May 2011 Archives

DLF has awarded $50,000 to fund research on business cases for new service development in research libraries.

The project will develop guidance for academic libraries seeking to support innovative services such as publishing and data management activities on their campuses.

Librarians from four universities and OCLC will investigate business-planning literature and study established publishing and data curation services. The project will result in a series of publications, to be published between fall 2011 and August 2012, that will suggest a model for the business planning of new ventures and services. The model will help libraries determine whether a new service is feasible and, if so, how to make a persuasive case for the resources required.

“Libraries have vast expertise in structuring and managing data, and knowledge about how readers connect to published products,” said Mike Furlough of Penn State University.

“As scholarly publishing and scientific research evolve, we have seen new directives from the NIH and other government agencies requiring that researchers give considered thought to the future life of research products of many types,” said Furlough. “We see important roles for libraries in support of our researchers, but only if our community can build and sustain these types of programs.”

The project team also includes Theodore Fons, OCLC; Carol Hunter, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill; Elizabeth Kirk, Dartmouth College; and Michele Reid, North Dakota State University. The team formed out of the 2010 Senior Fellows Program at University of California, Los Angeles, a professional development program for senior level academic librarians sponsored by the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies and led by Beverly Lynch.

Judy Luther, president of Informed Strategies, will advise the project and facilitate discussions as the team analyzes the relevant literature, develops a model, selects case study candidates, digests outcomes, and shapes a final report.

The team hopes that the lessons learned will be applicable to other library service areas. “In today’s economic and information environment, we must be able to analyze and justify every service we offer and become more comfortable with evaluating potential new service areas,” said Hunter. “This method and our conclusions will provide a model for doing that.”

The Columbia University Libraries/Information Services(CUL/IS) seek an experienced, innovative professional with a strong understanding of research universities to lead and direct a unique mix of digital programs and technology services that work together to support the research and teaching needs of the University. The Associate Vice President for Digital Programs and Technology Services (AVP, DPTS) provides leadership in organizational strategy, collaboration, resource development, and system-wide technological change. We offer a salary commensurate with qualifications and experience and excellent benefits. To apply online for AVP for Digital Programs and Technology Services please go to: https://academicjobs.columbia.edu/applicants/jsp/shared/frameset/Frameset.jsp?time=1314142803171

The University of Alberta Libraries, with a long tradition of service excellence to the University and its communities, seeks a dynamic individual to take responsibility for its Digital Preservation program. Within the framework of the academic plan and the University of Alberta Libraries’ strategic collections directions and digital initiatives, the Digital Preservation Officer/Librarian is responsible for all aspects of internal preservation operations and representing the Libraries on external preservation partnerships. The Digital Preservation Officer/Librarian maintains and shares expertise on digital preservation with the University of Alberta Libraries, the University community, and the professional community of practice.

Reporting to the Digital Initiatives Coordinator and working within a cross-portfolio team setting, the Digital Preservation Officer/Librarian will be responsible for digital preservation operations including risk assessment and contingency planning; budgeting, policy and procedure development; compliance with and ongoing audit for requirements to achieve and maintain Trusted Digital Repository (TDR) status; assessment of preservation initiatives and progress; communications supporting digital preservation; and consultation services for digital preservation within the University of Alberta scholarly community and externally with other institutions engaged in similar projects.

The University of Alberta Libraries is Canada’s second largest research library, with a collection exceeding seven million titles and ten million volumes. The Libraries has a unique relationship with the broader community through NEOS, a central Alberta consortium consisting of 18 government, hospital, college and university libraries and through The Alberta Library. The Libraries also has a partnership with OCLC for cataloguing of materials. For more information, visit our web-site at http://www.library.ualberta.ca/.

Qualifications include a minimum of four years post-secondary education in a relevant field; an MLS degree from an accredited library school is desired. The successful candidate will have at least 3 to 5 years experience relevant to digital preservation in a research or academic setting; superior ability to analyze, assess, and find creative preservation and archiving solutions in a complex and dynamic academic environment; and demonstrated skills in project planning and implementation of complex technologies. Applicants must possess excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to facilitate work in a collaborative team setting and effectively communicate with colleagues in the library as well as within the broader scholarly community.

This is an academic position with a salary commensurate with qualifications and experience. Academic staff members at the University of Alberta participate in a generous benefits program.

To apply, please include your resume and the names of three references. Review of applications will begin on June 15, 2011 and will continue until the position is filled.

How to Apply
Apply Online http://www.careers.ualberta.ca/Competition/A101713958D1/

Note: Online applications are accepted until midnight Mountain Standard Time of the closing date.

Mail
Kathleen De Long
Associate University Librarian
Cameron Library
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2J8
Email kathleen.delong@ualberta.ca
Fax (780) 492-8302

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

The University of Alberta hires on the basis of merit. We are committed to the principle of equity in employment. We welcome diversity and encourage applications from all qualified women and men, including persons with disabilities, members of visible minorities, and Aboriginal persons.