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Director of Digital Services and Open Educational Resources

Employer
Florida Academic Library Services Cooperative
Location
Florida, United States
Salary
Not specified
Date posted
Jul 7, 2017

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INVITING APPLICATIONS AND NOMINATIONS FOR THE

Director of Digital Services

and Open Educational Resources 

The Florida Academic Library Services Cooperative (FALSC) invites applications and nominations for Director of Digital Services and Open Educational Resources (OER). Committed to making higher education more affordable in Florida, FALSC and the Florida Virtual Campus (FLVC) are currently pushing to promote the use of open resources at the state’s 40 public colleges and universities, while FALSC continues its efforts to provide solutions for digital archiving and collections. The Director will oversee all aspects of Digital Services and OER, including Islandora, the Florida Digital Archive, and Florida Online Journals. 

Complete information is in the Search Profile at http://myersmcrae.com/skins/userfiles/files/FALSC-DDS4.pdf

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Florida Academic Library Services Cooperative (FALSC) provides services, support, and resources for the state’s public, post-secondary academic libraries. Established by statute, it is part of the Florida Virtual Campus (FLVC) and is administered by the University of West Florida (UWF) Innovation Institute. 

For the library professional, FALSC offers great opportunity for leadership and growth:

  • Join a forward-thinking team focused on service and innovation.
  • Contribute to the success of 40 colleges and universities, more than 150 campus libraries, and nearly 1.3 million students, faculty, and staff.
  • Contribute to your field on both the national and international levels through participation in organizations such as the International Coalition of Library Consortia.

For member libraries, FALSC provides: 

  • A state-of-the-art integrated library system (ILS) along with a shared catalog and a statewide collection of online journals, e-books, and other e-resources
  • Support for open educational resources and digital collections
  • In-person and online training, professional development, and consultation for library staff
  • A statewide Help Desk offering support to staff and students 

This is an exciting time to join FALSC, as the organization and member libraries are transitioning to a next-generation ILS. This multi-year effort marks the largest transition to an integrated academic library catalog/discovery system in Florida’s history. 

FALSC and its predecessor organizations have worked with postsecondary libraries for more than 30 years. Though consortial in nature, FALSC is not a true library consortium. It is advised rather than directed by institutions through a Members Council on Library Services. FALSC’s success, however, is ultimately determined by the value of its work to the libraries it serves.

FALSC has offices in Tallahassee and Gainesville, two college and university towns situated in the green, forested landscape of northern Florida, and works with UWF administrators in Pensacola.

For more information on the organization, visit FALSC.org

THE POSITION - The Director of Digital Services and Open Educational Resources (OER) leads the Digital Services workgroup, based in FALSC’s Gainesville office, and reports directly to the organization’s Executive Director. The Director is responsible for setting strategic direction for all digital services, and plans, develops, and directs work related to digital services and OER. 

Through a process of information gathering, data analysis, and market research, the Director creates strategies for the preservation and dissemination of digital archival materials, evaluates the feasibility of implementing new versions of digital platforms, and provides recommendations for the use and distribution of open-access textbooks and open educational resources. 

Digital services and applications under the Director’s oversight include the statewide digital library platform Islandora, Florida Online Journals (Florida OJ), Archon/ArchivesSpace, the Florida Digital Archive (FDA) and Dark Archive in the Sunshine State (DAITSS), and the Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD) program.

In regards to OER, the administrator works collaboratively with the Distance Learning and Student Services (DLSS) division of FLVC to develop services and programs promoting the use and proliferation of open-access textbooks and open educational resources at Florida’s public colleges and universities. The Director evaluates the options for successful implementation of OER materials as well as the potential cost involved. 

The Director also is responsible for the development and implementation of policies related to the FALSC’s primary services and products and the communication of those policies to library affiliates and liaisons.

The Director works closely with librarians throughout the State University System (SUS) and Florida College System (FCS) regarding digital services, and serves as the organizational liaison to statewide SUS and FCS library committees concerned with these topics. 

Additional Responsibilities

  • Participates in the hiring process for workgroup positions and manages assigned staff, including planning and approval of workloads, and preparation and completion of performance evaluations and improvement plans.
  • Ensures technical support is appropriately provided by working with FLVC’s Division of Information Technology (DoIt) Business Relations Manager. 
  • Performs work in support of organizational processes and projects. 
  • Performs time-sensitive tasks and meets established deadlines.
  • Maintains effective communications with appropriate FALSC staff.
  • Maintains effective working relationships to ensure the success of the organizational processes and projects.

Some evening and weekend work may be required.

QUALIFICATIONS - Minimum requirements are a master’s degree in an appropriate area of specialization and six years of appropriate experience; or a bachelor’s degree in an appropriate area of specialization and eight years of appropriate experience.

A master’s degree in library and/or information science or equivalent degree from an ALA-accredited program and six years of professional experience in an academic research library or an academic library consortium, including at least two years of experience in digital services/archives and management, are strongly preferred. 

Other preferred qualifications include:

  • Knowledge of the technical issues involved in the preservation and delivery of electronic resources and with the legal and business issues involved in acquisition, licensing, and management of electronic resources 
  • Familiarity with Internet developments, electronic publishing, and digital preservation 
  • Familiarity with issues in open education, open textbooks, open access, copyright, and intellectual property
  • Knowledge of digital services in the higher academic environment, including digital repositories, metadata schema, and other related issues
  • Understanding of scholarly communications, including the open access movement, issues surrounding author rights, copyright, and Creative Commons licenses
  • Excellent written and oral communication and negotiation skills
  • Working knowledge of reference and public services operations
  • Supervisory experience 
  • Understanding of issues related to open access
  • Excellent organizational and analytical skills 
  • Understanding of standard business practices and good mathematical skills 
  • Ability to function in a collaborative, service-oriented environment and flexibility in adapting to change 
  • Working knowledge of spreadsheet and other software to support the management of usage and financial data 

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA - Home to the University of Florida, Gainesville is a vibrant, growing city with a population of 127,000.

The city has an emerging tech sector, outstanding healthcare through UF’s Shands Hospital and other facilities, beautiful public parks and lakes, family-friendly attractions and events, and a wide array of arts and culture venues. A thriving local music scene has produced numerous national acts.

Gainesville made Livability.com’s 2017 100 Best Places to Live list and the top-six list of the Most Affordable Cities in Florida. The area’s mild winter allows for year-round outdoor recreation.

The city is about one hour from Florida’s west coast and an hour and a half from its east coast. Gainesville Regional Airport offers non-stop service to Dallas, Texas; Charlotte, N.C., and Miami, Fla. Gainesville is also within about two hours from major Florida airports in Jacksonville, Orlando, and Tampa.

APPLICATION & NOMINATIONS - Confidential inquiries are welcomed, and nominations are invited. 

Application packet must include: a. Letter of interest; b. Resume; c. At least five references with full contact information, including emails (References will not be contacted without consent from applicants.)

Submit application to: FALSC-DDS@myersmcrae.com

Applications received by September 15, 2017, will be given priority consideration.

Nominations should include contact information with emails for the individual nominated. Submit nominations to: FALSC-DDS-nominate@myersmcrae.com

Emily Parker Myers, CEO of Myers McRae Executive Search and Consulting, is assisting the Florida Academic Library Services Cooperative with this search.

The University of West Florida is an Equal Opportunity/Access/Affirmative Action employer. Any individual who requires special accommodations to apply is requested to advise UWF by contacting the UWF Human Resources Department at 1-850-474-2694 (voice) or 1 850 857 6114 (TTY). A criminal background check is required for successful candidates. E-Verify requirements may apply for employment in certain positions. All records submitted in support of employment applications may be subject to Florida public records law.

 

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