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The Z. Smith Reynolds Library seeks a Copyright and Open Access Librarian to join us at an exciting moment in Wake Forest’s development. As the university’s research profile grows, this entry-level position offers the opportunity to shape how our community approaches scholarly communication, ensuring faculty and students can share their work openly, protect their rights, and extend the reach of their scholarship in service of Wake Forest’s Pro Humanitate mission.

The Copyright and Open Access Librarian provides expert guidance on copyright and open access, develops educational programming, and manages research dissemination services including the institutional repository.

This is a full-time, ranked Librarian position with faculty status, reporting to the Head of Digital Initiatives and Scholarly Communication in the Research, Instruction, and Outreach department. ZSR Library faculty are governed by the policies of the Librarians’ Assembly and are evaluated annually on Librarianship (70%), Scholarship and Professional Achievement (20%), and Service (10%).

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provides guidance and consultation on copyright, authors’ rights, fair use, licensing, and open access as they relate to the creation, dissemination, and reuse of scholarly and creative works produced in teaching, learning, and research contexts.
• Consults on scholarly publishing decisions and pathways, including journal and publisher selection, rights retention, open access options, and compliance with funder or institutional requirements.
• Designs and delivers educational programming and consultations on scholarly publishing systems, copyright and licensing considerations, and open access models.
• Creates, maintains, and contributes to educational resources such as research guides, documentation, and web content related to copyright, publishing workflows, and open access practices.
• Supports library-managed research dissemination services, including the institutional repository (WakeSpace), the Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD) program, and other open publishing initiatives, by assisting students and authors with deposit, permissions, metadata, embargoes, and dissemination workflows.
• Assists with the administration and user support of open access publishing programs, including open access publishing funds and read-and-publish or transformative agreements, in collaboration with colleagues and under established library policies and workflows.
• Monitors developments in copyright law, scholarly publishing, and open access policy and communicates relevant implications for library services and education to library colleagues.
• May serve as a liaison librarian to one or more assigned academic departments or programs.

Refer to the position description for the complete list of responsibilities.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree from an ALA-accredited library school, or an equivalent master’s degree.
• General knowledge of copyright, scholarly publishing, and open access concepts as they apply to higher education.
• Ability to analyze information, apply policies or guidelines, and exercise professional judgment in routine situations.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively with colleagues and campus partners.
• Ability to manage time and responsibilities across multiple concurrent activities.
• Potential to meet promotion requirements for a ranked library faculty appointment, including a commitment to ongoing professional development.

Preferred Qualifications
Preferred qualifications are not required. ZSR is committed to helping future colleagues increase their academic knowledge and develop their skills.

• Experience or coursework related to scholarly communication, scholarly publishing, or open access in an academic or research context.
• Experience providing instruction, workshops, or consultations, or creating educational materials such as research guides, tutorials, or documentation.
• Familiarity with institutional repositories, open publishing platforms, or research dissemination workflows.

Salary and Rank
Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience. As an entry-level position, this position will be appointed at the Assistant Librarian rank, with a minimum starting salary of $60,000 annually, plus a comprehensive benefits package, professional development support, and relocation allowance. Applicants in graduate school who have an expected graduation date of May 2026 will be considered. Librarians appointed at the Assistant rank are expected to pursue promotion to Associate Librarian within the timeframe defined by the ZSR Librarians’ Assembly Governing Document.

About ZSR Library and Wake Forest University

The Z. Smith Reynolds Library, with a collection of over 1.9 million volumes, materials expenditures of over $6 million, and an operating budget of over $14 million, serves over 5,500 undergraduates and more than 2,800 graduate and professional students. Wake Forest University is a private liberal arts institution consistently ranked among the nation’s top universities. Wake Forest combines the resources of a research university with the intimacy of a smaller college, offering small classes, strong faculty-student engagement, and Division I athletics. The University is deeply committed to public service and engagement, as reflected in its motto, “Pro Humanitate”.

To provide a safe and productive learning and living community, Wake Forest University conducts background investigations for all final faculty candidates being considered for employment. Wake Forest seeks to recruit and retain a diverse faculty and staff to enhance the excellence of the University and to offer students a wide variety of perspectives and ways of learning.

Note to Applicant:
This position profile identifies the key responsibilities and expectations for performance. It cannot encompass all specific job tasks that an employee may be required to perform. Employees are required to follow any other job-related instructions and perform job-related duties as may be reasonably assigned by his/her supervisor.

In order to provide a safe and productive learning and living community, Wake Forest University conducts background investigations and drug screens for all final staff candidates being considered for employment.