Discovery Services Librarian (Assistant Librarian)

Description

Job Description:

The Assistant Librarian will participate in the strategic assessment, enhancement, development and design of the University Libraries’ access and discovery technologies. The Discovery Services Librarian will be responsible for the Libraries’ discovery systems, ensuring open and equitable access to the Libraries’ collections and services. The selected candidate will also collaborate with Digital Initiatives, TAMU Technology Services, Digital Collection Services, and other key stakeholders to ensure continuous improvement of the Libraries’ Discovery Layers and Libraries’ Discovery Technology Portfolio. Other duties will include providing service in usability and user experience testing to provide feedback to the design and development of the Libraries’ discovery layers and search strategies. If the description sounds exciting to you, we invite you to apply to be considered for this opportunity to join our team.

Required Education and Experience:

• Master’s degree in Library Science or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to communicate with all levels of customers and employees

• Personal strengths as a team player, motivated by teamwork, customer service, professional drive, and eager to learn

• Ability to anticipate and solve problems

Preferred Education and Experience:

• Knowledge of information retrieval and evaluation models

• Knowledge of academic library search strategies

• Knowledge of WCAG and ADA web accessibility standards

• Knowledge of resource management systems

• Knowledge of qualitative assessment methods of digital user experience

• Experience with VuFind discovery layer

• Experience with EBSCO Discovery Service

• Experience with project management

• Experience with UX or usability testing

• Experience with APIs

Responsibilities:

• Discovery Systems, Tools, and Platforms: Participates in the strategic assessment, enhancement, development and design of the University Libraries’ access and discovery technologies. Responsible for the Libraries’ discovery systems. Maintains knowledge of emerging technologies in the field of information access, discovery, and searching. Provides support and guidance with information retrieval models and searches for various systems. Participates in the evaluation of open-source solutions. Ensures that projects meet 508 compliance and developed with universal design.

• Collaborations & Partnerships: Participates in departmental and interdepartmental meetings as a member of the Information Access, Discovery, & Stewardship unit. Collaborates with Digital Initiatives, TAMU Technology Services, Digital Collection Services, and other key stakeholders to ensure continuous improvement of the Libraries’ Discovery Layers and Libraries’ Discovery Technology Portfolio. Assists the Web & User Experience Librarian in project lifecycles. Provides backup to the Discovery Systems Librarian.

• Assessment and Reporting: Provides service in usability and user experience testing. Provides recommendations on UI/UX for search, and investigates search failures in the discovery layer and devises strategies for mitigation. Ensures Google Analytics is configured and collecting appropriate data. Maintains documentation and reports, search statistics, and data collection.

• Contributions to the Profession: Participates in scholarly activities and professional service for professional development and to incorporate new ideas and technologies into library services and programs. Serves on campus, library, state, or national committees and performs other duties as assigned.

Instructions to Applicants:  Applications received by Texas A&M University must either have all job application data entered or a resume attached. Failure to provide all job application data or a complete resume could result in an invalid submission and a rejected application. We encourage all applicants to upload a resume or use a LinkedIn profile to pre-populate the online application.  The deadline to submit applications is May 31, 2023.

All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.

Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Veterans/Disability Employer committed to diversity.