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User Experience Librarian, Assistant or Associate Professor, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign Library, Urbana, IL

Posted November 19, 2014

Position Available: The expected start date is as soon as possible after the closing date. This is a 100%, twelve-month, tenure-system appointment.

Responsibilities:  The University of Illinois Library’s Office of User Services seeks an energetic, creative, and highly collaborative librarian to initiate and coordinate a range of activities to enhance users’ interactions with the Library and its resources.  As part of a cross-departmental initiative (including user-facing services and IT personnel), the User Experience (UX) Librarian will investigate, plan, and develop projects to improve user engagement across Library online and physical services.  Working collaboratively to enhance and extend existing expertise within the Library, the UX Librarian will lead efforts to improve the ease of use, visual appeal, adoptability, and desirability of library websites, services, and facilities.

Specific duties include:

  • Coordinate library-wide efforts to design a consistent user experience across physical and online service points;
  • Take a lead role in collaborations with Library IT and other stakeholders in the iterative design and testing of the Library’s web presence and online services;
  • Work with the Library Assessment Coordinator, develop ongoing programs for incorporating user input into the design and delivery of library systems and services;
  • Work with library colleagues to synthesize and disseminate findings of usability testing and related user studies throughout the library;
  • Participate in professional development and service activities to increase and spread knowledge about UX in academic libraries;
  • Conduct original research that will shape the user experience field.

Environment:  The University of Illinois Library at Urbana-Champaign is one of the preeminent research libraries in the world. With more than 13 million volumes and significant digital resources, it ranks second in size among academic research libraries in the United States and first among public university libraries in the world. As the intellectual heart of the campus, the Library is committed to maintaining the strongest possible collections and services and engaging in research and development activities in pursuit of the University’s mission of teaching, scholarship, and public service. The Library currently employs approximately 90 faculty and 300 academic professionals, staff, and graduate assistants.  The Library consists of multiple departmental libraries located across campus, as well as an array of central public, technical, and administrative service units. The Library also encompasses a variety of virtual service points and “embedded librarian” programs.

The UX Librarian will report to the Associate University Librarian for User Services.  As a member of the Office of User Services, he/she will join other faculty and academic professionals with broad responsibilities for coordinating library assessment, information literacy services and instruction, and staff development and training. 

Qualifications:

Required:

  • Masters in Library Science, Information Science, Computer Science, Art and Design, or a related field;
  • Knowledge of website design, development, implementation, standards, and accessibility/usability guidelines;
  • Knowledge of information architecture principles;
  • Experience with common web usability testing techniques;
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills;
  • Experience working in a team environment.

Preferred:

  • 2-3 years relevant professional experience;
  • Demonstrated success applying user experience methodologies such as focus groups and ethnographic research;
  • Experience working in a library or educational environment;
  • Familiarity with web content management systems, APIs, and/or web analytics;
  • Knowledge of interaction design, user interface design, and/or graphic design;
  • Familiarity with various software used for conducting usability testing and analysis;
  • Coursework in user experience research methods;
  • Experience with project management;
  • Supervisory experience;
  • Evidence of research, publication and service consonant with university standards for tenure.

Salary and Rank: Salary and rank commensurate with credentials and experience.

Terms of Appointment: Twelve-month appointment; 24 annual vacation days; 11 annual paid holidays; 12 annual sick-leave days (cumulative), plus an additional 13 sick-leave days (non-cumulative) available, if needed, each year; health insurance requiring a small co-payment is provided to employee (with the option to purchase coverage for spouse and dependents); required participation in the State Universities Retirement System (SURS) (8% of annual salary is withheld and is refundable upon termination), with several options for participation in additional retirement plans; newly hired employees are covered by the Medicare portion of Social Security and are subject to its deduction.

Campus and Community: The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a comprehensive and major public land-grant university (Doctoral/Research University-Extensive) that is ranked among the best in the world. Chartered in 1867, it provides undergraduate and graduate education in more than 150 fields of study, conducts theoretical and applied research, and provides public service to the state and the nation. It employs 3,000 faculty members who serve 31,000 undergraduates and 12,000 graduate and professional students; approximately 25% of faculty receives campus-wide recognition each year for excellence in teaching. More information about the campus is available at www.illinois.edu.

The University is located in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana, which have a combined population of 100,000 and are situated about 140 miles south of Chicago, 120 miles west of Indianapolis, and 170 northeast of St. Louis. The University and its surrounding communities offer a cultural and recreational environment ideally suited to the work of a major research institution. For more information about the community, visit: http://illinois.edu/about/community/community.html or http://www.ccchamber.org/.

To Apply: To ensure full consideration, please complete your candidate profile at https://jobs.illinois.edu and upload a letter of interest, resume, and contact information including email addresses for three  professional references.  Applications not submitted through this website will not be considered. For questions, please call: 217-333-8169.

Deadline: In order to ensure full consideration we urge candidates to submit application materials on or before November 26, 2014

Illinois is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, status as a protected veteran, or status as a qualified individual with a disability. Illinois welcomes individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and ideas who embrace and value diversity and inclusivity. (www.inclusiveillinois.illinois.edu).

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