Media Innovation and Instructional Services Specialist

Duties and Responsibilities:  The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library <www.library.illinois.edu> seeks an innovative, collaborative, and technology-savvy individual for the position of Media Innovation and Instructional Services Specialist.  This position will partner with library and campus units to create and provide instructional programming and support for new, emerging, and innovative models of multimedia use in academic pedagogy.  The incumbent will investigate, develop, and evaluate new and existing technology resources in the Undergraduate Library Media Commons, including unique spaces and service such as our audio production booths, film studio, and self-use video studio.

This position requires a professional with outstanding communication, interpersonal, and facilitation skills to build collaborations with partners such as the Library’s Scholarly Commons, the Grainger Engineering Library’s Idea Lab, and other library and campus academic partners.  The Media Innovation and Instructional Services Specialist will partner in an interdisciplinary approach with subject specialists to investigate methods for integrating multimodal learning support and Media Commons technologies across disciplines.

The person in this position will collaborate and communicate with existing instruction librarians in the Undergraduate Library, and with other digital services in the Library.  Knowledge of current trends in pedagogical practices, including the development of course-integrated library instruction, learning outcomes, assessment strategies, and the ability to engage and motivate students are essential.

Position Description:  Reporting to the Media Commons Coordinator, the Media Innovation and Instructional Services Specialist investigates, implements, supports, and documents best practices for innovative technologies in support of student learning.  Through collaboration with other team members and Library and campus partners, the incumbent serves as a resource for sharing and developing services and technology which have potential for shared benefit, and is responsible for identifying potential areas for Media Commons innovation.  The individual also serves as a bridge between established information literacy instruction and emerging literacies and methods for multimodal learning.

The Media Innovation and Instructional Services Specialist will provide unique and original services to further the Library’s strategic goal of developing collaboration spaces and incubator environments to foster research and learning, part of the Library’s Framework for Strategic Action <http://go.illinois.edu/framework>.

The successful candidate will: 

• Provide leadership for the integration of media and digital literacy into courses taught through the Media Commons. 
• Coordinate the design of online learning objects in support of technology instruction, self-paced learning, and course integration of Media Commons resources;
• Investigate, develop, and support facilities and technologies related to Media Commons services;
• Work with the Media Commons staff and the Instructional Services Librarian to develop and teach relevant course-integrated instruction sessions to support student learning of multiple literacies, including technology and media literacy
• Develop and teach workshops on processes and workflows for integrating multimedia resources into student and research projects;
• Conduct training and provide documentation for technologies and services developed in the Media Commons;
• Supervise hourly employees, graduate assistants, and student assistants in the provision of Media Commons services
• Contribute to promotion and marketing of Media Commons services and collections;
• Play an active role in building relationships between Media Commons services and facilities and teaching and research needs of campus units;
• Foster a positive and collaborative work culture;
• Pursue professional development to keep current on trends and developments in media and technology, and in delivery of technology integration in the curriculum.

Qualifications 

Required: 

• Masters degree in Educational Technology, digital media, computer graphics, technology or computer science, Library and Information Science, or related field;
• Minimum of two years  technical experience with multimedia resources and/or production;
• Professional experience providing technology demonstrations, presentations, and/or classroom instruction in an academic setting;
• Demonstrated advanced, specialized knowledge in developing, producing and editing video, and other media and digital applications or similar products;
• Demonstrated leadership, communication, public speaking, and team-building skills;
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with a diverse community;
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced and busy environment;
• Demonstrated ability to contribute effectively to collaborative projects within and outside the organization;

Preferred:

• Minimum of three years of professional experience in an academic or research library environment;
• Experience in shaping, implementing, and assessing innovative library initiatives;
• Demonstrated knowledge of trends in instructional design, student learning, and assessment;
• Experience communicating technology use and best practices with a non-technical audience;
• Demonstrated skill in media authoring software, such as the Adobe Creative Suite, Final Cut Pro, and related tools.
• One or more years of teaching experience in an academic or related setting

Environment:  The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library is a leader in the delivery of user services, and active programs in information, instructional, access, and scholarly services that help the Library to maintain its place at the intellectual heart of the campus. The Library also holds one of the preeminent research collections in the world, encompassing more than 13 million volumes and a total of more than 23 million items. The Library is committed to maintaining the strongest collections and service programs possible, and to engaging in research, development, and scholarly practice - all of which support the University's missions of teaching, research, and public engagement. The Library employs approximately 90 faculty members, and more than 300 academic professionals, staff, and graduate assistants. For more information, see: http://www.library.illinois.edu/.

The Undergraduate Library is a bustling facility with extended hours supporting a variety of programs and initiatives aimed at supporting student success, including a Media Commons, course-integrated instructional programs, campus partnerships, research consultation services, technology prototyping, and outreach and engagement programs. The portfolio of services will continue to evolve in concert with the shifting landscape of undergraduate student needs and expectations to drive the next generation of library services.  For more information, see: http://www.library.illinois.edu/ugl/

Campus and Community: The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a comprehensive and major public land-grant university (Doctoral/Research University-Extensive) that is ranked among the best in the world. Chartered in 1867, it provides undergraduate and graduate education in more than 150 fields of study, conducts theoretical and applied research, and provides public service to the state and the nation. It employs 3,000 faculty members who serve 31,000 undergraduates and 12,000 graduate and professional students; approximately 25% of faculty receives campus-wide recognition each year for excellence in teaching. More information about the campus is available at www.illinois.edu.  The University is located in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana, which have a combined population of 100,000 and are situated about 140 miles south of Chicago, 120 miles west of Indianapolis, and 170 northeast of St. Louis. The University and its surrounding communities offer a cultural and recreational environment ideally suited to the work of a major research institution. For more information about the community, visit: http://illinois.edu/about/community/community.html or http://www.ccchamber.org/.

Salary and Rank: Salary commensurate with credentials and experience.

To Apply: To ensure full consideration, please complete your candidate profile at https://jobs.illinois.edu and upload a letter of interest, resume, contact information including email addresses for three professional references.  Applications not submitted through this website will not be considered. For questions, please call: 217-333-8169.

Deadline: In order to ensure full consideration we urge candidates to submit application materials on or before May 28, 2018.