Discovery & User Experience Librarian
Indiana University Academic Positions
On-site
Bloomington, Indiana, United States
Position Summary
Indiana University Libraries seeks a forward-thinking and collaborative Discovery & User Experience Librarian to join its Discovery and User Experience department ( DUX ) to lead efforts to ensure the effective functioning of Indiana University’s collections discovery interfaces through a focus on user experience. At the IU Libraries, we are committed to facilitating the discovery of our collections through improving and enhancing tools such as IUCAT , Indiana University’s online catalog; Bento, the library website federated search tool; and OneSearch@IU, another discovery interface that enables a single search across citation data from thousands of publishers as well as IU’s local collections. The implementation and development of these discovery interfaces are part of an overall effort to unify our web presence and present the IU Libraries’ collections, services, and resources to enable a more holistic approach to supporting teaching, learning, and research in the IU community. The work of this position primarily serves the Bloomington campus, but activities and responsibilities also benefit IU Libraries statewide. Working in a collaborative team environment, the position will participate in library-wide efforts to optimize the operation of a suite of discovery and retrieval systems designed to help expose the IU Libraries’ investment in collections and leveraging relevant technologies to provide user-centric services for information access and discovery. This position will also oversee various projects from initiation to completion. Through their leadership of the multicampus Discovery Layer Advisory Group ( DLAG ), they establish development priorities for IUCAT in cooperation with the University Information Technology Services ( UITS ) Enterprise Library Systems ( ELS ) team. They also coordinate with DUX colleagues, other library staff, and the ELS team on Bento’s development priorities. Through user testing, they identify unmet needs for discovery and research tools and collaborate on possible solutions. They also collaborate with library public services staff within DUX and other departments to create documentation for end users and library staff and to develop and assist with staff training for discovery applications and systems. RESPONSIBILITIES Support the discovery of library resources through the online catalog and other discovery interfaces Collaborating closely with library and UITS staff as appropriate, assist with maintenance and management of the library catalog discovery interface, and oversee the management of OneSearch@IU, the Bloomington libraries’ web-scale discovery interface, currently based on EBSCO Discovery Service ( EDS ). Maintain awareness of enhancements and changes to interfaces and configurations of systems. Work across library departments to plan, coordinate, facilitate, and accomplish projects that improve and enhance discovery services. Lead the department in an ongoing review of products and local quality assurance activities to constantly improve the user experience. Focus on building better relationships between resources aligning with the broader context of the IU Libraries’ discovery strategy. Document recommendations and decisions made by existing library groups, task forces, and departments to configure discovery interfaces. Create documentation for discovery systems suitable for end-users and library staff statewide and develop and present training for discovery applications and systems. Serve as liaison between software engineers, internal customers, and end-users, working with software engineers to solve problems, resolve “bugs,” and communicate with library staff about fixes and workarounds. Participate in an ongoing review of website content and functionality and local quality assurance activities to constantly improve the user experience. Identify concrete objectives for IU Libraries’ discovery resources and plan methods for evaluating their effectiveness. Collaborate with the User Experience Designer to identify research needs of internal and external users, gather and analyze feedback, and interpret user feedback to recommend changes that will better meet user needs. Maintain connections with users of the library website and with library public services staff by providing reference services to all levels of library users Work effectively in a collegial, multi-disciplinary team environment to explore and promote the application of new technologies Contribute to IU Libraries’ participation in consortium and open-source efforts such as the Big Ten Academic Alliance ( BTAA ) and Blacklight Engage in professional development opportunities–memberships, conferences, training, and certification–to stay current on new programs, standards, and developments in the field Promote the Libraries’ culture of diversity and inclusion and support the values outlined in the IU Libraries’ Diversity Strategic Plan ( https://libraries.indiana.edu/libraries-diversity-resources ).
Indiana University Libraries seeks a forward-thinking and collaborative Discovery & User Experience Librarian to join its Discovery and User Experience department ( DUX ) to lead efforts to ensure the effective functioning of Indiana University’s collections discovery interfaces through a focus on user experience. At the IU Libraries, we are committed to facilitating the discovery of our collections through improving and enhancing tools such as IUCAT , Indiana University’s online catalog; Bento, the library website federated search tool; and OneSearch@IU, another discovery interface that enables a single search across citation data from thousands of publishers as well as IU’s local collections. The implementation and development of these discovery interfaces are part of an overall effort to unify our web presence and present the IU Libraries’ collections, services, and resources to enable a more holistic approach to supporting teaching, learning, and research in the IU community. The work of this position primarily serves the Bloomington campus, but activities and responsibilities also benefit IU Libraries statewide. Working in a collaborative team environment, the position will participate in library-wide efforts to optimize the operation of a suite of discovery and retrieval systems designed to help expose the IU Libraries’ investment in collections and leveraging relevant technologies to provide user-centric services for information access and discovery. This position will also oversee various projects from initiation to completion. Through their leadership of the multicampus Discovery Layer Advisory Group ( DLAG ), they establish development priorities for IUCAT in cooperation with the University Information Technology Services ( UITS ) Enterprise Library Systems ( ELS ) team. They also coordinate with DUX colleagues, other library staff, and the ELS team on Bento’s development priorities. Through user testing, they identify unmet needs for discovery and research tools and collaborate on possible solutions. They also collaborate with library public services staff within DUX and other departments to create documentation for end users and library staff and to develop and assist with staff training for discovery applications and systems. RESPONSIBILITIES Support the discovery of library resources through the online catalog and other discovery interfaces Collaborating closely with library and UITS staff as appropriate, assist with maintenance and management of the library catalog discovery interface, and oversee the management of OneSearch@IU, the Bloomington libraries’ web-scale discovery interface, currently based on EBSCO Discovery Service ( EDS ). Maintain awareness of enhancements and changes to interfaces and configurations of systems. Work across library departments to plan, coordinate, facilitate, and accomplish projects that improve and enhance discovery services. Lead the department in an ongoing review of products and local quality assurance activities to constantly improve the user experience. Focus on building better relationships between resources aligning with the broader context of the IU Libraries’ discovery strategy. Document recommendations and decisions made by existing library groups, task forces, and departments to configure discovery interfaces. Create documentation for discovery systems suitable for end-users and library staff statewide and develop and present training for discovery applications and systems. Serve as liaison between software engineers, internal customers, and end-users, working with software engineers to solve problems, resolve “bugs,” and communicate with library staff about fixes and workarounds. Participate in an ongoing review of website content and functionality and local quality assurance activities to constantly improve the user experience. Identify concrete objectives for IU Libraries’ discovery resources and plan methods for evaluating their effectiveness. Collaborate with the User Experience Designer to identify research needs of internal and external users, gather and analyze feedback, and interpret user feedback to recommend changes that will better meet user needs. Maintain connections with users of the library website and with library public services staff by providing reference services to all levels of library users Work effectively in a collegial, multi-disciplinary team environment to explore and promote the application of new technologies Contribute to IU Libraries’ participation in consortium and open-source efforts such as the Big Ten Academic Alliance ( BTAA ) and Blacklight Engage in professional development opportunities–memberships, conferences, training, and certification–to stay current on new programs, standards, and developments in the field Promote the Libraries’ culture of diversity and inclusion and support the values outlined in the IU Libraries’ Diversity Strategic Plan ( https://libraries.indiana.edu/libraries-diversity-resources ).