We're hiring: Public Services and User Experience Librarian

Samuel R. Scholes Library of Ceramics
Public Services and User Experience Librarian
The Samuel Scholes Library of Ceramics at Alfred University seeks a forward thinking, team oriented, customer service focused librarian to serve within a specialized academic library. Primarily serving undergraduate and graduate programs in Art and Design and Engineering and Science, Scholes Library also provides integrated library services with the Herrick Library at Alfred University.
Responsibilities:
The Public Services and User Experience Librarian position is a 12 month, administrative (non-tenure) position reporting to the Director of Scholes Library. This key administrative position is responsible for planning and coordinating all public facing operations including circulation, student worker hiring, training, and scheduling, all service desk operations, reference desk scheduling, user experience enhancements, and policy development.  This position also serves as assistant to the Director in reporting and providing library statistics.  Working in a fast paced, highly collaborative environment, the Public Services and User Experience Librarian serves as a key operational link to all departmental areas within Scholes Library and public face of the library as a whole.
Primary activities:
Circulation
The Public Services and User Experience Librarian is responsible for the management and maintenance of circulation in the library. This includes the systems and technologies that control circulation—such as our circulation policies and LMS (Aleph)—as well as oversight of stack maintenance, shelf-reading, and other procedures that allow circulation of the physical collection. This individual will also collect public services statistics for the Library Director.
Supervisory
The person filling this position has an important supervisory role in the Public Services department. This individual is responsible for the hiring, scheduling, training, and supervision of approximately 35 student assistants and part-time reference assistants. They also have responsibility for developing and updating procedures and manuals related to the student workers.
Administrative
The Public Services Librarian works closely with the Library Director in several areas of library administration. In an outward facing capacity, the librarian in this role communicates with patrons and other external constituencies for all operational and service matters. Within the library, they gather, report, and analyze data across all units, as well as develop internal procedures and policies as necessary.
Assessment
In concert with their role collecting statistics for the Library Director, the Public Services Librarian is responsible for facilitating assessment efforts within Scholes Library and mapping this work to relevant university-wide strategic planning as appropriate. This individual will have a significant role in library assessment, both in Scholes and across the libraries.
User Experience
The Public Services and User Experience Librarian is dedicating to improving user experience for our patrons, monitoring current public service trends, leading initiatives to develop and expand services, and assisting patrons with special requests as appropriate. They are the public face of the library, coordinating guides, signage, tech support, and other front line patron needs, as well as orientation sessions on request.
Reference/Concierge Services
As part of the outward-facing user experience aspect of this position, the Public Services Librarian is responsible for reference services in the library. They coordinate the scheduling of librarians and part-time assistants at the reference desk, participate in the reference rotation, ensure that the reference desk is staffed at all scheduled hours, and provide “concierge” service to all patrons.

Other duties:

  • Participates in professional activities, serves on appropriate campus committees, and performs other College and University duties appropriate to administrative status
  • Participates in professional development activities on and off campus
  • Participates in strategic planning for campus libraries
  • Assists with group information literacy instruction as needed
  • Other duties as assigned

Qualifications: An ALA accredited MLS or equivalent degree is required; experience working in Circulation, Public Services and/or Reference Services in an academic library is preferred. Very strong technology skills and experience with administrative functions of an integrated library system are highly desirable. This position requires a strong customer service orientation, as well as excellent oral and written communication and supervisory skills. Subject background or coursework in art or engineering is a plus. This is a 12-month, non-tenure position requiring professional contributions to campus committees as assigned. This position also requires professional development and participation in collaboration within the greater SUNY Library community.
To apply, please submit the following to the address below: (Email & PDF preferred). Application review begins November 16, 2015 and will continue until the position is filled.

1) A letter of introduction outlining how your qualifications and experience match this opportunity;
2) Current Resume/Vitae;
3) Names, email, and phone numbers of three appropriate references

Email materials to: humanresources@alfred.edu
or mail to:
Alfred University
Office of Human Resources
Greene Hall
Alfred, NY 14802
Alfred University, Alfred, NY, actively subscribes to a policy of equal employment opportunity, and will not discriminate against any employee, student or applicant because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, gender identification or expression, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry or national origin, marital status, genetic information, military or veteran status, domestic violence victim status, criminal conviction status, political affiliation or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Protected veterans, minorities and women are encouraged to apply.

FINAL EVENT: HALLOWEEN BALL THIS SATURDAY

Well, first of all, a reminder: the last talk, THE VERY LAST TALK, in the Hogwarts University lecture series is tonight, at 7:30 pm, in the Judson Leadership Center! Learn about feminism in Harry Potter and complete your Hogwarts education.
And, of course, that leads us to the final event of all, the Halloween Ball!
halloween_hogwarts
Co-hosted and sponsored by Spectrum, the Halloween Ball is this Saturday, at 8:00 pm, in the Knight Club on Alfred’s campus (in the Powell Center). There will be a live choir performance at 9:00 of several selections of music from the Harry Potter movies, including “Double Trouble,” which you may remember from the third movie:

Additionally, there will be COSTUME AND DRAG COMPETITIONS! For ASTONISHING PRIZES! No, seriously, I spent several minutes in my office just holding some of these prizes and wishing I was eligible to win them. I am so very, very jealous of whoever wins Best of the Halloween Ball. Or second place. Or any of the categories, actually.
Categories include Best Harry Potter/Hogwarts Costume, Best Drag, and Best Halloween/Magic Themed Costume.
So show up in your finest and prepare to bring home some amazing loot.
The Halloween Ball is open to all! Suggested admission is $2 and will be donated to a local charity.

FINAL HOGWARTS U. LECTURE: Feminism in Harry Potter, this Thursday!

That’s right, we’re closing out the lecture series this Thursday! I can’t believe the Harry Potter’s World event series is coming to a close, but closing it is. All that’s left now are the last lecture and the big Halloween Ball smash this Saturday.
If you’d like a bit more Potter learning before closing it all out in your finest wizarding threads this weekend, please come by the Judson Leadership Center for a discussion of the Harry Potter series and feminism:
Muggle Studies Lecture – “My Patronus is Gloria Steinem: Feminism in Harry Potter”
Thursday, October 15th  •  7:30 pm  •  Judson Leadership Center
Ana Gauthier
This workshop will examine Harry Potter through the lens of feminist literary theory, as well as examine the actions of the characters to see where they displayed feminist ideals of equity and equality.  Come find out how your favorite characters truly were champions of equality, and who will take home the feminist house cup!

 
The National Library of Medicine exhibit that has served as the core of this event series is going down today, so you will sadly no longer be able to see it on view. However, the art exhibit in the Scholes Library Pop Up Gallery (small room to the right of the circulation desk) will remain up until the end of term, and the decorative displays in the entryway will also be up for a while longer.
See you Thursday!
MuggleStudiesLecture_feminism

A walking tour of the castle ghosts this Thursday, October 8th

Our second-to-last talk is going to be a unique format–a walking tour and talk around Alfred’s own mysterious castle!
University Archivist Laurie McFadden will be giving attendees a taste of the curious, mystical, and magical history of Steinheim Castle, as well as sharing some notable local ghost stories. Follow her on a walking tour of the building as you learn about some of the most interesting legends of the place, and get in the mood for a properly Hogwarts Halloween.
History of Magic Lecture – “If These Walls Could Talk”
Thursday, October 8th  •  7:30 pm  •  Steinheim Castle
Laurie McFadden
Reminiscent of the observant and talkative paintings in Hogwarts, University Archivist Laurie McFadden will give a history of the campus castle (Steinheim) and delve into some of the campus ghost stories. 

HistoryofMagicLecture_steinheim

History of Magic Lecture Sunday at 4:00

Three lectures left in the Hogwarts University series! We’ve had Herbology, Muggle Studies, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Arithmancy, Charms, AND Care of Magical Creatures classes so far, but this time it’s something new: History of Magic.
History of Magic Lecture – “The Hereford Mappa Mundi: Features and Creatures”
Sunday, October 4th  •  4:00 pm  •  Scholes Library Second Floor Classroom
Bridget Riley
A comparison of similarities between Harry Potter’s “Maurader’s Map” and the medieval “Hereford Map,” as well as a discussion of some of the specific creatures and monsters and their strategic placement on the Hereford Map. 

Join us for monsters, creatures, and features this Sunday, and stay tuned for announcements about the last two talks–and of course the closing Halloween Ball.
HistoryofMagicLecture_mappamundi