Open Scholarship Librarian (Assistant Professor)

The University of Akron seeks a dynamic, flexible, and organized strategic thinker to join University Libraries as the Open Scholarship Librarian. This is a tenure-track position that reports to the Associate Dean.

The Open Scholarship Librarian will envision, plan, and manage the library services and resources, including infrastructure, necessary to support UA researchers in meeting federal mandates for ensuring equitable and open access to the results of federally funded research. This position will provide campus with tools and guidance for developing and implementing open data and research data management plans, publishing Open Access and Open Educational Resources, and for ensuring general digital scholarship support. This position coordinates use of the current institutional repository to meet immediate data management and open scholarship needs, and plans for emerging e-infrastructure solutions.

Responsibilities of the position
- Collaborate with the library leadership team to set direction in providing
resources to support and enhance teaching, learning, and research.
- Collaborate with the Office of Research Administration and appropriate faculty
committees to support open scholarship and related information access
requirements across the research enterprise.
- Collaborate with the University Press to help create, manage, and promote
publication services.
- Support UA researchers in making their scholarship, creative output, and
research products, including data, openly available.
- Support UA researchers in making their published work widely and equitably
available to readers.
- Assist the Associate Dean and the Collections and Content Strategy Librarian in
the negotiation of library subscriptions and licenses that provide for coverage of
article publication charges locally, and promote those made through OhioLINK.
- Serve as university representative to appropriate state and national committees
addressing issues of open education, open science, and open scholarship.
- Serve as primary point of contact and managing administrator of the university’s
institutional repository and related platforms.

Responsibilities of University Library Faculty

As educators, the University Libraries engages the university community in teaching, learning, and research, supporting the missions of University Libraries and The University of Akron.

All Library faculty are expected to participate in:
- Reference Services, including chat reference.
- In-person and online information literacy and library instruction.
- Research assistance and consultation.
- Library guide creation and maintenance.
- Collection development and management.
- Activities promoting library collections and collection-related services.
- Campus outreach events.
- All relevant departmental, library, and university meetings.

$60,000

- ALA-accredited master’s degree in library or information science (MLS/MLIS
candidates with a graduation date of Spring 2024 will be considered).
- Excellent written and oral communication skills; demonstrated ability to make
effective presentations.
- Experience collecting, analyzing, and presenting data to make decisions.
- Experience with or interest in collection development.
- Experience with or interest in scholarly publishing.
- Significant knowledge of current issues and/or practices in open science and
open scholarship.
- Significant knowledge of current issues and/or practices in open educational
resources and affordable learning initiatives.
- Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and collegially.
- Strong customer service orientation.
- Demonstrated ability to support a community of diverse perspectives and
cultures in an inclusive environment, and to advancing these values in
instruction, engagement, and professional practice.

- Experience administering a digital asset management system or institutional
repository (e.g., bepress/Digital Commons, contentDM, DSpace, etc).
- Experience managing open scholarship or scholarly communication initiatives.
- Experience archiving digital research data.
- Experience writing and/or supporting data management plans for federally
funded research.
- Demonstrated ability to use staff functions in an integrated library system, such
as III’s Sierra or Ex Libris’ Alma.
- Demonstrated ability to create guides or webpages using a content
management platform, such as SpringShare.
- Experience using a learning management system, such as D2L’s Brightspace.

Background Check Statement
The University of Akron is committed to providing a safe environment for all students and employees. The University endeavors to protect the health, welfare and safety of all students, employees and visitors on our campus. As such, all offers of employment with The University of Akron are contingent upon verification of credentials, and satisfactory completion of a criminal background check. Some positions may require additional credit investigation and a pre-employment driving record search.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
The University of Akron, as an equal education and employment institution, is committed to achieving a diverse and inclusive workforce. All qualified individuals in its education programs or activities, including applicants for admissions or employment, will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, genetic information, military status or status as a veteran. To further this commitment, the University complies with state and federal laws which prohibit discrimination. Questions or concerns about the administration of this commitment can be directed to the University’s Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Office (uakron.edu/hr/eeoaa). The University also strives to provide an environment free from the negative impacts of gender-based discrimination and harassment as prohibited by Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972. Questions about Title IX can be referred to the University’s Title IX Coordinator, the Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Department of Education or both. For more information on Title IX at the University of Akron, including how to contact the Title IX Coordinator, how to file a complaint under Title IX with the University or the Title IX process at the University of Akron, please visit the University’s Title IX page at uakron.edu/title-ix/at-uakron.

State of Residence Statement
It is the expectation of the University of Akron that all work performed as an employee of the University will be performed in Ohio.