Digital Initiatives

The University of Alabama Libraries DIGITAL INITIATIVES LIBRARIAN Assistant Professor, Clinical Faculty The University of Alabama Libraries seeks a creative, forward-thinking professional to serve as Digital Initiatives Librarian within the W.S. Hoole Special Collections Library and the A.S. Williams III Americana Collection. Through its Strategic Plan, the University of Alabama Libraries is committed to providing leadership in the areas of digital preservation of rare and historical materials and the promotion of international research on Special Collections materials, as well as digital humanities scholarship and associated technologies. Reporting to the Associate Dean for Special Collections, the Digital Initiatives Librarian will oversee day-to-day digitization activities of staff and students to ensure accuracy and productivity with an emphasis on More Product, Less Process (MPLP), and they will collaborate with other stakeholders in the preservation of digital assets to make the unique resources in University Libraries Special Collections more accessible to the global community of researchers. The Digital Initiatives Librarian will also create innovative online exhibits, as well as partner with the Alabama Digital Humanities Center on selected projects. The successful candidate will be competent and comfortable communicating the importance and uses of the University Libraries digital platforms and applications to a wide variety of partners, collaborators, and users. This position requires a librarian with a broad understanding of tools and workflows used for digital preservation and access, excellent attention to detail, and an aptitude to learn new skills and technologies. We are seeking an information professional who has the oral and written communication skills to articulate the importance of the University Libraries digital assets, including CONTENTdm, large-scale scanners, and audio conversion equipment and software. The successful candidate must also possess the ability to deal with change and ambiguity in an academic setting. Responsibilities of the position will evolve as the library environment continues to change. Major Responsibilities: * Oversees digital services operations in Special Collections, including supervision of staff and students working on digitization projects to ensure accuracy and productivity. * Designs and implements innovative online exhibits of resources in Special Collections. * Collaborates with the Associate Dean for Special Collections to determine intellectual property rights of resources selected for online display. * Collaborates on joint projects between Special Collections and the Alabama Digital Humanities Center. * Keeps apprised of current trends in digitization processes in research libraries. * Tracks and reports on data related to digital projects, productivity, and exhibits, including use of data visualization tools. * Job duties continue to change with the evolving research library environment. Required Qualifications: * Master’s degree in Library & Information Science from an ALA-accredited institution or graduate degree in a related field. * Experience managing digitization workflows and digital assets in an academic library. * Demonstrated knowledge of digital assets management systems, production software for image editing, and other advanced hardware and software used for digitization, including large-scale scanners and audio-visual conversion equipment and software. * Demonstrated knowledge of digital preservation best practices. * Demonstrated knowledge of metadata description standards such as Dublin Core, RDA, and/or MODS * Demonstrated knowledge of web design. * Experience setting unit goals, managing projects, meeting deadlines, and analyzing outcomes. * Experience working effectively both independently and as a member of a team. * Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal skills. Preferred Qualifications: * Additional graduate degree. * Experience using CONTENTdm. * Experience with markup (HTML), style sheet (CSS), and scripting (JavaScript) languages commonly used to develop websites. * Experience working in a research library. * Experience hiring, supervising, and evaluating staff and students. * Experience curating online exhibits. * Demonstrated knowledge of archival arrangement and description, including finding aid creation, provenance, and More Product, Less Process (MPLP). * Demonstrated knowledge of U.S. history, particularly Southern history. * Demonstrated knowledge of digital humanities tools and standards, such as TEI, text mining, and data visualization. * Reading knowledge of Spanish or another European language. ENVIRONMENT: The University of Alabama, The Capstone University, is the State of Alabama’s flagship public university and the senior comprehensive doctoral level institution in Alabama. UA enrolls over 38,320 students, with record breaking freshman classes for each of the past three years. UA has also increased graduate student enrollment by seven percent for Fall 2021. Ranked among the top 70 public universities in the nation in U.S. News and World Report’s annual college rankings for more than a decade, UA ranked 67th among public universities in the 2020 rankings. UA made the Forbes list of America’s Best Employers for New Graduates in 2021. University of Alabama students continue to win prestigious national awards. Fifty-nine UA students have been named Goldwater Scholars. The University of Alabama has produced a total of 15 Rhodes Scholars, 16 Truman Scholars, 32 Hollings Scholars and 11 Boren Scholars. The University of Alabama is a leader among public universities nationwide in the enrollment of National Merit Scholars with more than 900currently enrolled, the highest number in UA’s history. Under the leadership of President Stuart Bell, UA has launched a strategic planning process that includes an aggressive research agenda and expansion of graduate education. There are currently 36 faculty who have received NSF Career awards, the nation’s most prestigious recognition of top performing young scientists. UA was also recognized as a top producer of Fulbright Scholars for the fifth time in six years in 2021-2022. UA is located in Tuscaloosa, a metropolitan area of over 250,000, with a vibrant economy, a moderate climate, and a reputation across the South as an innovative, progressive community with an excellent quality of life. Tuscaloosa provides easy access to mountains, several large cities, and the beautiful Gulf Coast. The University Libraries maintains memberships in the Association of Research Libraries, the Center for Research Libraries, the Coalition for Networked Information, centerNet, LYRASIS, HathiTrust, the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries, , LOCKSS, the Network of Alabama Academic Libraries, and the Alabama Digital Preservation Network. As a U.S. Government Documents Regional Depository since 1860, the UA Libraries serves Alabama libraries and the public. The University Libraries homepage may be accessed at http://www.libraries.ua.edu Prior to employment the successful candidate must pass a pre-employment background investigation. SALARY/BENEFITS: 12 month non-tenure track renewable faculty appointment at the Assistant Professor rank. Salary is $52,000-$75,000 commensurate with qualifications and experience. Strong benefits including professional development support and tuition fee waiver. TO APPLY: Applications are accepted online only at https://facultyjobs.ua.edu . Click Search Positions. University Libraries in Organization drop down box. Please include your application, Curriculum Vitae, and names, addresses, phone numbers, and e- mail addresses of three references, including one current supervisor. Consideration of applications will begin October 28, 2021 and will continue until position is filled. The University of Alabama is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and is strongly committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff. Applicants from a broad spectrum of people, The University of Alabama is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and is strongly committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff. Applicants from a broad spectrum of people, including women, members of ethnic minorities and disabled persons, are especially encouraged to apply. For questions regarding the search, contact Dr. Millie Jackson, Senior Associate Dean, at mljackson@ua.edu. THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER

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