Department/Organization
219101 - University Libraries
Rank
Assistant/Associate Professor
Position Summary
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.
Detailed Position Information
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. They will be responsible for developing a robust instruction and outreach program, both in-person and online, while also offering software application training and support related to areas of liaison responsibilities for the disciplines assigned, currently the College of Education. 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 Information Services and Creative Media, 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. This position will work collaboratively within Gorgas Information Services and with Research Data Services to promote and integrate data services, data literacy, data curation, and geographic information systems into library instruction and the data services workshop series program across the disciplines.
Responsibilities of the position evolve as the library environment continues to change.
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.
Minimum Qualifications
• Masters in Library Science from an ALA accredited program or a terminal degree in 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.
• Ability to meet the requirements for tenure and promotion.
• Commitment to conduct research and scholarship consistent with the requirements of a tenure track appointment; commitment to engage in continuing profession development and service.
• Responsibilities of the position evolve as the library environment continues to change.
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
Instructions and Required Materials for Application
SALARY/BENEFITS: 12-month tenure track faculty appointment at the Assistant or Associate Professor rank. Salary is $70,000.00 - $90,000.00, commensurate with qualifications, experience, and advanced degrees. Strong benefits, including professional development support, tuition fee waiver, and matching retirement contributions. Applications are accepted online only at https://careers.ua.edu. Click Faculty Jobs, then University Libraries. Please include your application, cover letter, curriculum vitae, and names, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of three references, including one current supervisor. Consideration of applications will begin immediately and will continue until position is filled. Applications received by April 10, 2026, are assured of receiving full consideration. For questions regarding the search, contact Michael Arthur, Senior Associate Dean, at maarthur@ua.edu.
About the Division/College/School
The University of Alabama Libraries, a system of seven separate discipline-related libraries, is proud to support the research enterprise at the University of Alabama via a comprehensive and integrated network of resources, services, and technologies designed to meet the academic and research needs of students, faculty, and staff. We take pride in serving as a hub for innovation, knowledge creation and dissemination, research assistance, and collaborative learning. As a U.S. Government Documents Regional Depository since 1860, University Libraries also serves the public and our local community.
The University of Alabama Libraries maintains memberships in the Association of Research Libraries, the Center for Research Libraries, the Greater Western Library Alliance (GWLA), 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.
University Libraries provides strong mentorship for faculty and staff, with ongoing collaborative opportunities, and administrative support for innovative services and ideas. We promote and administer a robust professional development environment that supports faculty research and conference travel, and we are invested in academic freedom with teaching and research. We are heavily invested in performing the same high value research that our stakeholders produce, and that assists in our data-driven strategic planning for the future. Our staff routinely update and maintain cutting edge programs of service in support of our stakeholders. Our faculty librarians have developed a record-breaking instruction program, including a series of research data services and workshops, that consistently perform at the top of the SEC.
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. If working with a talented group of professionals who value service, innovation, and high achievement, earning a nationally competitive starting salary, in a thriving college town, with a low cost of living, close to Birmingham, Atlanta, Nashville, New Orleans, and the Gulf Coast sounds interesting to you, start your application process with us to learn more!
Prior to employment the successful candidate must pass a pre-employment background investigation.
About the University
The University of Alabama is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, named one of Travel + Leisure’s 25 Best College Towns and Cities in the U.S. As one of the nation’s premier universities, UA offers bachelor’s, master's and doctoral degrees in nearly 200 fields of study. With more than 1,400 acres of tree-lined academic core campus and over 300 state-of-the art facilities, UA has been ranked among the most beautiful and most impressive college campuses in the South, in the state of Alabama and in the nation.
In Fall 2023, the Capstone set a new enrollment record with more than 39,000 students, including more than 8,200 in the freshman class. The current enrollment includes students from every county in Alabama, every state in the nation and 92 countries around the world. More than 1,100 National Merit Scholars are currently enrolled, making UA one of the largest enrolling institutions of the scholars in the country.
UA was recently recognized as a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. students for the seventh time in nine years, as well as a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. Scholars for the first time. UA is one of only 12 universities in the nation to receive both honors.
For reasons like this, the University made Forbes list of America’s Top Colleges for 2023 and Time magazine’s list of Top 50 Best Colleges for Future Leaders. It also made Princeton Review’s list of Top Value Colleges.
UA is also designated among the top doctoral research universities in the United States in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. One of the fastest growing major research institutions in the nation, UA saw a 21% increase in sponsored awards in the 2023 fiscal year.
Since 2015, UA has invested over $1.1 billion in the physical campus, adding more than 2.55 million gross square feet of space, over 150 new research-intensive faculty, signature research areas (e.g., “The Alabama Research Institutes”), and a growing number of partnerships with industry and with state and federal agencies.
The University employs nearly 2,100 faculty and over 4,500 staff, with 52 UA researchers included in the National Academy of Inventors. An additional 40 current faculty have received the NSF CAREER Award, the nation’s most prestigious recognition of top performing young scientists in disciplines ranging from nanoscience and engineering to biological sciences.
Background Investigation and EEO Statement
Background Investigation Statement: Prior to hiring, the final candidate(s) must successfully pass a pre-employment background investigation and information obtained from social media and other internet sources. A prior conviction reported as a result of the background investigation DOES NOT automatically disqualify a candidate from consideration for this position. A candidate with a prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags will receive an individualized review of the prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags before a hiring decision is made.
Equal Employment Opportunity: The University of Alabama is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment or volunteer status without regard to any legally protected basis and will not be discriminated against because of their protected status. Applicants and employees of this institution are protected under Federal law from discrimination on several bases. More information is available in the EEOC’s Know Your Rights: Workplace (https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights6.12ScreenRdr.pdf) discrimination is illegal poster.
The University of Alabama affirms its longstanding commitment to institutional neutrality, free speech, and academic freedom.
