Assistant Librarian, Learning & Curriculum Support - Position Description

Scope

Reporting to the Manager, Information Literacy, the Learning & Curriculum Support Librarian contributes in a team-based environment to advance the educational enterprise of the University and the mandate of the Library. The Learning & Curriculum Support strategic team enhances learning and teaching through the provision of expertise, leadership, services, and resources that support academic objectives and foster lifelong learning.

The Information Literacy team provides support to students who seek to enhance their information research skills and practices and develop a critical approach to the consumption and production of information in an academic context and beyond. The team also supports faculty who seek to integrate the development of these skills and practices into the curriculum.

The incumbent participates in the provision of the following services:

  • Customized, in-class information literacy
  • Creation and maintenance of online learning objects such as videos, tutorials, and guides
  • Individual or small group consultations
  • Provide library course guides to support research, writing and learning
  • Consultation services for the collaborative development of information research activities, assignments, learning outcomes, and assessment tools

    • Responsibilities

    Professional practice / area of focus

  • Designs and delivers a range of integrated, embedded, and extracurricular information literacy programs and services to enhance students' information research skills and practices and to facilitate the development of a critical approach to the consumption and production of information in an academic context and beyond
  • Facilitates student development of the skills, attitudes, values, and dispositions identified by the University’s Learning Objectives, the Ontario Council of Academic Vice Presidents (OCAV Undergraduate Degree Level Expectations), the ACRL Information Literacy Framework for Higher Education, and the Tri-Council funding agencies
  • Develops a programmatic approach to providing information literacy instruction and support to students (one-on-one and through classroom teaching or workshops)
  • Collaborates with faculty to design and deliver specialized instruction and programming tailored to the particular information literacy needs of students in a class, discipline, department or college, or an individual class project or assignment
  • Provides reference services, consultation and/or advice on the use of library resources to support research and teaching activities in person and online
  • Pursues opportunities to develop creative responses and solutions to the evolving needs of students, faculty, and campus partners in relation to information literacy
  • Uses innovative learning technologies to support the projects and programs of the L&CS unit and the Library
  • Develops learning objects such as tutorials, modules, and widgets to support information literacy
  • As required, provides in-service training for other Library staff who contribute to the programs and services of the L&CS unit
  • Additional responsibility for other projects or initiatives to advance and support the work of the Information Literacy / L&CS teams and the Library may also be assigned

    • Assessment

  • Ensures effective services to students and faculty by critically reviewing, evaluating, and evolving services and activities offered
  • Works with faculty to assess the impact of instructional strategies and curriculum design on learning outcomes, performance, and retention and uses this evidence in formative ways to enrich learning and teaching processes for information literacy and research skills
  • Participates in training and tutorials to foster the improvement of technology skills for content creation

    • Communication & Outreach

  • Ensures communications and proper consultation and collaboration with researchers, partners in research support, and other Library strategic teams
  • Fosters good communication and effective working relationships with faculty, staff, students, and other library users

    • Building Partnerships

  • Collaborates with colleagues in other teams, ensuring that projects and programs associated with the L&CS strategic team emphasize sound pedagogical approaches and support and/or contribute to the overarching philosophy of learning support that guides the unit and are derived from the Library and University’s mandate and mission
  • Collaborates with faculty to integrate the development of information literacy and research skills into courses, curricula, and online environments
  • May represent the University of Guelph Library on one or more Library, campus or consortial project teams. The incumbent contributes their unique expertise and draws upon the resources and skills of others in the Library to meet the goals and objectives of these partnerships, by initiating, developing and maintaining strategic and collaborative partnerships with key stakeholders, both within and outside of the University
  • Explores opportunities for service development and partnerships with affiliated and non-affiliated researchers, assessing sustainability and effectiveness of new models

    • Current Awareness

  • Maintains an understanding and awareness of the evolving academic enterprise, specifically as it relates teaching and learning, in order to align the Library and the L&CS team with University and Library priorities, and to inform innovative program development
  • Maintains a current awareness of key developments in information literacy, scholarly communication, digital media literacies, digital scholarship and pedagogy, academic libraries, and higher education, and apply this in a critical fashion in practice
  • Monitors and determines effective responses (resources and services) to changes in campus needs and trends, learning environments, programs and curricula, academic cultures, and emerging learning technologies

    • The McLaughlin Library is a team-based organization in which librarians’ professional practice is directly informed by, and contributes to the Library’s vision, values and strategic priorities and broader university strategic framework. The McLaughlin Library and each Librarian or Archivist follows the ALA code of ethics or the Association of Canadian Archivists code of ethics and professional conduct, as appropriate to the position.

    The Librarian understands and works within the terms and conditions of employment as governed by the Collective Agreement between the University of Guelph and the University of Guelph Faculty Association. Librarians partner with faculty at the University of Guelph in the realization of the University’s academic goals and mission.