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Director, Scholarly Communications and Copyright

Located in culturally diverse, historic, and dynamic Richmond, 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 holdings exceeding 2.5 million volumes, 61,000 serials, 600,000 e-books, and nationally prominent collections in the health and biological sciences, social work, the arts, the history of medicine, and comic and book arts.

The Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries invites applications and nominations for the position of Director, Scholarly Communications and Copyright. The successful candidate for this newly created position will lead the Libraries’ developing programs to expand the university community’s awareness of issues related to copyright, author’s rights, mainstream and alternative publishing and emerging scholarly expression, and confident assertion of fair use and author rights in the use of digital and print materials for teaching and research. The Director will support staff throughout the library system engaged in teaching, supporting research, and developing digital publication and digital preservation programs. The successful candidate will join a culturally and academically diverse faculty of the highest caliber.

Responsibilities

Reporting to the University Librarian, the Director, Scholarly Communications and Copyright will collaborate with colleagues in the VCU Libraries and across the university to initiate and lead new programs that support and expand scholarly expression of all kinds. The Director also will assist faculty throughout the university in the appropriate use of scholarly materials in teaching and research, both in the classroom and online. As part of a new and growing program in the VCU Libraries, the Director will have a major role in designing and staffing scholarly communications initiatives in the Libraries. The Director will

  • Serve as the university’s primary resource and advisor on issues pertaining to copyright (including the potential for violations and the potential for assertive use of materials), fair use, author’s rights, and related issues;
  • Create and maintain education resources for faculty and students on copyright compliance within a framework of confident, well-informed decisions regarding fair use, and work closely with publication and technology specialists in the VCU Libraries to create appropriate print-based and web materials;
  • Work closely with the Office of General Counsel, VCU Technology Services, the Office of Research, and other units on issues and programs related to scholarly expression and scholarly communication;
  • Develop initiatives to help faculty use printed and digital materials for educational and research use, including use within course management systems such as BlackBoard, and to help faculty understand their responsibilities and rights in the development and use of their own scholarship;
  • Educate and support VCU librarians regarding scholarly communications issues and empower librarians to act as a first point of contact for faculty seeking guidance on scholarly communications questions and concerns;
  • Guide VCU Libraries staff to properly apply policy and legal guidance regarding copyright and intellectual property for initiatives in digital preservation and digital publication;
  • Monitor national scholarly communication policy issues and legal developments, and inform and educate the VCU community about new developments as appropriate;
  • Consult with faculty and librarians on the proper use of published materials, databases, and other materials;
  • Lead the university in developing means to understand, assess, and advance alternative and emerging avenues for scholarly expression; consult with faculty and university leadership regarding existing and emerging modes for publication and scholarly expression;
  • Assist the VCU Libraries’ senior leadership to develop a vision for policies, strategies, programs, and staffing that supports and advances emerging new modes of scholarly expression by faculty throughout the university, including the development of a VCU-supported publication system.

Qualifications

Required: ALA-accredited graduate degree or accredited graduate degree in an appropriate discipline, including ABA-accredited JD. 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 familiarity with the scholarly communications issues in large-scale academic research and scholarly enterprise and research libraries. Experience preparing and delivering instruction and guidance regarding scholarly communications, copyright, and fair use for different audiences in an academic setting. Demonstrated record of collaboration and teamwork with diverse constituencies. Ability to work with technologists to develop top-tier web-based educational materials on scholarly communications, copyright and fair use, and emerging and alternative avenues for scholarly expression. Demonstrated understanding of the evolving digital context for scholarship, research and creative expression, and teaching and learning, especially as it applies to the use and reuse of scholarly materials for those purposes. Excellent written and oral communication skills.

Virginia Commonwealth University and the VCU Libraries

Virginia Commonwealth University is Virginia’s largest research university, enrolling over 32,000 students. Located in Richmond, Virginia), it is classified by Carnegie as Research University (very high research activity). VCU offers 41 doctoral, 74 masters, 3 professional, and 64 baccalaureate degree programs. Thirty-two of VCU's graduate, professional programs are ranked by U.S. News & World Report as among the best in the nation, with 19 programs ranking in the top 25 and two programs — sculpture and nurse anesthesia — ranked number one. Over 3,200 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. Architectural work has begun on a major addition to and renovation of the James Branch Cabell Library that is expected to open in 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 51 professionals and 90 support staff with an annual budget exceeding $17.5 million. VCU also operates programs in Doha, Qatar, including a library supporting the program there; Northern Virginia; and in various additional 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, 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 and DSpace supplement the foundation of its system architecture to enhance access to its collections and services.

Salary: Salary commensurate with experience, not less than $80,000 annually. 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. For more information about benefits, see http://www.hr.vcu.edu/benefits/.

For more information about the VCU Libraries, please visit our home page at http://www.library.vcu.edu/. Review of applications will begin April 8, 2013, and will continue until the position is filled. For full consideration, applications must be received prior to May 6, 2013. Submit cover letter, resume, and the names, address, and telephone numbers of three references to:

Pamela H. Fraga

Assistant to the University Librarian

VCU Libraries, Virginia Commonwealth University

901 Park Avenue

PO Box 842033

Richmond, VA 23284-2033

804-828-1107

804-828-0151 (fax)

phfraga@vcu.edu