Job Details: Scholarly Communications & Publishing Librarian and Head, Scholarly Communications and Publishing Open rank faculty, University Library - Scholarly Communications and Publishing (F1600136)

"The Scholarly Communications and Publishing Librarian and Head, Scholarly Communications and Publishing is responsible for developing Library programs, policy, and outreach in the areas of scholarly communication, open access, and publishing.  Reporting to the Associate University Librarian for Research, the Head works closely with other unit heads and staff in the Library’s Office of Research to shape policy, programs, and services in a rapidly evolving research landscape that includes a digital scholarship center and user-facing services focused on enabling emerging forms of scholarship, scholarly communications and publishing, research analytics, and research data curation and services.  The five-year administrative appointment as Head of the unit is renewable after successful administrative review of program leadership.  

The Head leads the development of the Library’s scholarly communications and publishing programs, policies, and services and  manages a team of several professionals (three permanent and one visiting) in the University Library that are responsible for scholarly communications programs as well as repositories and digital publishing systems and services. In this role, s/he partners with faculty and staff in the Library and across campus to develop an exciting range of scholarly communications and publishing services geared to the emerging needs of scholars in the digital age.  A land grant institution that has recently adopted a campus open access policy, the University of Illinois is emerging as a nexus for digital humanities and publishing, through initiatives such as the Illinois Program for Research in the Humanities (IPRH), the HathiTrust Research Center, the School of Information Sciences and its Center for Informatics Research in Science and Scholarship (CIRSS). In addition to her/his primary responsibilities, the Head assumes a role in the Library-led Publishing Without Walls multi-year grant program supported by the Andrew J. Mellon Foundation, focused on developing scholar-driven digital scholarly publishing options (www.publishingwithoutwalls.illinois.edu).  

The ideal candidate will be a leader in the area of scholarly communications and publishing, with substantive evidence that s/he is engaged actively in research on issues that advance the Library’s programs and the thinking of the Library and Information Science profession in academic scholarly publishing, scholarly communications, and the role of libraries.  

This position collaborates regularly with faculty and staff in the Library and across campus, with units that are involved in scholarly communications, copyright, and publishing.  The Scholarly Communications and Publishing program provides user-facing services through the Library’s Scholarly Commons, and the Head participates in the Scholarly Commons Leads group that shapes the programs and activities that comprise the Scholarly Commons services.  

Specific areas of responsibility include:  

• Leads the development, marketing, administration and support of journal and monograph publishing services, and collaborative projects with other campus units and organizations to develop enhanced digital books and community-based tools;
• Advocates in the Library and at the campus level for sustainable publishing models, including open access, creating resources and providing education and training in scholarly communications and publishing themes;
• Collaborates with campus and area/region scholarly presses, including the University of Illinois Press and those in the Big Ten Academic Alliance;
• Participates in the development of grant proposals; prepares regular and on-demand reports on scholarly communications and publishing activities, including but not limited to strategic plans, annual goals, annual reports, financial reports, and budget proposals and requests;
• Represents the Library in state/regional/national/ international professional conversations related to scholarly communications and publishing;
• Manages, mentors, and evaluates personnel. [...] "