Scholarly Communications Librarian, Colby College Libraries, Waterville, ME
Posted August 7, 2020
Description:
Colby College Libraries seek a collaborative, enthusiastic, and engaged professional for the position of Scholarly Communications Librarian. This new position reports to the Assistant Director for Digital. Initiatives and will be a key part of a newly imagined and evolving Digital Initiatives team. This is a position with teaching and liaison responsibilities aligned with the successful candidate’s research, expertise, and experience.
This new position is a part of an evolution of research and instruction at the Libraries that is expanding teaching and learning into the ecosystem of the Libraries as the foundation of our work. The Libraries have been working over the last year to build a strong foundation for experimentation and growth. We have convened several cross functional teams poised to rethink and build a progressive and creative library organization.
The Digital Initiatives team centers on delivering user-centric access to, and enhancement of, information discovery as well as digitization, preservation and discovery of collections of special and archival materials. We support a wide array of online/web services and a variety of library operating and delivery systems, which comprise the Libraries’ virtual presence. The heart of our work is providing online access to content and delivery integration systems broadly as well as support for the development and dissemination of scholarship (both analog and digital). We are currently in the process of building a more robust technological infrastructure to support a significant expansion of our digital collections and web presence.
The Scholarly Communications Librarian will develop a comprehensive scholarly communication roadmap, manage a project portfolio for the Libraries, and across campus, and build community around that work. The Librarian serves as the Libraries’ expert on scholarly communication including, but not limited to, alternative publishing models, intellectual property rights, scholarly visibility and impact, online identity management, open access, open educational resources, and equitable access to the College’s scholarly output.
In collaboration with the Digital Collections Librarian, the Scholarly Communications Librarian will share responsibility for the management and development of the College’s institutional repository, including seeking out and maintaining partnerships across campus to promote it. The position will collaboratively develop and implement educational programs, support metadata creation for digital assets, and serve as an advisor for researchers (as well as library staff) on issues of scholarly communications and digital scholarship.
The Libraries are at the heart of the research and teaching mission of the College. In that context, the Libraries strive to be progressive, diverse, strategic, and collaborative with a talented and team-oriented group of professionals. The Libraries consist of four physical library spaces: Miller Library (the Humanities and Social Sciences library – considered the main library – and includes Special Collections and Archives), Bixler Art and Music Library, Olin Natural and Environmental Science Library, and a nearby off campus storage annex. In addition, we are a member of the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin (CBB) consortium that provides opportunities for collaboration across our respective libraries.
The successful candidate will be fearless and collaborative as they work with us to imagine a rich scholarly communications landscape at Colby. This position is an opportunity to work with staff colleagues across the Libraries to imagine and create a future focused teaching, learning, and academic research library in a vibrant liberal arts environment.
Required Qualifications:
● ALA-accredited master’s degree in library and/or information science or equivalent combination of education and professional experience.
● Demonstrated skills and knowledge with scholarly communications, digital humanities, and/or digital preservation.
● Demonstrated knowledge of digitization standards and techniques and of digital content and metadata standards, such as EAD, MOD, METS, IMS and Dublin Core.
● A broad understanding of both hosted and open source repository solutions.
● Two or more years of professional academic library experience.
● One or more years of reference and instruction experience.
● Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
● Ability to establish priorities, maintain good working relationships with colleagues, work independently, and collaborate and work effectively in a team-oriented environment and as a member of a diverse community.
● Demonstrated experience, knowledge, and/or scholarship in inclusion, diversity, social justice, and anti-racism work.
Preferred Qualifications:
● Documented professional engagement.
● An understanding of the legislative environment, especially regarding copyright, Open Educational Resources (OER), and public access requirements.Knowledge and experience with scholarly publishing platforms and the full life-cycle of publishing.
● Proficiency in one or more non-English languages.
Salary and Benefits:
Minimum of $60,000. Librarians are a part of the Colby College faculty – without “rank” but eligible for sabbatical and travel funding. Colby College has an excellent benefits package.
About Colby College:
Founded in 1813, Colby is one of America’s most selective colleges. Serving only undergraduates, Colby’s rigorous academic program is rooted in deep exploration of ideas and close interaction with world-class faculty scholars. Students pursue intellectual passions, choosing among 58 majors or developing their own. Independent and collaborative research, study abroad, and internships offer robust opportunities to prepare students for postgraduate success. Colby is home to a community of 2,000 dedicated and diverse students from around the globe. Its Maine location provides easy access to world-class research institutions and civic engagement experiences.
In a period of fast-paced progress, Colby is building on its strong foundation while remaining committed to excellence, to supporting students and faculty at the highest levels, and to the College’s deep liberal arts traditions. This new chapter includes the creation of innovative academic initiatives and partnerships, strengthening the connections between the liberal arts and the professional world, revitalizing downtown Waterville, and pursuing significant capital projects for performing arts and athletics.
How to Apply:
The orginal job posting with full description can be found here. As much (if not all) of this search will be remote, we will work to “show” final candidates the libraries, campus, and the surrounding area. We are also flexible about how we can work together remotely, if necessary, for the
foreseeable future. Interested candidates should submit the following application materials to [email protected]:
● Letter of interest;
● CV;
● Contact information for three professional references.
Materials should be addressed to:
Lareese Hall, Director of Libraries
Colby College
5104 Mayflower Hill
Waterville, ME 04901-8855
Position open until filled. Priority given to applications received by August 31, 2020.