Scholarly Communications Librarian at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences

UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

The Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS) carried out a Functional Review process, which resulted into a new Organisational Structure and Staff Establishment. Following approval of the Staff Establishment and Organisational Structure by Government, KUHeS conducted a placement exercise for existing employees. However, a substantial number of key positions are yet to be filled. The University would like to fill some vacant positions existing in its Library as part of the Functional Review implementation process.

The University is therefore inviting applications from suitably qualified candidates to fill the following vacancies:

SCHOLARLY COMMUNICATIONS LIBRARIAN (1 POSITION)

Grade : KU6

Location : Library

Responsible to : Campus Librarian

Responsible for : Assistant Librarian (Scholarly Communications)

Main purpose of the job

To develop the KUHeS resources and services related to Open Educational Resources, open access, open textbooks, scholarly communication, and digital scholarship.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Participating in education and training regarding open educational resources, open access publishing, related copyright issues, new scholarly communication models and digital scholarship to students, staff and faculty;
• Staying informed on current developments in these areas and acting as a contact person for interested faculty and scholars;
• Exploring open textbooks and other curricular materials and how they could benefit students and faculty if adopted for use in classes;
• Aiding faculty who want to adopt, adapt or create open educational resources for use in the university curriculum;
• Working with faculty, students and other librarians to raise awareness of, develop, and maintain such content in the university’s institutional repository;
• Supporting digital scholarship projects undertaken by faculty and students;
• Keeping abreast of trends in scholarly communication and related areas by identifying and attending relevant workshops and conferences;
• Providing research services, library instruction and other assistance to faculty, staff and students;
• Providing liaison service and collection development in support of the research and information needs of academic departments in assign areas;
• Serving as an effective part of the library community through exploration, professional development and service;
• Actively contributing towards the formulation of library-wide policies, procedures, goals and priorities;
• Working with partners in migrating to new digital collection platforms, open educational resources and exploring the integration of open scholarly assets in library and university work;
• Developing strategies to determine best approaches to scholarly communications issues and library services;
• Developing standards in open scholarly assets, experience with digital projects;
• Preparing and delivering curricular and co-curricular instruction for classroom, library and online learning environments;
• Developing all aspects of the research and research-creation lifecycle within assigned subject areas including research methods, research-creation, digital tools, scholarly communication and research data management;
• Developing and managing digital and print collections in assigned subject areas;
• Working with faculty and professional staff across the university in scholarly communications and digital scholarship;
• Appraising and mentoring staff

Minimum Education, Qualifications and Experience

• Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science or any strongly related field;
• 5 years’ work experience in a similar work.

Skills and Other Attributes

Expertise in Scholarly Communication

1. Understanding of Scholarly Publishing:

• Knowledge of the academic publishing process, including peer review, journal selection, and manuscript submission.

2. Open Access and Institutional Repositories:

• Familiarity with open access publishing models, institutional repositories, and their management.

3. Copyright and Intellectual Property:

• Expertise in copyright law, intellectual property rights, and fair use principles as they pertain to academic work.

4. Metrics and Impact:

• Understanding of bibliometrics and altmetrics to assess the impact of scholarly work and support researchers in tracking and enhancing their research visibility.

Research Support Skills

1. Data Management:

• Skills in guiding researchers on data management plans, data sharing, and data preservation.

2. Grant and Funding:

• Knowledge of funding sources and grant requirements related to research outputs and compliance.

3. Citation Management:

• Proficiency in citation management tools (e.g., Zotero, EndNote, etc) and advising researchers on citation practices and styles.

Technical Skills

1. Digital Tools and Platforms:

• Experience with scholarly communication tools and platforms such as ORCID, ResearchGate, and academic social networks.

2. Institutional Repositories:

• Familiarity with the setup and management of institutional repositories and content management systems.

3. Content Management Systems (CMS):

• Skills in using CMS for managing scholarly content and maintaining web presence.

Communication and Collaboration Skills

1. Outreach and Advocacy:

• Ability to promote and advocate for scholarly communication initiatives and services within the academic community.

2. Training and Workshops:

• Experience in designing and delivering workshops and training sessions on scholarly communication topics.

3. Collaboration:

• Ability to work effectively with faculty, researchers, publishers, and other stakeholders.

Analytical and Strategic Skills

1. Needs Assessment:

• Skills in assessing the needs of researchers and developing strategies to support scholarly communication.

2. Policy Development:

• Experience in developing and implementing policies related to open access, data management, and scholarly publishing.

3. Research Trends:

• Ability to stay current with trends and advancements in scholarly communication and apply them to library services.

Personal Attributes

1. Detail-Oriented:

• Attention to detail in managing scholarly outputs and ensuring compliance with standards and regulations.

2. Innovative Thinking:

• Creativity in developing new services and approaches to support scholarly communication.

3. Commitment to Service:

• A dedication to supporting the research community and improving the dissemination and impact of academic work.

Method Of Application

Interested individuals meeting the requirements above should submit their applications including: certified copies of certificates; detailed CV including names, emails and phone contacts of three (3) traceable professional referees to:

The Registrar

Kamuzu University of Health Sciences

Private Bag 360

Chichiri

Blantyre 3

Or via email to: [email protected] Applicants submitting via email must indicate the title of the post in the subject line of the email. Applications should be submitted by close of business on Friday, 30^th August, 2024. Those who previously submitted applications for the position of Campus Librarian are not required to re-apply. Only shortlisted candidates will be acknowledged.

Note: The successful candidates will be requested to undergo a safeguarding check prior to appointment and periodically during employment.