Sidebar

Main Content

Educational Technology Librarian (Two-year term position)

The University of Pennsylvania Libraries seek a dynamic, innovative, user-focused individual to serve as the Educational Technology Librarian at the Weigle Information Commons in the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center.

The Penn Libraries include fifteen libraries and an off-site high density storage facility. System-wide scholarly resources number nearly 6 million books, 96,000 current serials (of which 82,000 are e-journals) and 800 databases. The library is a leader in the development of digital library services and collections and is aggressively experimenting with and adopting new technology in research and teaching, including courseware. As a founding partner of the Kuali OLE Project, Penn will be at the forefront of developing a next-generation community source technology environment to support academic library operations.

Since opening in 2006, the David B. Weigle Information Commons has provided facilities, resources, training, and technical assistance to students and faculty in support of the University’s teaching and learning mission.  With a focus on fostering the creative use of new media technologies, the Commons has received national attention for its work. More information is available on the Commons website at http://wic.library.upenn.edu.

The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League comprehensive research university in Philadelphia founded in 1740 by Benjamin Franklin and his circle. It comprises twelve schools, 4,000 faculty and an enrollment of 20,000 students, equally divided between undergraduate and graduate/professional school students.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Director of the Weigle Information Commons, the Educational Technology Librarian provides expertise in effective integration of new technologies in teaching and learning campus wide, and helps promote the use of new media technologies.  As a member of a team of two full-time and five part-time staff, the incumbent conducts workshops in hands-on and online settings, provides one-on-one and small-group assistance to faculty and students, develops curricula and training materials, and participates actively in supporting new ways of teaching and learning.

Responsibilities

• Provide outreach and instructional services related to educational technologies including, but not limited to, presentation and collaboration software, spreadsheets, audio and video creation and editing, animation, graphics, and screen capture to faculty and students from all disciplines within the Penn community.
• Develop and offer course-related instruction and open workshops on a wide variety of educational tools, technologies, and software currently in use and newly released.
• Research, write and produce clear documentation and online training materials to support faculty and student learning.
• Remain current on, gain expertise in, and evaluate emerging technologies that have potential value for teaching and learning.
• In close collaboration with the staff of the Weigle Information Commons and library colleagues, develop public service initiatives to support and promote the use of educational technologies on the Penn campus.
• Serve as an entrepreneurial leader, keeping abreast of relevant school and departmental initiatives, and exploring opportunities for collaboration.
• Keep abreast of current trends, developments, and best practices and act as the Penn Libraries’ liaison to state, national, and international data organizations.
• Participate in library-wide initiatives as appropriate.

Qualifications

An ALA-accredited Master’s degree in library and information science, or a degree in instructional technology, educational media, computer science, training and development, or other related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience is required.  For Librarian A, a minimum of 0 to 1 year experience and for a Librarian B a minimum of 2 years experience required.  Previous experience working in an academic library, faculty support center, academic technology center, or research center is also required. A strong academic undergraduate background in a technology-intensive discipline is preferred. The successful candidate will also have:

• excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively.
• ability to assess user needs and use consultative skills to provide appropriate support.
• demonstrated and documented experience with a variety of software including Microsoft Office (especially Excel, Access and PowerPoint) and the Adobe Creative Suite, and with web-based tools (especially the Google suite of cloud computing tools). Experience with web design is preferred.
• demonstrated fluency with both Mac and PC operating systems and comfort with assisting others to use both platforms.
• experience working with faculty and students in a college or university setting.
• excellent teaching and presentation skills and the ability to communicate effectively with both new and experienced users.
• strong analytical skills and excellent oral and written communication skills.
• demonstrated ability to work within a collegial framework and to collaborate effectively
• demonstrated experience with technology integration in a wide range of academic disciplines is preferred.

Compensation and Benefits

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience.  Includes a generous benefits package – additional information available at http://www.hr.upenn.edu/jobs/benefits.asp. 

 To Apply

Potential candidates are invited to submit a letter of application that addresses the needs and qualifications of the position, along with their resume and the names, addresses, and phone numbers of three references who can address the suitability of the candidate for the position described, as well as complete an on-line employment application at https://jobs.hr.upenn.edu/applicants/Central?quickFind=193579

Alternatively, you may search by reference # 110530604 at http://www.hr.upenn.edu/jobs

To ensure full consideration, applications should be submitted by June 30, 2011.  Applications will be reviewed upon receipt and will continue to be reviewed until the position is filled.

The University of Pennsylvania is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.