Librarian II (Scholarly Communications Librarian)

Job Title

Librarian II (Scholarly Communications Librarian)

Agency

West Texas A&M University

Department

Library Operations

Proposed Minimum Salary

$3,916.67 monthly

Job Location

Canyon, Texas

Job Type

Staff

Job Description

The A&M System strives to maintain a competitive, high-quality benefit package to support the health and wellness needs of our workforce. This includes comprehensive health and welfare insurance plans, additional health and lifestyle programs, and optional retirement savings opportunities. Eligible employees will have access to paid leave programs in addition to 13-15 paid holidays each year. For more information regarding the benefit package go to: West Texas A&M University: Human Resources Benefits

General Summary

The Librarian II: Scholarly Communication Librarian at Cornette Library plays a pivotal role in supporting and improving the library experience for faculty across campus. It does this in two main ways: enhancing the faculty’s ability to find scholarly resources, and supporting the faculty in making their scholarly efforts easier to access. This position enhances the faculty’s ability to find scholarly resources by helping faculty find and adapt no-cost textbook options and by sharing with faculty the new and innovative ways that library resources are evolving, and by helping assess the faculty experience with scholarly databases. This position supports the faculty in making their scholarly efforts easier to access by helping faculty publish open-access content on the Pressbooks platform and leading library-faculty collaborations such as the Faculty and Student Research Poster Session and Research Fair.

Access to OER training is part of this role, and mentorship is provided to help facilitate positive faculty interactions. 

This position reports to the Librarian III: Systems and Emerging Technologies Librarian, and as a member of the Research, Outreach, & Instruction team assists with outreach events and staffing the Research Desk.

Responsibilities:

Open Educational Resource and Open Access Support

• Leads the library’s OER efforts on campus.
• Co-chairs the OER Working Group.
• Delivers programs that increase awareness of OER and OA Resources.
• Manages the library’s OER web presence.
• Helps faculty find, adopt, adapt, and develop OER and OA Resources.
• Markets and maintains the library’s Pressbooks instance to help faculty create OER content.

Scholarly Publishing Services

• Tracks, markets, and supports transformative agreements, and other publisher deals.
• Assesses faculty publications to provide recommendations for future transformative agreements.
• Leads the library’s involvement in the Faculty and Student Research Poster Session and Research Fair.

Assessment and Promotion of Scholarly Resources

• Improves communication with campus stakeholders about scholarly resources.
• Assists with the promotion and assessment of trial databases.
• Communicates updates on new database features.

Outreach & Instruction:

• Coordinates and participates in the execution of faculty-oriented programming.
• Assists with instruction.
• Assists with student or community outreach events

Research Desk:

• Works hours at the library’s Research Desk.

Professional Service:

• Serves as liaison to one or more academic departments.
• Participates in maintenance of library collections in liaison area(s).
• Serves on library and University committees as needed.

Professional Development:

• Keeps current on trends in OER.
• Keeps current with developments in library service and pedagogical theory and practice.
• Commits to learning and self-improvement, adding value to Cornette Library and West Texas A&M University through attendance at Cornette Library’s Professional Learning Community (PLC) and through other professional avenues such as membership in professional organizations, conferences, webinars, podcasts, professional literature, presentations and/or publishing.
• This document represents the major duties, responsibilities, and authorities of this job, and is not intended to be a complete list of all tasks and functions.  Other duties as assigned.

Necessary Qualifications:

• MLS, MLIS, or MSLS from an ALA-accredited program.
• One (1) year experience developing and providing educational programming in a library, classroom, museum, state park, or related setting.
• Coursework or experience related to Open Educational Resources or copyright compliance as it relates to open licenses. 
• Strong background in research and reference service theory.
• Knowledge of pedagogical theory and practice.
• Strong presentation skills, with a proven ability to improvise.
• Evidence of creativity, particularly in developing outreach programs.
• Strong skills with information technologies, including but not limited to: Microsoft Windows, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
• Strong soft skills: teamwork and collaboration, professionalism or work ethic, oral and written communication skills with the ability to communicate with campus community, and critical thinking or problem-solving skills.
• Good verbal and written communication skills.
• Knowledge of academic library resources.
• Ability to move medium weight boxes, furniture, books, heavy book trucks or similar items.*
• Ability to handle materials containing dust or microscopic mold spores.*
• *The physical demands described are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job with or without reasonable accommodations.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Doctorate degree
• One (1) year experience providing professional development to educators in a collegiate or K-12 (public school) setting.
• One (1) year experience toward developing or implementing a program in an academic community that promotes Open Educational Resources.
• Teaching Certificate
• Creative Commons Certificate or equivalent intensive OER Certification.
• Proficiency with the use of virtual reference tools such as LibChat or equivalent.
• Proficiency with the Adobe Creative Suite, including Acrobat, Dreamweaver, Photoshop, and Premiere.
• Proficiency using HTML, CSS, or JavaScript.
• Proficiency working with Pressbooks or an equivalent Open Publishing Platform.

Applicant Instructions:

Please include the following with your application:

• Cover letter
• Resume
• Three references

Please attach all documents in the attachment box at the bottom of the “My Experience” page before continuing through the application.  Please use the “Upload” button to add each document individually. All revisions must be made prior to application submission.  If you need assistance with uploading documents, please contact WTAMU Human Resources at hr@wtamu.edu.

Texas law requires all males age 18 through 25 to be properly registered with the Selective Service System.

Equal Opportunity /Veterans/Disability Employer. 

All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.

Equal Opportunity/Veterans/Disability Employer.