Job Abstract

The University of Houston (UH) Libraries seeks a collaborative, enterprising, and creative candidate for the position of Open Publishing Librarian. This position resides in the Libraries’ Research Services department, which provides infrastructure, programs, and services in support of digital humanities, research visibility and impact, data management, and scholarly publishing activities. Reporting to the Head of Research Services, the Open Publishing Librarian contributes to and helps organize UH Libraries’ expanding publishing program.

The successful candidate will manage and promote the UH Institutional Repository, oversee UH’s Vireo Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) management system, lead the Libraries’ open access journal and monograph support, and collaboratively advance other elements of its publishing operations, which span the Open Education Services department, the Teaching and Learning department, the Resource Description and Metadata department, and the Collections Strategies and Services department. The candidate is expected to collaborate throughout the Libraries while maintaining and expanding partnerships across campus to address current and emerging scholarly publishing needs among faculty, students, and research centers, including the Division of Research, University Information Technology, and the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Data Science Institute, among others.

The University of Houston is a federally designated Hispanic Serving Institution and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution in the heart of a diverse city and state. The university prepares students to thrive in a globally interconnected world while contributing impactful research and innovation to the region and beyond.?We welcome candidates from all backgrounds and experiences who are prepared to engage in this environment.

The Open Publishing Librarian is a librarian position. Librarians hold academic rank pursuant to the University of Houston Libraries’ Bylaws Document. They are expected to develop a record of service, scholarship, and professional involvement. The UH Libraries support the ongoing professional development of librarians, and our goal is to recruit librarians committed to continuous learning.

Salary: $65,000 to $68,000 expected hiring range, depending on qualifications. Comprehensive benefits package; choice of retirement programs including TIAA; tax-deferred annuity program available; release time to take a class up to 3 hours/week; no state or local income tax.

Application Deadline: Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Potential applicants seeking further information should contact Santi Thompson, Interim Associate Dean for Organizational Development, Learning, and Talent at 713-743-9685 or sathompson3@uh.edu.

Applicants should include the names and contact information for three (3) professional references as part of the application. At the time of application, an unofficial transcript of the ALA-accredited library/information science degree is requested.

Library Information: UH Libraries is a member of the Association of Research Libraries, the Greater Western Library Alliance, HathiTrust, the Council on Library and Information Resources, the Digital Library Federation, the Texas Digital Library, Associate of Academic Health Sciences Libraries, and the South Central Academic Medical Libraries Consortium. The campus libraries provide access to over 3.1 million volumes. The University Libraries’ total staff is 160 FTE, including 62 professionals. Additional information about UH Libraries is available at http://libraries.uh.edu.

The UH Libraries has recently launched a new strategic plan (https://libraries.uh.edu/strategic-plan) in alignment with the University’s ambitious strategic plan (https://uh.edu/strategic-plan/).

General Information: The University of Houston, a dynamic research institution founded in 1927, stands as a vibrant hub of academic excellence and cultural diversity in Texas. With over 46,000 students, it offers a comprehensive range of programs across 15 colleges, fostering innovation in fields such as energy, health, hospitality, business, education, law, STEM, and the humanities. Boasting top-tier faculty, state-of-the-art facilities, student success initiatives, and a strong commitment to community engagement, UH prepares students to thrive in a globally interconnected world.

The University's prime location in America's fourth-largest city supports extensive industry partnerships and experiential learning opportunities. Renowned for its energy industry and NASA's Space Center, Houston is home to a vibrant cultural scene with world-class museums, theaters, and restaurants. The University of Houston is an institutional member of the Texas Medical Center, the largest medical center in the world. Houston thrives as a hub for innovation, education, and arts, fostering a unique blend of community charm and modern progress.

The University of Houston is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action institution and recognizes protected classes of race, color, sex (including pregnancy), genetic information, religion, age (40 and above), national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or status, and gender expression as required by federal law. Veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Required

• Master’s degree from an American Library Association (ALA)-accredited Library/Information Science program
• Experience with digital publishing tools such as DSpace, Bepress, Open Journal Systems, Humanities Commons, or Vireo
• Demonstrated ability to work strategically and collaboratively with stakeholders to build services, programs, and initiatives in a complex, changing environment
• Demonstrated excellent communication skills

Preferred

• Knowledge of scholarly publishing best practices, trends, and forces impacting the higher education publishing ecosystem
• Knowledge of, or interest in, library publishing program models