Lead Copyright Officer

Libraries are at the center of a vitally important public debate over the extent to which the promise of information technology will be realized. Decisions over the next several years will determine whether people can find and make use of scholarly and cultural works as well as whether we can preserve these works for future generations. The University of Michigan Library has underway a number of major initiatives to improve both immediate and long-term access to information, initiatives that will have a transformative effect on research and scholarship.

The University and the University Library are seeking a dynamic, innovative, and service-oriented individual for the position of Lead Copyright Officer. Reporting to the University Librarian, the successful candidate will provide guidance, policy development, and advocacy on copyright issues to the University and Library communities. This includes providing guidance on the copyright aspects of the Library’s scholarly communications and digital collections initiatives, on copyright use in classroom teaching and technology, online courses, distance education, and electronic course reserves, and providing regular educational workshops on such issues. The Copyright Officer will play an important role in an organization with a commitment to re-conceiving the academic research library as a key partner in new modes of scholarly communication.

Further information may be found at www.lib.umich.edu/hr/employment/copyright.html

Responsibilities:
The Copyright Officer will be the Library’s expert on matters of copyright and scholarly communication and will advise library leadership on national and international copyright matters with the goal of enabling the Library to provide the fullest possible access to its collections. The Copyright Officer will also take the lead in developing copyright policy for the Library and work closely with a number of important UM Library collections and scholarly communication initiatives, including the Library’s ongoing partnership with Google Book Search, the Hathi Trust Digital Library (http://hathitrust.org), Deep Blue (the UM institutional repository, http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu), the Scholarly Publishing Office (http://www.lib.umich.edu/spo), the Copyright Review Management System (identifying works whose copyrights have expired so their digital facsimiles can be made publicly available), and natural language processing initiatives.

The Copyright Officer will also serve as an important University resource on fair use and other copyright issues by working closely with the Office of the General Counsel on copyright issues, educating faculty, staff, and students about copyright (through workshops, websites, consultations, etc.), and helping members of the campus community to understand and apply both fair use and other principles of copyright, as well as the process to obtain permission to use others’ works, when necessary.
The Copyright Office will supervise staff, including one .5 FTE Associate Library Copyright Officer and will work closely with that position in developing services and programs for the UM community.

Qualifications:
· Demonstrated knowledge of copyright and scholarly communication issues within higher education.
· A relevant advanced degree or combination of such degree(s) and experience and/or work experience in the area of copyright and scholarly communication.
· Excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills.
· Strong service orientation.
· Collegial, team-focused, and management-oriented.

Benefits and Salary:
As a professional appointment within the University of Michigan University Library, this position offers full benefits and opportunities for professional development and travel. The salary will be commensurate with the successful candidate’s qualifications and experience.

Retirement Options:
TIAA-CREF or Fidelity Investments

Application Process:
Send cover letter and resume by US Mail to:
Robert Campe
Library Human Resources
404 Hatcher Graduate Library North
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1205
or email cover letter and resume to libhumres@umich.edu

Call 734 764-2546 with questions or for further information.

Application Deadline:
Review of applications will begin on 1/23/09 and continue until the position is filled.

The University of Michigan is a non-discriminatory, affirmative action employer.