Scholarly Communications Librarian Job at University of North Alabama in Florenc

This position is responsible for developing, coordinating, and promoting scholarly communication services and initiatives. This position focuses on advancing open access, managing institutional repositories, and supporting faculty and researchers in publishing and preserving their work. The role requires strong collaboration, technical expertise, and a commitment to innovation in scholarly communication.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the library’s primary contact for scholarly communication questions and initiatives;
• Strengthen the library’s leadership role in open access, copyright, and publishing trends;
• Contribute to the growth and promotion of UNA Digital Commons by encouraging submissions, assisting with metadata, and promoting usage through outreach, workshops, and integration with ORCID/Google Scholar;
• Champion access to materials beyond paywalls;
• Provide guidance and education on copyright, open licensing, and Creative Commons practices;
• Advise on fair use, author rights (SPARC addenda), and copyright clearance;
• Develop workshops and programs to educate faculty and students;
• Remain current on open educational resources (OER) and open access Initiatives (OAI);
• Design and deliver presentations, workshops, and instructional programs to promote open textbook adoption;
• Support faculty in adopting and creating OER to reduce student costs;
• Collaborate with administration, liaison librarians, and university offices/departments to advance course material affordability initiatives;
• Promote and market open access and OER through subject guides, social media content, and events (e.g., open access week);
• Address topics including plagiarism, predatory publishing, and artificial intelligence in research;
• Actively support the library’s physical and electronic textbook reserve programs;
• Coordinate with campus bookstore and faculty to secure donations;
• Plan, develop, and deliver library instruction sessions (basic, course-related, and information literacy);
• Create tutorials, guides, and surveys; participate in the embedded/course librarian program and provide one-on-one and group consultations;
• Track trends in bibliometrics, scholarly publishing, and open access/OER;
• Evaluate programs through surveys, usage reports, and documentation;
• Participate in student success initiatives and library engagement events;
• Collaborate with faculty senate research committee and academic colleges on OER and affordability;
• Serve on library, university, regional, state, or national committees as appropriate;
• Perform all other duties as assigned.

Additional Duties

Perform other duties as assigned to support the overall goals of the library and supervisor.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of US copyright law and policy, open licensing, and Creative Commons practices in academic settings;
• Knowledge of OER, open access publishing models, institutional repositories, publisher licensing, and researcher IDs (ORCID);
• Familiarity with metadata standards, digital repositories, and discovery tools;
• Strong analytical skills to assess programs, identify improvement opportunities, and develop/implement effective solutions;
• Ability to manage multiple projects, prioritize tasks, and adapt to changing needs in a collaborative environment;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to convey complex information clearly to non-expert audiences;
• Strong presentation and instructional skills for workshops, consultations, and classroom settings;
• Proficiency in creating digital content (LibGuides, tutorials, social media) and using learning management systems;
• Initiative and self‑direction with the ability to work independently and proactively;
• Strong interpersonal and public relations skills to build partnerships with faculty, staff, and external stakeholders;
• Commitment to professional development, innovation, and lifelong learning;
• Flexibility to work evenings/weekends as needed for events or projects;
• Ability to interact effectively with a varied array of students, faculty, staff, administrators, vendors, and the general public.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in library science from an ALA‑accredited program is required;
• Experience in scholarly communications or within academic libraries is preferred.

Licenses, Certifications, or Registrations

None

Applicants must upload a cover letter and resume at the time of application as well as provide contact information for at least three professional/academic references. For questions, please email employment@una.edu or call 256.765.4291 and select option #2. Selecting an option other than #2 will result in a delayed response.