Open Strategies Librarian

Davita Inc.; Highland Heights (KY); On-site; USD 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

The W. Frank Steely Library at Northern Kentucky University seeks an Open Strategies Librarian, who will lead OER initiatives and support course affordability. This full-time role requires collaboration with faculty and participation in library governance, supporting student success through innovative programming.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Library or Information Science required.
• Experience with open educational resources and pedagogy essential.
• Knowledge of scholarly communication topics needed.

Responsibilities

• Leads development and assessment of OER initiatives.
• Provides research help services including consultations.
• Participates in library professional activities.

Skills

Knowledge of OER

Project management

Communication skills

Education

Master's degree from an ALA-accredited program

Job description

Posting Details

Position Information

Working Title	Open Strategies Librarian
Department	Steely Library
Full Time or Part Time?	Full Time
Position Number	30016752
Purpose of Position	The W. Frank Steely Library at Northern Kentucky University (NKU) seeks a dynamic, visionary, and patron-focused individual to serve as Open Strategies Librarian. This teaching professor faculty position is responsible for leading, sustaining, and developing new course material affordability programs, including an established Open Educational Resource (OER) program. As part of the Library Access Services team, the Open Strategies Librarian will cultivate relationships with faculty, staff, and students and participate in projects that support scholarly communication, copyright/intellectual property, and course affordability work of the department. Aligning directly with the University's strategic plan, this position will play a pivotal role in ensuring high-quality, low- or no-cost resources are available to support student learning outcomes. Successful candidates will have a strong working knowledge of OERs, open licensing, and open publishing. As a teaching professor, the Open Strategies Librarian will be expected to participate on library and campus-wide committees and NKU governance. The W. Frank Steely Library provides a wide range of library services to support the University's commitment to its Success by Design strategic framework, which promotes student success by embracing the academic needs of students and faculty in each academic college. Library faculty and staff have enhanced traditional services to better address 21st century information needs and are collaborative partners across campus. NKU is a public comprehensive university located in the Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati, Ohio metropolitan area. The university delivers innovative, learner-centered education and engages in impactful scholarly and creative activities, all of which empower students for fulfilling careers and meaningful lives while contributing to the social and economic vitality of the region. NKU has almost 14,000 students, over 2,000 faculty and staff. It offers 79 undergraduate degree programs, master's degrees in 21 disciplines, graduate certificates in 15 areas, two doctoral programs, a law degree, and in a partnership with the University of Kentucky and St. Elizabeth Hospital, opened a medical school in the fall of 2019.
Primary Responsibilities	Open Strategies and Open Educational Resources Develops, implements, and assesses open educational resources and other open initiatives that support the curriculum. Cultivates and sustains relationships with faculty to encourage the use of open resources, including advising and training faculty on new resources, open-enabled pedagogy practices, and tools used to create and publish open content, such as the open publishing platform Pressbooks. Supports the Library's course materials affordability program, which includes a growing suite of services including open educational resources, textbook affordability, course reserves, and the University Connect and Persist (UCAP) textbook lending library partnership. Plays an integral role in consortium and state-wide open strategy planning and support, including supporting shared open publishing platform initiatives. Based on library and campus needs, leads open-related workshops and events (both in-person and virtual) that promote and support open programs. Plays a leadership role in ensuring that student scholarship is preserved in NKU's Digital Repository. Research Help Provides weekly research help services, including reference desk hours, virtual chat, and consultations, to support in-person and virtual users. Service Participates in professional activities such as committee service, conference attendance, continuing education, and staff development. Other Performs other duties as assigned.
Qualifications	Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Knowledge of trends, legislation, best practices, and scholarship that impact OER and the open movement. Ability to represent the library effectively and professionally at the University and in the local community, both in-person and virtually. Ability to learn new tools and skills to support open scholarship and open education (e.g., searching in OER repositories and using publishing tools such as Pressbooks). Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing, work successfully in a highly collaborative environment, and prioritize work assignments, departmental initiatives, and patron support. Demonstrated commitment to creating a sense of belonging for all library users. Required Qualifications Master's degree from an ALA-accredited library or information science program or an ALA-approved foreign equivalent by anticipated start date. Experience with and/or demonstrated knowledge of open educational resources and open-enabled pedagogy. Experience with and/or demonstrated knowledge of scholarly communication topics (e.g. author's rights, scholarly publishing, open access, open licensing, institutional repositories, and/or copyright and fair use). Experience with and/or demonstrated knowledge of how to provide user-focused consultation and support to a variety of university stakeholders. Preferred Qualifications * Project management experience, with the ability to guide projects that require collaboration and coordination with internal and/or external partners from initial idea to completion. * Experience with and/or demonstrated knowledge of how to plan and facilitate library programs (e.g., workshops, community events, or instruction sessions). * Experience with, knowledge of, or interest in learning about relevant digital tools and platforms, including but not limited to: Learning Management Systems (especially Canvas); open licensing (Creative Commons); and digital publishing (institutional repositories). * Demonstrated knowledge of accessibility practices for websites and digital resources. Any candidate who is offered this position will be required to go through a pre-employment criminal background check as mandated by state law.
Minimum Education	Master's Degree
Preferred Education	Master's Degree

Posting Detail Information

Requisition Number	2025F787
Job Open Date	06/05/2025
Job Close Date	07/09/2025
Quick Link	https://jobs.nku.edu/postings/14908