Position:  Access Services Librarian

Deadline: Open until Filled (Review of applications will begin on Wednesday, August 20, 2025) 

Grade:  Open Rank 30E- 32E

Help Lead the Future of Library Access and Engagement

Are you a highly motivated librarian passionate about enhancing user experiences and access to library resources? Join our team to help shape the future of Access Services through collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement. 

In this role, you'll work closely with a dedicated Help Center team, including student assistants, and collaborate across the Library, Museums, and Press. You'll coordinate the course reserves program using ExLibris Leganto, lead proactive faculty outreach to promote resource accessibility in Canvas, and support the use of open educational resources. Your work will be informed by user feedback and data, helping to establish service standards and best practices that evolve with the needs of our campus community. From maintaining accurate patron and service data to contributing directly to academic success, this is more than a support role—it's an opportunity to make a lasting impact.

If you thrive in a collaborative, mission-driven environment, we encourage you to apply.

CONTEXT OF THE JOB:

The Help Center is the primary service desk in the Morris Library, welcoming and providing service to UD students, staff, faculty, alumni, and community members. The team supports a wide range of library services, including responding to patron inquiries, circulating books and equipment, stacks maintenance, and overseeing operations at the university’s unstaffed branch libraries. 

Under general supervision and reporting to the Head, Multimedia and Access Services Department, the Access Services Librarian proactively works to improve the user experience and oversees the library’s physical and electronic course materials.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop and participate in efforts to continually improve Library user experience by evaluating services and recommending changes to the department head. Conduct usability studies for user feedback.  Work with the team to institute best practices and service standards for procedures and workflows, authoring or updating associated policies and documentation. Collaborating with the Department Head, engage in future planning, and set achievable and measurable goals and assessment of new initiatives that come from these efforts.

• Facilitate accurate collection and maintenance of Access Services data and statistics. Analyze data trends and transform the data into insight, providing reports and information to library leadership, and incorporate results into decision-making processes. Participates in the evaluation and review of new work processes and tools.

• Coordinate course reserves program by facilitating access to and use of Library physical and electronic course materials, ensuring access for students, and assisting faculty with creating and managing reading lists. Implement and successfully integrate new course reserve tools/modules, including training, offering technical support to faculty and library colleagues, and continual promotion of the new system for staff and users.

• Works collaboratively with members of the Library staff to provide public services needed by the University of Delaware community and beyond, coordinating information sharing to/from Help Center staff to provide consistent and excellent service and user experience. Speak formally/informally about Help Center services to other Library and campus units. May represent Access Services on Library and University-wide committees and councils.

• Provide services at the Help Center desk:  circulation of books, ILL, equipment, and film and video collection materials; providing information services using electronic resources, including DELCAT Discovery; interpreting policies and procedures for library users; assisting users with print release stations, printers, and scanners.

• Create and update patron records in the Library’s borrower database. Verifies user status in the UDSIS and Human Resources Production databases to assign appropriate borrowing privileges. Registers community users for Library ONEcards, including verifying ID and completing an online registration form.

• Manage Help Center staff desk scheduling and provide functional supervision of student workers.

• Actively seeks knowledge of issues and trends in Access Services. Participate on the local, regional or/and national level in associations, and attend professional conferences and continuing education programs.

• Other related duties as assigned, including interpreting and verifying bibliographic data to assist users, shelving/stacks maintenance projects, and processing Library materials. The position’s work schedule may need to flex occasionally due to staff absences and when the library hours change during extended study hours and intersessions.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master's degree in library or information science and minimum of three years experience in an academic, public or comparable library environment in access or public services-related functions such as: circulation, course reserves, open educational resources, interlibrary loan, document delivery, copyright, and/or reference.

• Demonstrated initiative and independent judgement

• Demonstrated ability to establish work priorities, set performance expectations, and achieve goals.

• Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to make decisions using data and user input.

• Ability to thrive in a dynamic environment where responsibilities may shift based on organizational needs.

• Strong team-centered skills in a face-to-face customer service environment.

• Demonstrated supervisory skills, including directing the work of or training others.

• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to interact effectively and work productively in establishing and maintaining working relationships

• Excellent written and oral communication skills.

Preferred, but not required: 

• Library experience involving user services policy development, implementation, assessment, and evaluation.

• Experience with ExLibris Alma Library Management System and Canvas Learning Management System.

• Familiarity with the concepts, applications, and best practices of copyright law and academic fair use for class curriculum support.

• Familiarity with emerging technology trends in the library field and higher education.

Physical Requirements: 

Must be able to lift, with or without assistance, boxes of books and supplies weighing up to 50 lbs., push and pull full book carts weighing up to 250 lbs., and bend and reach to place trays of books on shelving ranging from 3”-90” from the floor.

General information: The University of Delaware Library, Museums and Press (Library) is committed to student success, scholarly research, and inclusive excellence. The Library is strongly committed to fostering diversity within our community. We welcome those who have demonstrated a commitment to upholding the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion and will assist us to expand our capacity for diversity in the broadest sense. The Library collaborates with strategic campus partners to achieve these priorities, as well as with national professional organizations including the Association of Research Libraries, Center for Research Libraries, Coalition for Networked Information, Council on Library and Information Resources, Digital Library Federation, OCLC Research Partnership, SPARC, HathiTrust, the National Digital Stewardship Alliance, the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM, Association of Academic Museums and Galleries, the American Alliance of Museums, and the ACRL Diversity Alliance.  

Appointment: Appointment in rank based on relevant professional experience (Senior Assistant Librarian, pay grade 30E; Associate Librarian, pay grade 31E; or Librarian, pay grade 32E). This position is part of the librarian career ladder governed by the University of Delaware Library Rank and Promotion System which guides professional development and advancement. 

Benefits: One of the best benefits packages in the nation, including 25 vacation days, generous 403(b) retirement plan, tuition remission for dependents and spouses, and course fee waiver for employees. Full information about University of Delaware benefits is available at: www.udel.edu/benefits/.