations for grant revenues.
• Experience submitting grant proposals.

ENVIRONMENT:  The University of Alabama, The Capstone University, is the State of Alabama’s flagship public university, and the senior comprehensive doctoral level institution in Alabama. UA enrolls over 38,320 students, with record breaking freshman classes for each of the past three years. UA has also increased graduate student enrollment by seven percent for Fall 2021. Ranked among the top 70 public universities in the nation by U.S. World and News Report’s annual college rankings for more than a decade, UA ranked 67th among public universities in 2020 rankings. UA made the Forbes list of America’s Best Employers for New Graduates in 2021. University of Alabama students continue to win prestigious national awards. Fifty-nine UA students have been named Goldwater Scholars. The University of Alabama has produced a total of 15 Rhodes Scholars, 16 Truman Scholars, 32 Hollins Scholars, and 11 Boren Scholars. The University of Alabama is a leader among public universities nationwide for enrollment of National Merit Scholars with more than 900 currently enrolled, the highest number in UA’s history. Under the leadership of President Stuart Bell, UA has launched a strategic planning process that includes an aggressive research agenda and expansion of graduate education. There are currently 36 faculty who have received NSF Career awards, the nation’s most prestigious recognition of top performing young scientists. UA was also recognized as a top producer of Fulbright Scholars for the fifth time in six years in 2021-2022. UA is located in Tuscaloosa, a metropolitan area of over 250,000, with a vibrant economy, a moderate climate, and reputation across the South as an innovative, progressive community with an excellent quality of life. Tuscaloosa provides easy access to mountains, several larger cities, and the beautiful Gulf Coast.

The University Libraries maintains memberships in the Association of Research Libraries, the Center for Research Libraries, the Coalition of Networked Information, centerNET, LYRASIS, HathiTrust, the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries, LOCKSS, the Network of Alabama Academic Libraries, and the Alabama Digital Preservation Network. As a U.S. Government Documents Regional Depository since 1860, the UA Libraries serves Alabama libraries and the public. The University Libraries homepage may be accessed at http://www.libraries.ua.edu

Prior to employment the successful candidate must pass a pre-employment background investigation.

SALARY/BENEFITS: 12 month clinical faculty appointment at the Assistant Professor rank. Salary range is $70,000-$80,000, commensurate with qualifications, experience, and advanced degrees. Strong benefits, including professional development support, tuition fee waiver, and matching retirement contributions.

TO APPLY: Applications are accepted online only at https://facultyjobs.ua.edu.  Click Search Positions, University Libraries in the drop down box. Please include your application, Curriculum Vitae, and names, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses for three references, including one current supervisor.

Position open until filled. Applications received by May 24, 2023 are assured of receiving full consideration.

The University of Alabama is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and is strongly committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff. Applicants from a broad spectrum of people, including women, members of ethnic minorities, and disabled persons, are especially encouraged to apply. For questions regarding the search, contact Michael Arthur, Senior Associate Dean at maarthur@ua.edu

THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER