Instruction Librarian

The San Diego State University (SDSU) Library invites applications for Instruction Librarian, a 12-month, tenure-track position to be appointed at the rank of Senior Assistant Librarian, beginning in Spring 2024. We are looking for someone who is passionate about library instruction’s potential to transform how our diverse community of students is introduced to library resources and foundational information skills. SDSU is dedicated to its teaching mission and proud to serve a 40% first-generation university student population. We seek a librarian who will build relationships with our faculty colleagues and campus partners in order to advance librarian-led inquiry in SDSU’s curriculum. We look forward to hearing about your instructional approaches, such as critical information literacy and informed learning, that contribute to students' success both inside and outside the classroom and foster their ability to thrive in an increasingly information-rich world.

This position will join a growing Research, Instruction, and Outreach (RIO) Unit, which includes 13 Public Services Librarian Faculty, 1 Library Services Specialist Staff, and several Library Student Assistants. The unit handles the core public service functions of the SDSU Library such as Research Services, Instruction Services, Outreach & Engagement, and Liaison Services. This position will not only join a cohort of new library faculty members, but will be supported by colleagues who value curiosity, critical thinking, reflection, and personal growth in their daily work. More information on our instructional approaches and resources for faculty is available at https://library.sdsu.edu/help-services/research-instruction/guide-sdsu-library-instruction .

The SDSU Library supports, promotes, and extends the distinctive teaching, learning, scholarship, and community engagement initiatives of the university, especially as those are highlighted in the university strategic plan, “We Rise, We Defy: Transcending Borders, Transforming Lives.” Committed to service and student-centered innovation in librarianship, recent library initiatives include the establishment of the Digital Humanities Center, build IT makerspace, and partnerships around student success, including the establishment of the Latinx Resource Center. SDSU has made a strategic commitment to student success as part of California State University’s Graduation Initiative 2025, and the University Library is also home to campus-wide initiatives such as The Writing Center, Math and Statistics Learning Center, and Supplemental Instruction. More information about the SDSU Library is available at https://library.sdsu.edu/ and more information about partnership programs and opportunities is available at https://library.sdsu.edu/about-us/partners.

SDSU is a large, public, diverse, urban university and a Hispanic-Serving Institution and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution located on Kumeyaay land with a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The university honors its residence on Kumeyaay land in its land acknowledgement and commitment to building a relationship with Indigenous peoples. Along with campus partners, the Library recently opened an Africana Studies Collection space that will serve as a hub for curricular and co-curricular programs designed to engage SDSU community members with these valuable circulating and special collections. The SDSU Library has adopted a Diversity Plan (https://library.sdsu.edu/diversity/library-plan) to guide our efforts to realize an institutional commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice. To meet the goals of this plan, we seek applicants with demonstrated experience in and/or commitment to teaching and working effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds and members of underrepresented groups. Individuals from historically underrepresented groups, such as minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and protected veterans are encouraged to apply. Accommodations will be provided upon request.

We are seeking applicants with demonstrated experience in and/or commitment to teaching and working effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds and members of underrepresented groups. Candidates must satisfy two or more of the eight Building on Inclusive Excellence (BIE) criteria. Candidates that meet BIE criteria: (a) are committed to engaging in service with underrepresented populations within the discipline, (b) have demonstrated knowledge of barriers for underrepresented students and faculty within the discipline, (c) have experience or have demonstrated commitment to teaching and mentoring underrepresented students, (d) have experience or have demonstrated commitment to integrating understanding of underrepresented populations and communities into research, (e) have experience in or have demonstrated commitment to extending knowledge of opportunities and challenges in achieving artistic/scholarly success to members of an underrepresented group, (f) have experience in or have demonstrated commitment to research that engages underrepresented communities, (g) have expertise or demonstrated commitment to developing expertise in cross-cultural communication and collaboration, and/or (h) have research interests that contribute to diversity and equal opportunity in higher education. Please indicate in a separate diversity statement how you meet at least two (2) of these criteria. Additional guidance on our BIE program for applicants is available at https://sacd.sdsu.edu/cie/guidance-candidates.

The SDSU Library Diversity Statement is available at https://library.sdsu.edu/diversity/library-statement

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

The Instruction Librarian will:

• Teach and evaluate library information literacy instruction sessions to first-year experience and other required general education courses such as General Studies (Gen S) 100 and Rhetoric & Writing Studies (RWS) 100/200;
• Coordinate the scheduling of library information literacy instruction sessions in a timely manner by responding to general inquiries and requests;
• Continuously work with RIO Assistant Librarians to assess, redevelop, and implement library information literacy curriculum for first-year experience and required general education courses;
• Maintain library instruction classrooms and plan for instructional space needs;
• Develop and maintain various instructional and promotional materials for first-year students, including guides, social media content, library programming, and related learning objects;
• Work with the Online Learning Librarian and other librarians to ensure a holistic and integrated approach to information literacy instruction;
• Maintain collaborative relationships with campus-wide student success partners;
• Have a commitment to library public services and improving the user experience;
• Provide supportive research services at the shared research desk and through individual consultations;
• Collaborate to address the SDSU library collection needs that are identified and arise from library information literacy instruction sessions;
• Participate in campus events for potential students, new students, and other groups as needed;
• A commitment to fostering an equitable and inclusive workplace, and an ability to work effectively with a diverse faculty, staff, and student population is essential;
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

We emphasize that the preferred qualifications are not required and that we are committed to helping our future colleagues develop the preferred skills. We encourage you to communicate how your work and other experiences satisfy the required qualifications in ways that may not be obvious.

Required Qualifications

• Graduate degree from an ALA-accredited program or foreign equivalent;
• Excellent written communication and presentation skills demonstrated through public speaking, instructional, or presentation experience;
• An understanding of the current research, information sources, and scholarly trends in academic library instruction and/or critical information literacy;
• Mindfulness of issues faced by diverse student populations, such as those experienced by non-traditional, first-generation, transfer, and/or international students;
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team to maintain cooperative working relationships;
• Competence and sensitivity in working at a university in which students, faculty, and staff are broadly diverse with regard to many facets of identity, including but not limited to gender, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, age, and religion;
• Demonstrated potential for meeting the requirements for tenure and promotion based on library service, professional growth, and service to the University and community.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with first-year undergraduate library instruction;
• Familiarity with educational learning theory, instructional design methods, and/or information literacy standards;
• Demonstrated ability to independently and collaboratively design and deliver instructional content;
• Experience providing instruction to a diverse population and users of all levels;
• Active involvement in professional development activities with a record of scholarly contributions and achievements in the profession.

This is a full-time, tenure-track faculty position. Tenure is dependent upon continuing library service effectiveness, professional growth and development, and service to the library, University, and community.

SDSU is the oldest institution of higher education in the San Diego region, with a campus and microsites in San Diego and locations in Southern California’s Imperial Valley and Tbilisi in the Republic of Georgia. The highly diverse campus community has a student population of approximately 36,000. SDSU is included in the Carnegie Foundation’s Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity category. Established in 1897, SDSU offers bachelor degrees in 97 areas, masters in 84 and doctorates in 23. See http://www.sdsu.edu for more information. SDSU is a large, diverse, urban university and Hispanic-Serving Institution with a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusive excellence. Our campus community is diverse in many ways, including race, religion, color, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, national origin, pregnancy, medical condition, and covered veteran status. We strive to build and sustain a welcoming environment for all.

The minimum salary for this position is based on the current CSU salary schedule for Sr. Assistant Librarian and may be revised based on contract collective bargaining. The anticipated salary range is from $74,280 to $77,508. Salary placement will be based on the selected candidate’s qualifications and experience, and salaries higher than the published maximums may be offered in limited circumstances. San Diego State University offers a rich benefits package that constitutes a major portion of total compensation. For benefits information, click https://bfa.sdsu.edu/hr/jobs/benefits.

As part of its commitment to a safe and equitable “OneSDSU” community, SDSU requires that individuals seeking faculty employment provide at the time of application authorization to conduct background checks if they become a finalist for the position; applications without this authorization will be considered incomplete and not considered.

A background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed before any candidate can be offered a position with the CSU. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the application status of applicants or the continued employment of current CSU employees who apply for the position.

The person holding this position is considered a “mandated reporter” under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.