Associate Librarian - User Experience & Assessment

About the University:

Established in 1923, Texas Tech University is a Carnegie R1 (very high research activity) Doctoral/Research-Extensive, Hispanic Serving, and state-assisted institution. Located on a beautiful 1,850-acre campus in Lubbock, a city in West Texas with a growing metropolitan-area population of over 300,000, the university enrolls over 40,000 students with 33,000 undergraduate and 7,000 graduate students. As the primary research institution in the western two-thirds of the state, Texas Tech University is home to 10 colleges, the Schools of Law and Veterinary Medicine, and the Graduate School. The flagship of the Texas Tech University System, Texas Tech is dedicated to student success by preparing learners to be ethical leaders for a diverse and globally competitive workforce. It is committed to enhancing the cultural and economic development of the state, nation, and world.

Referred to as the “Hub City” because it serves as the educational, cultural, economic, and health care hub of the South Plains region, Lubbock boasts a diverse population and a strong connection to community, history, and land. With a mild climate, highly rated public schools, and a low cost of living, Lubbock is a family-friendly community that is ranked as one of the best places to live in Texas. Lubbock is home to a celebrated and ever-evolving music scene, a vibrant arts community, and is within driving distance of Dallas, Austin, Santa Fe, and other major metropolitan cities. Lubbock’s Convention & Visitors Bureau provides a comprehensive overview of the Lubbock community and its resources, programs, events, and histories.

About the College:

Texas Tech University Libraries serve as a vital partner with students and faculty in their learning endeavors. The University Libraries' system comprises: (1) University Library, (2) Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, (3) Architecture Library, and (4) Peters Family Legacy Library. The central focus of the Texas Tech University Libraries is to make available 3.72 million physical volumes, electronic resources, special collections and archives, and to offer services to students and faculty that enable academic and research success.

About the Department/School/Area:

User Experience (UX)/Assessment is a unit within the Resources Management, Systems, Collections and UX/Assessment Department. The department is comprised of six tenure track faculty, three Lead Associates and 20 staff members. In addition to user experience and assessment activities, the department is responsible for metadata/cataloging, database maintenance, library systems and discovery, electronic resources, collection development and the library materials budget.

Position Description:

The Libraries at Texas Tech University invites applications for a full-time, 12-month tenure-track, Associate Librarian to begin March 1, 2025. This tenure-track position reports to the Associate Dean of Libraries for Resources Management, Systems, Collections, UX/Assessment. They are responsible for coordinating the Libraries' user experience and assessment efforts encompassing both the online and physical library environments as well as library activities and services. Working collaboratively with various user groups and library personnel, the UX/Assessment Librarian will be responsible for the development and implementation of programs, activities and projects designed to improve overall library user experience; as well as data collection to assess library services, activities and collections in support the University strategic plan. They are expected to participate in local, regional and national organizations as appropriate. As a library faculty member, the UX/Assessment Librarian is expected to engage in scholarly pursuits, service activities and other professional endeavors in accordance with Texas Tech Libraries' standards for promotion and tenure.

Major/Essential Functions:

• Leads UX/Assessment activities which directly impact library spaces, services and online presence.

• Applies knowledge of usability/assessment methods, focus groups, surveys. and basic analytics to collect data that provides understanding of the library services and user experience.

• Identifies library stakeholder groups, gathers data on their use of library services, resources, spaces and web presence.

• Reports findings to library administration and teams, to be applied in user centered /data driven decisions which improve user experiences with Library services, spaces, collections and online presence.

• Supervises UX/Assessment staff.

• Collaborates with various Library Teams and will serve as a member of UX/Website, Discovery and Assessment Teams.

• Utilize stakeholder input to collaborate on and contribute to the creation, development and implementation of innovative projects and services available through the TTU Libraries websites, content management systems and digital repositories.

• Stay abreast of trends related to library assessment and usability methods, user-centered design, as well as website and discovery system interface enhancements.

As a faculty member in the Libraries, you will be expected to:

• Contribute to the mission of the Texas Tech University Libraries
• Engage in scholarly pursuit and other professional activities in accordance with Texas Tech Library’s standards for promotion and tenure
  • develop a record of scholarly publications
  • serve on university and library committees
  • serve as a member of various local, regional and national professional committees
• Engage with TTU faculty, students and staff to determine user expectations and assess their needs with respect to the libraries’ online presence, services and physical spaces
• Work cooperatively with faculty and staff to conduct projects that fulfill the mission of Texas Tech University and the University Libraries
• Lead the libraries’ assessment efforts
• Represent the University Libraries in campus assessment efforts

Required Qualifications:

1. Masters of Library Science from an ALA accredited library school.

2. Three years professional experience in an Academic Library

3. Experience in library assessment and/or user experience projects in academic libraries

4. Excellent written and oral communication skills

Preferred Qualifications:

In addition to the required qualifications, individuals with the following preferred qualifications are strongly encouraged to apply:

• Demonstrated ability to successfully supervise employees.
• Demonstrated proficiency in data collection and analysis
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Experience leading group projects.

Safety Information:

Adherence to robust safety practices and compliance with all applicable health and safety regulations are responsibilities of all TTU employees.

Equal Opportunity Statement:

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information or status as a protected veteran.

Special Instructions to Applicants:

Please include the following documents in your application:

1. Curriculum Vitae

2. Cover Letter

3. Other document(s) directly related to required qualifications

4. List of references

If you need assistance with the application process, contact Human Resources, Talent Acquisition at [email protected] or 806-742-3851.

Application Process

The deadline to submit applications is December 15, 2024.