Villanova University’s Falvey Library seeks an enthusiastic, innovative, and collaborative individual to shape and lead the Library’s scholarly communication program and related strategic initiatives in an open and inclusive academic library environment.
Reporting to the Associate Director of Research Services and Scholarly Engagement, the Scholarly Communication Librarian serves as the Library’s expert on services, training, and collaborative projects related to scholarly communication, and provides on-campus and in-person services as a member of the Library’s Research Services and Scholarly Engagement Department. The successful candidate will collaborate with faculty and students and advocate for their needs. The incumbent will develop innovative outreach strategies to ensure awareness of library services.
Scholarly communication services are growing at Falvey Library. There are opportunities for involvement in a range of scholarly communication emphases such as: publishing services, institutional repository management, assessment and impact metrics, copyright advising, and data management services.
Qualified candidates from diverse backgrounds and life experiences are encouraged to apply. Diversity and inclusion have been and will continue to be an integral component of Villanova University’s mission. The University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and seeks candidates who understand, respect and can contribute to the University’s mission and values.
The Library offers flexible work schedules which allow some remote work. The University’s competitive benefits package includes tuition benefits among others. A 35-hour work week with the possibility of reduced work hours in summer.
The Scholarly Communication Librarian
- leads assessment of scholarly communication and research data needs at Villanova University.
- monitors open activities, such as open access publishing, open content, and open-source software, and trends in scholarly communication to be shared with the Library and University.
- manages an open access subvention fund, oversees e-journal publishing using Open Journal Systems, and fosters the development of new open initiatives.
- partners with other library staff to reshape the research services portfolio to better meet campus needs and in support of new areas and forms of research and scholarship.
- collaborates with university and library staff on activities related to open educational resources and digital scholarship.
- acts as the liaison to library and university entities on scholarly communication matters.
- designs, delivers, and evaluates scholarly communication related tutorials and workshops in multiple modalities to support teaching and research at the University.
- participates in a collaborative model of general research support, assistance, and instruction.
- represents Villanova University in scholarly communication professional organizations.
Required Qualifications and Skills:
- MLS or equivalent degree from an ALA-accredited institution, or an advanced degree in a relevant discipline.
- Academic background, professional experience, or an awareness of the information needs in a higher education setting and the functions of an academic library.
- Ability to effectively articulate complex concepts such as copyright, fair use, and open access.
- Knowledge of and interest in issues, trends and technologies related to academic research and scholarly communication practice.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including a collaborative approach to problem solving.
- Independence and initiative, including the ability to be flexible and manage competing priorities.
- Proficiency with PC applications, especially Microsoft Office.
Preferred Qualifications and Skills:
- Second advanced degree in a relevant discipline.
- 1+ years of experience in an academic library or equivalent experience.
- Experience advising others on scholarly communication topics.
- Experience successfully managing collaborative projects.
- Demonstrated ability to design and implement effective training modules/tools.
- Demonstrated ability for developing effective and strategic partnerships with members of a diverse community.
- Demonstrated interest and enthusiasm for developing and maintaining relationships with library user communities.
Rank:
The successful candidate will be appointed an appropriate Librarian rank depending on qualifications and experience.
Environment:
Falvey Library is situated in the heart of campus and is central to academic life at Villanova University. Falvey, with a dedicated staff of approximately 50 FTE, is a friendly and exciting place to be that values work-life balance. The Library developed VuFind, an open-source ILS discovery layer, which is used by organizations world-wide, and was the university library recipient of the ACRL 2013 Excellence in Academic Libraries Award.
Villanova University is located on a beautiful 260-acre suburban campus close to Philadelphia and was founded in 1842 by the Order of Saint Augustine. Ranked among the nation’s top universities, Villanova supports its students’ intellectual growth and prepares them to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them.
Nominations and Applications:
To be considered, applicants must submit a cover letter, resume and list of three references with contact information via the Jobs at Villanova website: https://jobs.villanova.edu/postings/25126.
This position is subject to the University’s background check policy.
Villanova University requires COVID-19 vaccinations for all students, faculty, and staff. Exemptions may be granted for medical or ethical reasons.