The Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries invites applications and nominations for the position of Associate University Librarian for Scholarly Communications and Publishing. The successful candidate will provide innovative, creative leadership for a newly-created division of the VCU Libraries dedicated to advancing the university’s growing engagement with contemporary scholarly communications and scholarly publishing issues. She or he will join the VCU Libraries’ senior administrative team in overall management of VCU’s library system at a time of exciting change for VCU and the VCU Libraries, with staffing, budget, facilities, and programmatic initiatives guided by newly-formed strategic plans and strengthened university investment. The incumbent will become part of a culturally and academically diverse faculty of the highest caliber.Located in culturally diverse, historic, and dynamic Richmond, Virginia, convenient to the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the recreation destinations of the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia Commonwealth University is one of Virginia’s largest universities and among the nation’s leading research institutions. The VCU Libraries, one of Virginia’s outstanding research library systems, advances the University’s teaching, research, service, and patient care mission with innovative services that complement nationally prominent collections in the health and biological sciences, social work, the arts, the history of medicine, and comic and book arts.
Responsibilities
Reporting to the University Librarian as part of the VCU Libraries’ senior administrative team, the Associate University Librarian for Scholarly Communications and Publishing leads the VCU Libraries and the university in developing, advancing, and overseeing initiatives dedicated to advancing ambitious goals for scholarly publishing at VCU and to addressing a wide range of educational, technical, and policy issues related to scholarly communication and scholarly expression. The incumbent will work closely with the Office of University Counsel, the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation, and others throughout the VCU community to shape and develop programs, assets, and responses to challenges and issues related to scholarly communications and expression. In partnership with six colleagues comprising the senior administration of the VCU Libraries, the incumbent will take on a prominent role in overall strategic planning, governance, leadership, management, budgeting, and development for the entire VCU Libraries system.
This new position will manage an initial team of at least four librarians plus additional staff and student workers as part of a newly-created division intended to bring together and strengthen a wide range of initiatives within the VCU Libraries. Among existing efforts are a growing scholarly publishing initiative for the VCU community, management of research data, support for open access publishing and open educational resources, and educating the university community on issues related to copyright, author’s rights, and emerging measures and metrics for assessing the scholarly impact of publications and other forms of scholarly expression. Specific responsibilities include
Advance and support programs that educate and raise awareness within the VCU community regarding open access publishing and open scholarship, emerging policy requirements for public access to results of government-funded research, resources for copyright and author’s rights, open educational resources, assessing the impact of different forms of scholarly expression, and other issues related to scholarly communications. Work collaboratively with the Director of Communications and Public Relations and with liaison and collections librarians throughout the VCU Libraries to engage VCU faculty and students in understanding the issues of scholarly communication.
Work closely with the Office of University Counsel and others to develop mechanisms that can address specific questions regarding copyright, author’s rights, open access publishing, public access to publications and data from government-funded research, and related questions with confident and reliable answers. (The Office of University Counsel is the only University office authorized to provide legal services for VCU and its library system.)
Keep abreast of changes and alert the VCU community to important developments related to open access and scholarly communications. Represent VCU in local, regional, and national organizations, forums, and initiatives addressing scholarly communications issues.
Expand existing digital publishing capabilities towards the establishment of a VCU Press by developing institutional repository functions, e-publishing operations, and digitization of high-value local collections (including special collections) through Scholars Compass (VCU’s implementation of bepress Digital Commons), CONTENTdm, Omeka, and other toolsets. Work in close cooperation with Office of University Counsel, VCU Technology Services, Innovative Learning and Student Success, the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation, the Graduate School, and other campus units to advance these initiatives.
Further develop and extend data management, data curation, and data publication and access initiatives, working closely with the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation, faculty researchers, and others. 
Lead the VCU Libraries and the university in developing a vision for policies, strategies, programs, and staffing that supports and advances emerging new modes of scholarly expression by faculty throughout the university. Work with university stakeholders to move the VCU community towards adoption of an open-access policy for VCU.
Stimulate innovation by taking advantage of synergies between constituent units in the new division and relationships with other divisions within the VCU Libraries and the university.
The successful candidate is expected to be active professionally and to contribute to developments in the field. Faculty with the VCU Libraries are evaluated, and promoted, on the basis of job performance, scholarship, and professional development and service. 
Qualifications
Required: ALA-accredited graduate degree or accredited graduate degree in an appropriate discipline. At least 7 years of professional experience with at least 3 years of a progressively growing portfolio in leadership and administration of academic research libraries. Demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse faculty, staff, and student environment or commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU.
Preferred: Demonstrated and broad knowledge and expertise regarding scholarly communications and scholarly publishing issues in academic institutions. Deep understanding of scholarly and research enterprise at research universities. Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the evolving digital context for scholarship, research, teaching, and creative expression; ability to articulate how these developments influence teaching, learning, and scholarship. Deep knowledge and understanding of scholarly publishing initiatives in research libraries, including technology platforms for publishing, staffing options, and business models. Experience with new information technologies. Strong interpersonal, collaboration, and teambuilding skills. Impeccable presentation, written, and oral communication skills.
Virginia Commonwealth University and the VCU Libraries
As one of only 28 public universities with academic medical centers to be designated by the Carnegie Foundation as “Community Engaged” with “Very High Research Activity,” Virginia Commonwealth University ranks among Virginia’s largest research universities, enrolling over 31,000 students. Located in the heart of Richmond, VCU offers 40 doctoral, 74 masters, 3 professional, and 63 baccalaureate degree programs. Thirty-four of VCU’s graduate and professional programs are ranked by U.S. News and World Report as among the best in the nation, with 22 programs ranking in the top 50 and sculpture ranked number one. Over 3,300 faculty comprise the University’s teaching force.
Research strengths at the University include health and life sciences, education, engineering, social work, behavioral sciences, public affairs, advertising and design, and the fine arts. Sponsored research funding totals over $260 million, placing VCU among the top 100 research institutions in the United States. VCU’s strategic plan embraces an acceleration in the growth of VCU’s library system and includes a new Master Site Plan that envisions additions to both library facilities operated by the VCU Libraries. Construction has begun on a new library building connecting to the existing James Branch Cabell Library, along with major renovations of Cabell Library. The new and renovated spaces will open in late 2015.
Libraries at Virginia Commonwealth University (including the James Branch Cabell Library on the Monroe Park Campus and the Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences on the MCV Campus) employ over 55 professionals and 90 staff with annual expenditures exceeding $20 million. VCU also operates academic programs in Doha, Qatar, supported by a library there, and in various locations throughout the U.S. and the world. The VCU Libraries is a Resource Library in the National Network of Libraries of Medicine and a member of the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries, SPARC, CNI, BioMed Central, NDSA, and the Virtual Library of Virginia (VIVA), a statewide networking consortium for shared access to electronic and print resources. The VCU Libraries has adopted Primo as its discovery layer and is one of the first libraries worldwide to have implemented Alma as its next generation cloud-based system for library management. CONTENTdm, Digital Commons, and Omeka supplement the foundation of its system architecture to enhance access to its collections and services.
Salary: Salary not less than $90,000. This is a full-time, non-tenured faculty position. Normal faculty benefits apply, including 24 vacation days annually and choice of retirement and annuity plans. More information about benefits
For more information about the VCU Libraries, please visit our home page. Review of applications will begin November 19, 2015, and will continue until the position is filled. To apply, go to https://www.vcujobs.com/postings/47413, complete the application and submit a cover letter, resume, and the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of three references.
Virginia Commonwealth University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.
Women, minorities, veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply

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