Friday, January 21, 2011

Assistant/Associate Professor


Position Summary: Teach two graduate classes each semester, online or face-to-face, in library and information studies; conduct research in the field and disseminate information through publication and presentation; provide service to School, College, University, and the discipline and profession. 
Minimum & Preferred Qualifications: The successful candidate will have considerable opportunity to shape the character and direction of the School as it continues to integrate the traditions of librarianship with new technologies. He or she will be actively engaged in research, have an interdisciplinary approach to teaching graduate students, be committed to teach some Web-based synchronous distance education classes, possess the ability to work with multiple constituencies, be able to teach in the SLIS core curriculum, and possess an earned doctorate. Work history in a library or another information environment and related experiences are desirable.

Required: Earned doctorate in library & information science or a related field OR an earned doctorate in a cognate discipline PLUS a masters in librarianship, information studies, or in an information rich environment is desirable.

Applicants with expertise in one or more of the following areas are of particular interest:
o Information sources and services, including sources and services in specialized areas (government documents, business, etc.), information literacy programming, and readers' advisory
o Practice and management of digital and material culture in areas such as preservation and conservation, special collections, and digitization
o Specific library environments such as public, academic, health, special, and information centers.

The School, with 15 faculty members, offers an ALA-accredited Master's program, an MFA program in the book arts, doctoral courses that contribute to a multidisciplinary doctorate in Communication and Information Sciences, and undergraduate courses in Information Science. The School is selective in admissions for all program options, and the MLIS program ranks among the top 25 programs in North America.

SLIS faculty research interests include digital libraries; information retrieval; human-computer interaction; user interface design; video retrieval; history of small presses and related publishing; documentary editing and history of collections; electronic publishing; culturally diverse populations; education for library and information studies; analysis of large data sets; bibliometrics; library history; scholarly communication; institutional repositories; project management; corporate culture in academic library management; social conception of knowledge through cultural evolution; k-12 education policy; role of classification for collaborative organization of web resources; health librarianship and informatics; and social disconnects in information technology, access, and design. Creative activities focus on collaboration between letterpress printer, author, artist, and hand bookbinder; and materials and techniques of historic bookbinding structures.

Tuscaloosa is ideally located in the Southeast, and is convenient to Birmingham, Atlanta, Mobile and the Gulf Coast, New Orleans, Memphis, Nashville, and Chattanooga. The area offers year-round outdoor activities, a vibrant arts community, the cultural benefits of a major university, and services befitting a larger community.

Applications, including a letter and CV with names and contact information for three references, should be addressed to Dr. Jeff Weddle, Search Committee Chair, School of Library & Information Studies, The University of Alabama, Box 870252, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-4998. APPLICANTS MUST ALSO APPLY ONLINE AT https://facultyjobs.ua.edu.

Applications will be reviewed beginning January 2, 2011 and will be accepted until the position is filled.

The University of Alabama is an Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.  
Search Initiation Date: 12-20-2010   Expected Starting Date: 08-16-2011   Application Deadline: Open Until Filled
Prior to hiring the final candidate must successfully pass a pre-employment background investigation.   College/School/Division: Communication and Information Sciences   Required Applicant Documents: Resume / Curriculum Vitae / Cover Letter  

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