Job No. 155905
- Job Title:
- Librarian, Department Head
- Employer:
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The University of Texas at El Paso
- Location:
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El Paso , TX
- Posting Date:
- 17-Jul-2025
- Description:
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Purpose of Position
The Head of Access Services is a professional librarian responsible for providing visionary leadership, strategic planning, and operational management for the University Library’s Access Services Department. This individual oversees all aspects of Access Services—including circulation, interlibrary loan, and course reserves—ensuring high-quality, user-centered service delivery. The Head of Access Services serves as the local administrator of the Fulfillment module of the Library’s ILS (Alma), configuring fulfillment workflows and supporting informed decision-making. The role includes a modest degree of subject liaison, collection development, and instructional responsibilities.
Essential Functions
Provides coordination and supervision of professional, paraprofessional, and student staff within the department, to include: hiring, onboarding, training, scheduling, evaluation, and mentoring.
Provides general management of departmental operations: circulation, interlibrary loan, reserves, stacks maintenance, security, and related services.
Fosters a collaborative, supportive work environment, modeling and promoting exceptional customer service, teamwork, professional development, engagement, and conflict resolution skills.
Promotes and markets Access Services initiatives internally and externally, including maintaining relevant web content.
Serves as the local administrator of the Library’s ILS (Alma) Fulfillment module, configuring options and making informed decisions regarding fulfillment workflows.
Maintains, develops, and enhances workflows in the ILS for Access Services, and provides training for staff on system updates and procedures as they relate to fulfillment.
Develops, implements, and continuously improves internal departmental goals, policies, procedures, and best practices.
Collaborates with Access Services staff and Library Administration to develop, implement, assess, and improve policies to guide Library users’ use of circulating items and spaces.
Participates in long-range and strategic planning in collaboration with Library Administration, staff, and campus partners.
Collects, analyzes, and interprets usage statistics and assessment data to evaluate and improve services, informed by national academic library trends and locally collected feedback.
Acts as arbitrator for individual patron complaints or concerns regarding services and resources in the purview of the Access Services department.
Ensures the delivery of high-quality, user-centered services to all library users by Access Services staff, addressing complex patron issues while advocating for resource and service accessibility.
Works closely with other library departments, campus partners, and consortia members with the goal of providing seamless access to resources and services.
Oversees fines and billing processes for Access Services; runs reports, updates patron records, reconciles patron accounts, and collaborates with Discovery Services staff to update the status of missing and billed items.
Maintains communication with Serials & Electronic Resources Team to monitor and troubleshoot performance issues with the ILS as they pertain to access to Library resources.
Collaborate with internal and external groups to establish and develop services beneficial to library users.
Ensures Access Services staff receives appropriate and adequate professional development opportunities.
Serves on Library and University-wide committees as needed.
Participates in outreach and instructional activities to promote information literacy skills, library resources, and library services.
Serves as Library Liaison and performs collection development duties.
Responsible for the library building in the absence of higher administration.
Handles facilities, safety, and security issues as needed.
Performs other duties as assigned to support the mission and goals of the library.
Weekend and evening hours flexibility required.
Complies with all State and University policies.
Other duties may be assigned.
Supervisory Responsibilities: Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws.
Qualifications
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Required Qualifications:
Education: Master’s degree in Library/Information science from an ALA-accredited program (required).
Subject master’s in area of specialization desirable.
and
Experience: Experience and/or understanding of Access Services operations (e.g., circulation, interlibrary loan, course reserves).
Demonstrated leadership, management, and supervisory skills.
Evidence of strong commitment to responsive, user-centered service.
Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with library staff and diverse groups across an organization to set priorities and achieve mutual goals.
Demonstrated project management skills and attention to detail.
Ability to remain flexible and adapt to rapid and/or unexpected change.
Ability to balance workloads, prioritize, and meet deadlines.
Excellent oral and written communication skills.
Ability to resolve procedural and service-related issues effectively.
Ability to interpret, determine compliance with, and enforce policies and procedures.
Preferred Qualifications: Experience with information literacy instruction and library outreach.
Experience with assessment and data analysis to inform service improvements.
Additional Information
The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee must frequently stand and walk. The employee must regularly sit; use hands to feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. The employee must lift and move up to 50 pounds.
- Contact information:
- The University of Texas at El Paso
- El Paso, TX 79968
- United States
- Employer's Website:
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Visit Employer's website