Scholarly Publishing Librarian

Digital Library Federation; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

An established institution is seeking a Scholarly Publishing Librarian to lead initiatives in scholarly publication and open-access practices. This role combines consultation, outreach, and operational oversight of publishing platforms, providing vital support to researchers and authors. The ideal candidate will possess a deep understanding of copyright and publishing principles, along with strong communication skills to engage diverse academic audiences. Join a vibrant team dedicated to fostering open scholarship and enhancing library services in a dynamic academic environment. This is a unique opportunity to make a significant impact on scholarly communication at a prestigious university.

Benefits

Health and wellness plans

Retirement savings plans

20 working days vacation per year

Tuition assistance

Qualifications

• Master's degree from an ALA-accredited program required.
• Experience in instruction and advocacy for open scholarship is essential.

Responsibilities

• Guide researchers on authors’ rights and academic publishing workflows.
• Supervise Library Publishing Specialist and manage publishing platforms.

Skills

Copyright principles

Open-access publishing

Instruction in higher education

Interpersonal communication

Collaborative problem-solving

Education

Master's degree in Library/Information Sciences

Relevant advanced degree

Tools

Open Journal Systems (OJS)

Omeka.net

Job description

Scholarly Publishing Librarian
University Library System (ULS)
University of Pittsburgh
(Pitt)

The Scholarly Publishing Librarian is a Faculty Librarian in the University Library System reporting to the Head of Digital Scholarship Services. Through a combination of instruction, consultation, and outreach activities, the position provides leadership and expertise both within the University Library System and for researchers and authors across the University of Pittsburgh in the areas of scholarly publication, copyright, open-access publishing, and principles of open scholarship. The position also provides operational oversight for the library’s publishing platforms and associated services, including, but not limited to, Open Journal Systems (OJS) for journals, and Omeka.net for user-generated digital collections and exhibits. In this capacity, the Scholarly Publishing Librarian communicates with users of these platforms and evaluates new publishing proposals. The position supervises one staff member, the Library Publishing Specialist, who provides operational support for library publishing platforms. As a member of the Digital Scholarship Services team, the Scholarly Publishing Librarian works alongside other colleagues who support other aspects of Open Scholarship and reproducible research practices. With colleagues, they contribute to the services, strategies, and relationships that enable robust library support of the dissemination of knowledge by faculty, students, and staff at the University of Pittsburgh.

Responsibilities:

• Provide guidance and outreach to researchers served by the University Library System on authors’ rights, navigating academic publishing workflows, identifying Open-Access publishing venues, and publishing under the library’s growing number of transformative “read-and-publish” agreements.
• Support faculty and students in selecting appropriate publishing platforms for the wide variety of research outputs produced at the University of Pittsburgh.
• Serve as the primary library contact for copyright and licensing questions from users and library colleagues.
• Provide operational oversight, consultations, training, and user-facing support for the library’s publishing platforms, including but not limited to Open Journal Systems (OJS) and Omeka.net.
• Supervise the Library Publishing Specialist staff position.
• Develop relationships with University faculty, researchers, and students in order to continuously assess campus scholarly publishing needs and promote library services in support of open scholarship and digital publishing.
• Collaborate with ULS colleagues to develop strategic initiatives in support of a range of scholarly communication practices.
• Foster conversations and collaboration on open scholarship and the broader library publishing landscape amongst ULS colleagues, especially Liaison librarians.
• Provide instruction and consultation for students, faculty, and researchers on a variety of scholarly publishing tools and workflows, with an emphasis on open and reproducible practices.
• Maintain awareness of the evolving landscape of practices and infrastructure for scholarly publishing, institutional repositories, open research, and data sharing.

Librarians at the University of Pittsburgh are members of the faculty and are expected to demonstrate continuous professional development in addition to performing their specific responsibilities. This expectation includes such activities as participating in and contributing to departmental, library and campus-wide committees or working groups as well as the profession at a regional, national, and/or international level, maintaining a broad awareness of current and emerging issues that affect their disciplines and areas of expertise, participating in relevant publishing and presentation opportunities, and pursuing knowledge of professional trends and developments that can be applied to evolving research, services, and collections. Approximately 10% of the librarian’s time should be directed toward such activities and will be included as part of the annual evaluation.

Specifically, the incumbent in this position is expected to:

• Keep abreast of and contribute as appropriate to current developments in the profession, especially as they relate to scholarly publication, copyright, open-access publishing, and open scholarship.
• Contribute to the profession through publications, presentations, teaching, or other professional activities.
• Participate actively in ULS and campus-wide working groups and committees, as appropriate.
• Contribute to the University community or the local community through service that utilizes professional expertise.

Qualifications:

A successful candidate for the Scholarly Publishing Librarian will have the following required qualifications:

• A master's degree from an ALA-accredited library/information sciences program, or another relevant advanced degree.
• Demonstrated understanding of principles of copyright, licensing, and intellectual property as they pertain to scholarly activity (i.e., research, teaching, and publishing) and libraries; and the ability to communicate on these topics effectively and accurately to a variety of academic audiences.
• Demonstrated experience providing instruction in a higher education setting and advocating for open scholarship.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively to identify and solve emerging and ambiguous problems.
• Highly effective oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
• A record of professional engagement and contribution.

Preferred Qualifications:

• At least 3 years of professional experience in a relevant setting. Experience may be in a library or another setting related to research or instruction.
• Evidence of strong commitment to user-centered library service and the ability to work flexibly and creatively in a changing and fast-paced environment with a culturally diverse population.
• Proven track record of cultural competence, understanding, and working with diverse racial, ethnic, religious, academic, socioeconomic, disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity communities.
• Engagement with a well-established network of scholarly communications professionals within higher education and libraries.

The University of Pittsburgh

Founded in 1787, the University of Pittsburgh (http://www.pitt.edu) is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the United States. Today, Pitt is an internationally recognized center of learning and research, strong in the arts and sciences. Pitt serves approximately 33,000 students, including more than 9,200 graduate students, in the sixteen schools at the Pittsburgh campus and the four regional campuses. Pitt is ranked No. 23 on the U.S. News & World Report's 2022 list of Top Public Schools in the nation and in 2021, the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings was again named the Pittsburgh campus as the No. 1 public university in the Northeastern United States. The U.S. Department of the State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs has named Pitt a Fulbright Top Producing Institution for U.S. Students for the 2022-23 academic year. All six of Pitt's global and area studies centers have been chosen to receive both National Resource Center grants and Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships by the federal government and as a proven economic engine, Pitt contributes $5.2 billion to communities throughout Pennsylvania.

The City of Pittsburgh

The city of Pittsburgh is in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Consistently ranked as one of the most livable cities in the United States, Pittsburgh is recognized for its natural beauty and unique blend of cultural, education, and technological resources. Additional information on the city of Pittsburgh can be found at: https://www.visitpittsburgh.com/

Salary: The rank is open, and the salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience, with a starting salary of $60,000. Comprehensive benefits package includes health and wellness plans, retirement savings plans, one-month (20 working days) vacation per year, and tuition assistance. The successful candidate will meet the criteria for appointment at the rank of Librarian I, II, or III and will be hired on an initial 3-year renewable contract. For further information, please see: ULS Guidelines for Faculty Librarians.

Please apply through the University of Pittsburgh’s Talent Center, requisition number 24005177. In addition to creating a Talent Center account, please upload/attach a cover letter, CV, and three professional references with contact information. Any questions regarding the application process should be directed to Sharon McMasters ([e-mail]).

Visa sponsorship is not offered with this position.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled; primary consideration will be given to those received by July 29, 2024.

The University of Pittsburgh is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer and values equality of opportunity, human dignity, and diversity. EOE, including disability/vets.