Copyright Specialist

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN LIBRARY
COPYRIGHT SPECIALIST
(Two Year Term Appointment)

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 launched 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 Copyright Specialist. Reporting to the Lead Copyright Officer, the successful candidate will assist in the development of guidance, policy, and advocacy on copyright issues to the University and Library communities. This may include contributing to 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 and helping to develop regular educational workshops for the campus community. The Copyright Specialist will help to support efforts to re-conceive the academic research library as a key partner in new modes of scholarly communication. This position does not provide legal advice.

Further information may be found at http://www.lib.umich.edu/library-human-resources/librarian-positions

Reporting to the Lead Copyright Officer, the Copyright Specialist is a full-time position (1.0 FTE) for a period of two years. The ideal candidate will work closely with the Lead Copyright Officer to develop services and programs for the UM community. This is an entry-level librarian position and rank is anticipated at the Assistant Librarian level.

The Copyright Specialist will help develop 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 (CRMS), to identify works whose copyrights have expired so their digital facsimiles can be made publicly available, and natural language processing initiatives.
The Copyright Specialist will help develop and present workshops, websites, consultations, etc., intended to help 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.

Responsibilities:
This two-year appointment will support strategic planning and identify key areas for strategic initiatives related to copyright matters and scholarly publishing for the Library. The Copyright Specialist will work across the Library and other University departments, as well as with colleagues at other institutions, to articulate concerns, survey the field, and engage the University of Michigan Library community in a consultative process.
Some specific areas for examination include but are not limited to:
-copyright and copyright metadata as they relate to technical services, digital preservation, and HathiTrust;
-encourage use of Creative Commons licenses to facilitate scholarly communication and public engagement;
-serve as dedicated liaison/oversight/coordination with CRMS (Copyright Review Management System) activity and practice; participate in development of next phase of CRMS activity including data collection, education and consultation on different classes of copyright matters; create plan for more active permissions seeking from authors and/or finding copyright holders of ‘orphan works’.

45% Research and Writing – prepare initial discussion papers for internal and/or external conversation and evaluation that identify key issues such as those above and serve as point of departure for examining the issues and possible approaches. Lead preparation of research/white papers with teams of relevant colleagues to state issues, findings, options and/or recommendations with resources and relevant supporting material. Work with Copyright Officer and other designated staff to write strategic papers for publication in variety of venues. Monitor issues in copyright, changes and trends in law domestic and international, evolving practices and research. Prepare briefing materials. Assist with and advise on the development of policy for Library processes related to copyright in light of research. Assist in researching and writing articles, web-based, and materials in other formats for both professional and general audiences on copyright matters.

45% Outreach and Engagement with Library Staff/Profession – Primary: plan, manage and conduct meetings, roundtables, other goal-oriented discussions with stakeholders at the Library. These discussions are guided by the initial discussion papers and will subsequently shape the white papers. Secondary: May assist with general consultations, e.g., screen and answer questions from students, faculty, and staff from across the University and Library on copyright matters. Provide practical guidance. Provide assistance to faculty and members of the University community in publication matters, deposit in Deep Blue, copyright issues related to CTools and other matters of scholarly communication. Encourage respect for copyright law, promote responsible use of copyrighted works, and bolster lawful uses. As appropriate, consultations include information on the options provided by open access, fair use, use of Creative Commons licenses to foster the creation of content that is open and accessible for educational use.
10% Other duties as assigned. The nature of the work is iterative and this allocation is intended to allow for response to evolving findings, determinations, and needs as well as addressing routine administrative tasks.

Required Qualifications:
• ALA accredited Master of Library Science, or an equivalent combination of a relevant advanced degree and experience; a Juris Doctorate degree is desired.
• Demonstrated knowledge of and interest in copyright matters. Practical or applied experience in a legal setting highly desired (so candidate has practical understanding of how policy actually works – need a mix of theoretical and practical capacity).
• Knowledge of scholarly communication issues within higher education. May have knowledge or experience in publishing, music, new media, or any other copyright-related industries.
• Demonstrated experience with legal and policy matters in the context of libraries and knowledge of the workings of a research library. Applied experience in relevant areas of law (examples include but are not limited to: determination of copyright status, permissions, knowledge of publishing practices).
• Demonstrated excellent organizational, communication (oral, written), and interpersonal skills, and ability to work well with faculty, students, and academic administrators in a culturally diverse environment;
• Demonstrated ability in: strong service orientation, creative problem-solving skills, team-focus and results-orientation, and high level of professional judgment.

Rank, Benefits and Salary:
Final rank and salary dependent on experience and qualifications; position is anticipated to be filled at the Assistant Librarian level. (This position may be filled at the Assistant Librarian, Associate Librarian, Sr. Associate Librarian, or Librarian level depending on the qualifications and experience of the selected candidate.) As a professional appointment within the University of Michigan 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 and Fidelity Investments

Application Process:
Send cover letter and resume as attachments to email directed to libhumres@umich.edu Attn: Robert Campe; c/o Library Human Resources; Room 404 Hatcher North, 913 South University Ave.; University of Michigan; Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1190. Call for further information.

Application Deadline:
Review of applications will begin on 6/13/10 and continue until the position is filled.

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