Reference and Instruction Librarian
University of Texas Permian Basin · Odessa, TX · On-site · Unknown
Salary USD 58,140
Posted Aug 28, 2025
Reporting directly to the Director of Library Services, this is an exciting opportunity to join a highly collaborative and supportive team at The University of Texas Permian Basin, a part of the prestigious 14 institution University of Texas System. The Reference and Instruction Librarian provides high-quality research assistance and library instruction while collaboratively leading and supporting the university’s open education resources (OER) initiatives. This position is key player in promoting information literacy, collaborating with faculty and students to discover, adopt, adapt and create OER materials. The Librarian serves as an expert on OER, copyright, and open licensing, and plays a vital role in advancing the library’s mission of equitable access to information. The ideal candidate will have combined traditional library expertise with specialized knowledge in open education to support student success and affordability.
Reference and Research Services:
- Provides in-person and virtual reference assistance to students, faculty, and staff, helping them with research questions and information needs.
- Assists patrons in effectively using library resources, including online databases, the library catalog, and digital collections.
- Conducts one-on-one research consultations and guides users in developing research strategies and evaluating information sources.
- Maintains a strong understanding of emerging information delivery systems and technologies to enhance reference services.
Library Instruction and Information Literacy:
- Designs, develops, and delivers engaging and effective library instruction sessions, workshops, and tutorials, both in-person and online.
- Integrates information literacy concepts and skills into the curriculum, working closely with faculty to align instruction with course learning outcomes.
- Creates and maintains online learning objects, research guides (e.g., Libguides) and other instructional materials to support student learning.
- Assesses the effectiveness of library instruction programs and contributes to continuous improvement.
Open Educational Resources (OER) Program Leadership and Support:
- Serves as the primary advocate and subject matter expert for OER and other affordable course content initiatives on campus.
- Collaborates with faculty and academic departments to identify, adopt, and integrate OER into their courses.
- Provides guidance and training on OER discovery, copyright, open licensing (e.g., OER discovery, copyright, open licensing (e.g., Creative Commons), and accessibility best practices.
- Develops and promotes workshops, events, and other outreach activities to raise awareness of OER and their benefits for students and faculty.
- Maintains updates OER-related resources, such as toolkits, for the campus community.
- Stays current with trends and developments in the field of open education, scholarly communication, and intellectual property.
Outreach and Collaboration:
- Builds and maintains effective working relationships with faculty, staff and other campus stakeholders to support and promote library services.
- Acts as a liaison to College of Engineering and Sciences, College of Education, and College of Business, providing specialized support for their teaching and research needs.
- Participates in campus-wide initiatives related to instruction, collections, and outreach.
The job description is not a complete list of all responsibilities and duties performed by employees. Employees may perform other related duties as assigned by their immediate supervisor.
Required Qualifications
- Master’s degree in Library Science (MLS) or Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS),
- Three (3) years’ experience providing reference services and library instruction in an academic library.
- Knowledge and experience with Open Educational Resources (OER) in an academic setting, including an understanding of copyright, Creative Commons licensing, and open pedagogy.
- Experience in designing and delivering workshops, presentations, or training sessions.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex concepts clearly to diverse audiences.
- Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work collaboratively with colleagues, faculty, and students.
- Proficiency with library systems, online databases, and learning management systems.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with creating and managing online learning objects using multimedia software.
- Familiarity with web accessibility standards for digital resources.
- Knowledge of scholarly communication, open access, and related issues.
- Experience using a research guide platform like Libguides.
