Assistant Professor, University Library - Teaching and Collections Librarian - National Louis University

National Louis is a 135+ year old university that has been grounded in the values of innovation, access, excellence, and equity from its inception. As an institution, we believe in providing access to educational opportunity and that education is our greatest lever for social and economic mobility. We are a student-focused community that is committed to continuous improvement and superior student service.  We believe that through education we are able to empower change and build healthy communities. Our hard-working community is based on collaboration and respect for all team members and students.

What we offer: 

At National Louis University, we offer our employees an innovative environment to work together and inspire the ideas that will make an impact. As our external environment changes, our employees are provided the opportunities and tools needed to grow both personally and professionally to remain successful. NLU employees and dependents are offered a wide range of benefits, including but not limited to, Health Insurance benefits, Retirement benefits, Paid Time Off and Educational Benefits.

What you will do: 

The National Louis University (NLU) University Library is seeking applicants for a full-time, faculty Teaching and Collections Librarian at the rank of Assistant Professor. This position will be primarily based at the Wheeling campus and reports to the Executive Director of the University Library. The University Library seeks to hire faculty who are flexible, innovative, collaborative, forward-thinking, and who can respond rapidly to the changing needs of traditional, adult, and distance learners in diverse learning environments. While this position is based at Wheeling, travel to the Chicago campus will be required as print collections are located at both campuses. This is a 12-month faculty position
    
National Louis University (NLU) is looking to honor its past while defining a bold new future as a contemporary, comprehensive university that prepares diverse students for sustained professional success with a deep commitment to Access, Excellence, Innovation and Equity. We are a pioneering community that uses innovation to improve outcomes.  NLU questions the status quo and strives to adapt and evolve with the changing needs of its students.   We are a community that cares about each other and our students and we work collaboratively, tirelessly and quickly to advance change in the service of students.  We have a long venerable history, but we are not typical.  We seek to solve intractable social issues through education; we believe we have not succeeded until graduates achieve sustainable career related employment; and we foster a culture that promotes failing fast so that we may constantly improve our work. 

Founded in 1886, National Louis University is a private not-for-profit university offering over 70 programs from short-term certificate through the doctoral level across its five colleges.  The University serves over 10,000 students per year and has experienced unprecedented growth over the last several years.  Most students are from Illinois, but the University also attracts students from throughout the U.S. and from around the world who take advantage of campus based, blended and online programming. 

NLU is located in the center of Chicago’s downtown loop, across the street from the Art Institute, in an area which has been recognized as America’s largest campus with over 25 institutions and 50,000 students attending a college across the city. In addition, the University has two suburban locations and a Florida regional campus

Essential Responsibilities    

• Leads the development and management of the library's physical and digital collections in alignment with the university's academic programs and priorities.
• Evaluate current holdings, identify gaps, and make strategic acquisitions in both physical and digital formats.
• Teaches in a variety of modalities and settings, including library research credit courses, classroom instruction sessions, library chat, and one-on-one student appointments, as well as the development of asynchronous learning materials.
• Contributes to the university's course development process by advising subject matter experts and instructional designers in copyright, the selection of course readings, and the development of assignments with an information literacy or research component.
• Leads the promotion of library collections to a wide variety of student and faculty groups, including distance education.
• Provide research support to NLU faculty and staff by offering expertise in academic resources.
• Participates in faculty governance and university-wide initiatives

Requirements:

• MLIS from an ALA-accredited institution or international equivalent;
• At least 3 to 5 years of professional experience working in academic libraries
• Willingness to travel to other campus or off-campus locations, and a flexible schedule that includes some evenings and weekends; 
• Experience teaching online and in-person;

Preferred qualifications:

• Demonstrated understanding and competence with integrated library systems; 
• Strong organizational and time management skills; 
• Strong digital librarianship skills; 
• Experience with the creation of learning materials in a variety of modalities;
• Demonstrated experience working collaboratively with various stakeholders to implement and manage projects and to problem solve; 
• Knowledge of current and emerging systems and trends in academic librarianship and in higher education; 
• Ability to work effectively with culturally diverse learners;
• Demonstrated interest in developing pedagogical strategies tailored for diverse populations and multiple modalities

NLU Inclusion Statement: 

National Louis University is deeply committed to serving its community, advancing access and equity, and ensuring that all individuals are welcomed and valued.  We are dedicated to fostering a culture where diversity, equity, and inclusion remain at the core of who we are. These are more than just words to us: they are truly a way of life for the NLU community. We recognize that differences in abilities, age, ethnicity, gender (identity and expression), race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, and background bring richness to our work environment. We affirm diverse perspectives, innovative contributions, and authentic presentations of self from every member within the NLU community. We believe inclusion is grounded in the actions we intentionally take each day. Our goal is to inspire and empower NLU employees and community members to cultivate an environment where we collectively focus on uplifting and advancing our institutional culture.