Institutional Repository and Scholarly Communications Librarian-Assistant Professor

Description

The University of Alabama Libraries seeks a proactive, team-oriented, and innovative person to serve as Institutional Repository and Scholarly Communications Librarian.  The ideal candidate will have a keen interest in institutional repository development and management, as well as associated scholarly communications, copyright, publishing, and intellectual property issues.  S/he must have a willingness for continual learning, development, and application of additional expertise in these and emerging areas through work-related experiences and professional development opportunities.  Reporting to the Associate Dean for Technology, this position works both independently and collaboratively to promote use of the repository (currently DSpace) for university research and publications, including electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs), faculty and student works, open access ejournals and ebooks, data sets, and emerging digital scholarship.  This person will lead University Libraries efforts in promoting the Institutional Repository (IR) as an integrated tool in the scholarly communications process on campus.  This position also leads the efforts to raise awareness of scholarly communication issues, such as open access publishing and open educational resources.

Responsibilities include:

Manage the daily operations of the IR, including adding and editing content, training other library faculty and staff on use and workflows, working with vendors/publishers as needed, assessing functionality of the IR, and recommending changes for continuous quality improvement.
Determine and implement metadata schemas, crosswalks, and workflows for ingesting and maintaining data in the IR and for the IR instance, utilizing Dublin Core and SGML subsets, as well as making interface recommendations through various CMS systems.
Create and update IR procedures, policies, and other necessary documentation in consultation with colleagues within the University Libraries and on campus.
Promote the IR to the campus community and proactively recruit appropriate and sustainable content for it.
Collect, analyze, and report IR usage data.
Participate actively as a library liaison and teach workshops for faculty, departments, and research units.
Coordinate and provide training in support of the IR and scholarly communications on campus.
Serve as a library resource on copyright, fair use, and open access issues.
Ensure IR materials are discoverable via the web, listed in registries of open access repositories, and integrated into the University Libraries web site.
Serve as a contact for the University Libraries collection of electronic theses and dissertations and undergraduate research projects.
Monitor developments in scholarly communications, open access, related initiatives, repository trends, and best practices while communicating their implications to library and university stakeholders. 
Responsibilities of the position evolve as the library environment continues to change.  

Qualifications:
Required
Masters in Library Science from an†ALA†accredited program.
Knowledge of and experience with an institutional repository.  
Prior success in managing projects and effectively balancing competing priorities and deadlines.
Excellent communications skills, both verbal and written along with skills associated with listening, negotiating, compromising, and adapting.
Working knowledge of scholarly communication, intellectual property, rights management, and open access.
Knowledge of new scholarly publishing models and the economics underlying them.
Experience consulting with teaching faculty, administrators, and students on research or scholarly topics.
Friendly, approachable, public service attitude.
Demonstration of ability, interest, and willingness to assume additional and/or new responsibilities, along with the ability to set and model high performance standards.
Ability to conceptualize, articulate, and implement short and long range goals.
Ability to work independently and as a team member to develop the IR and to solve problems, using sound judgment in decision-making.
Ability to meet requirements for tenure and promotion.
Ability to support and enhance a diverse learning and working environment.

Preferred
Experience working in an academic or research library.
Experience managing information technology systems such as complex databases, repositories, web sites, or other locally-developed digital resources.
Experience in digital conversion, file transfer, and file management.
Experience designing usable, accessible, and attractive front ends to digital resources.
Experience working with structured metadata and applying it to digital resources.
Familiarity with digital preservation issues.
Demonstrated success in cultivating and developing relationships with academic units and faculty.
Demonstrated professional development activity.  
Experience with an IR platform.

ENVIRONMENT: The University of Alabama, The Capstone University, is the State of Alabamaís flagship public university and the senior comprehensive doctoral level institution in Alabama. UA enrolls over 37,000 students, is ranked in the top 50 public universities in the United States. UA has graduated 15 Rhodes Scholars, 15 Truman Scholars, has had 121 Fulbright Scholars, is one of the leading institutions for National Merit Scholars (150 in 2015), and has 5 Pulitzer Prize winners among its ranks. Under the leadership of President Stuart Bell, UA has launched a strategic planning process that includes an aggressive research agenda and expansion of graduate education. The University of Alabama Libraries is essential in advancing the educational mission of the University. We provide innovative instruction, services, and resources to facilitate teaching, research, and learning. The University of Alabama Libraries is committed to be student-centered and research-focused in order to support discovery, learning, and creativity at The Capstone. 

The University Libraries maintains memberships in the Association of Research Libraries, the Center for Research Libraries, the Coalition for Networked Information, centerNet, LYRASIS, the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries, the HathiTrust, Scholars Trust, the Rosemont Alliance, the Network of Alabama Academic Libraries, and the Alabama Digital Preservation Network.  We are the oldest academic library serving as a U.S. Government Documents Regional Depository.  In this role we serve the academic community and the public. The University Libraries is an EBSCO FOLIO beta partner. The University Libraries homepage may be accessed at http://www.libraries.ua.edu

The University of Alabama is located in Tuscaloosa, a metropolitan area of 200,000, with a vibrant economy, a moderate climate, and a reputation across the South as an innovative, progressive community with an excellent quality of life. Tuscaloosa provides easy access to mountains, several large cities, and the beautiful Gulf Coast.

Prior to employment the successful candidate must pass a pre-employment background investigation.

SALARY/BENEFITS: 12-month tenure track faculty appointment at the Assistant Professor, depending on qualifications and experience.  Salary range is $60,000.00 - $80,000.00, commensurate with qualifications and experience. Strong benefits including professional development support and tuition fee waiver.

TO APPLY: Applications are accepted online only at https://facultyjobs.ua.edu
 Click Search Positions. University Libraries in Organization drop down box. Please include your application, Curriculum Vitae, and names, addresses, phone numbers, and e- mail addresses of three references, including one current supervisor.

Position open until filled. Applications received by September 27, 2019 are assured of receiving full consideration.

The University of Alabama is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and is strongly committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff. Applicants from a broad spectrum of people, including women, members of ethnic minorities and disabled persons, are especially encouraged to apply.  For questions regarding the search, contact Dr. Millie Jackson, Senior Associate Dean, at mljackson@ua.edu