Running head: SCHOLARLY COMMUNICATIONS LIBRARIANS

Scholarly Communications Librarians: Job Duties and Standard Concerns

Beth Denker
School of Library and Information Management
Emporia State University
LI835XI, Professor Keith Rocci
Fall 2015

SCHOLARLY COMMUNICATIONS LIBRARIANS

Scholarly Communications Librarians: Job Duties and Standard Concerns

This paper aims to answer the question, what are typical job duties for a Scholarly
Communications Librarian and what are standard concerns which they manage? The nature of
scholarly communications in relation to academic libraries will be discussed, library literature on
scholarly communications duties for librarians will be examined, and job postings for librarians
with scholarly communications in the title of the position will be analyzed.
History of Scholarly Communication in Academic Libraries
It is important to outline what scholarly communication might entail for a librarian with
that term in their title or job duties. Budd (2012) discusses in length the history of scholarly
communication from the days before the printing press to our modern era. An important
historical aspect of scholarly communication includes the formation and increase in publishing
for journals reflecting the development of scientific inquiry and the importance of research at
academic institutions (Budd, 2012, p. 170). Disciplines may vary in type of scholarly
communication output. Scientific research and the social sciences are encouraged through
funding, but also restrained through governmental and institutional policies. Budd (2012) also
points out that competition between entities to get credit for a discovery can direct the type of
scholarly communication and publishing that takes place in certain disciplines (p. 178).
Humanities research seems to not be as affected by these same factors.
The change in print media is a theme that Budd (2012) begins to address, but even in the
three years since this book was published, the trend seems to have transformed enough as to
make this portion of his text somewhat out of date. The current state of practice for scholarly
communication through digital media is alluded to as a possible trend that could resolve issues of

SCHOLARLY COMMUNICATIONS LIBRARIANS

access and problems with publishing structures (Budd, 2012, p. 181). It is interesting to see how
practice has changed so quickly to accommodate technology and institutional needs.
Issues of cost, quality, prestige, and reward structures are all possibly changing with the
open access movement and move from print to digital publishing. This trend seems to be driving
listings for Scholarly Communication Librarians, but how to deal with these issues is not yet
completely resolved in the academic community. Cost of scholarly communication was
discussed by Carrigan (1990) as a problem for libraries that was being driven by academic
scholars, publishers, and academic administration. The issues that were driving cost back in the
1990s have not changed, but while digital publishing does not fully solve the issue of cost, it
does change the structure and nature of the costs (Budd, 2012, p. 261). Budd (2012) points out
the benefits of large data sets that are now available freely online, largely due to governmental
grants to researchers (p. 193), but this funding often comes with other policy requirements for an
institution and publishing research must be managed in accordance with that structure.
Academic researchers and scholars will want to maintain the prestige and rewards that
are currently tied to publishing in a respected journal. Digital publishing may complicate this
structure through pay to publish schemes and questionable review processes (Budd, 2012, p.
196). Academic scholars will also want to safeguard the sharing of scholarship. Much of that is
through journals that are recognized as key in each discipline, but conferences, books, and
information on the internet also are factors of importance (Budd, 2012, p. 243). While all of this
complicates scholarly communication at an academic institution and within a discipline, it
provides a perfect niche for librarian specialists to provide value to their academic community.
Literature on Scholarly Communication duties for Academic Librarians

SCHOLARLY COMMUNICATIONS LIBRARIANS

Prior to this semester, I had seen many job postings that were titled Scholarly
Communications Librarian, but it was unclear to me from the types of job duties listed and from
the variety of terms used in the job descriptions what the main purpose was of this position.
Additionally, I started seeing Scholarly Communication listed as a skill or category in other job
postings. In preparing to pick a topic for this paper, I looked at the library literature regarding
scholarly communication. Some of the literature focuses on librarians and archivists as creators
of scholarly communication. It is important to note that academic librarians and archivists are
doing their part to contribute to research and can model scholarly communication practices to
others at their institutions. Other literature trends include scholarly communication outreach
activities and transitions in institutional policies regarding scholarly communication. These last
two will be discussed further here.
Ogburn (2008) discusses in length the ways an academic library can implement a
program that promotes change at an institution in scholarly communication. This was largely
driven by costs and changes in technology and echoes sentiments expressed by Budd (2012). The
five stages to create change as outlined by Ogburn (2008) are creating awareness within your
academic community of the problems related to pricing for the library, leading to understanding
regarding how these problems at the library may affect their departments, helping faculty take
ownership of what they can do to change this issue through their actions, encouraging activism
on this issue to change practices for open access and publishing, and transformation of the
academic community culture locally and to the wider community to support open access and use
of an institutional repository. While these steps provide a framework for changing how
academics perceive scholarly communication, there are many small steps that would need to be
implemented to make each bigger goal happen. Ogburn (2008) also states that the library is in a

SCHOLARLY COMMUNICATIONS LIBRARIANS

unique position to encourage some of these changes as scholarly communication practices and
purchasing is already firmly embedded in the academic library (p. 51). This article reflects both
of the literature trends for outreach and change in institutional policy.
Wiegand (2013) also frames scholarly communication issues as a way to perform
outreach to the greater academic community. It is a way for a librarian in a technical services
realm to communicate and form relationships with faculty outside of the library. This type of
librarian also has unique access and perspective to the costs associated with journals and
databases. Outreach can form valuable relationships for the library and for faculty that might
translate outside of the realm of scholarly publishing. Wiegand gives specific examples of
promoting open access publishing through a website and an Open Access Week (p. 347).
Eng, Jordan, and Lesher (2014) map out an implementation of a digital institutional
repository. The article also discusses outreach efforts to gain faculty participation and policies
put in place for requiring submissions for dissertations and theses. Collaborations within the
library and with the greater academic community were emphasized as ways to help with
implementation and outreach.
Profera, Jefferson, and Hosburgh (2015) studied the changes in users behavior in light of
the change from physical resources to digital resources through an e-survey, internal reporting,
and a focus group. Regarding digital resources, users expressed needs for training in searching
for content and an increased awareness of the number of resources available. Users were open to
vendor and publisher training opportunities. Users also expressed their preferences for how these
trainings would be delivered. Finally, Profera et al. (2015) presented some statistics for increase
in usage of digital resources after trainings (p. 280). This article shows that knowing users needs

SCHOLARLY COMMUNICATIONS LIBRARIANS

and listening to their preferences is an important component of outreach in scholarly

communication.
Malenfant (2015) introduces how a change in scholarly communication was effected by
training all liaison librarians at the University of Minnesota to specialize in scholarly
communications issues. This strategy allowed subject specialists with outreach avenues already
in place to influence faculty to change their outlook, but also required them to form new
relationships with those they did not know. Malenfant (2015) approaches this study and change
at the institution (p. 404) very much with the same scholarly communications as systems outlook
that Budd (2012) asserts (p. 165). This approach in addition to policies enforcing library faculty
adherence to scholarly communication standards and to outreach has started an overarching
change at that institution. It also puts the impetus for change on each librarian instead of on one
(or a few) scholarly communications librarians.
Analysis of Job Postings for Scholarly Communication Librarians
Seven job postings that contained the words Scholarly Communication Librarian in the
title were analyzed for job duties and qualifications. These postings were found through the ALA
JobList website and through a Google search (see Appendix A through G). Job duties and
qualifications listed in each posting were categorized thematically and then each posting was
mapped to these categories. This thematic categorization for job duties was necessary as terms
were not standardized throughout the postings and for clarity purposes. Table 1 shows the
categories that were identified and the mapping of each posting to those categories. Table 2
summarizes how common each job duty category was for these postings, and Table 3 shows the
distribution for number of identified categories per posting.

SCHOLARLY COMMUNICATIONS LIBRARIANS

As shown in Table 1, there were two job duties that were listed in all seven postings.
Copyright and fair use instruction/expertise was listed in each posting and also covered
extensively in many of the job postings. While none of the postings required legal expertise, the
listing of this job duty in every posting would seem to indicate that a thorough understanding of
best practices and legal implications would be an important skill to acquire for this type of
position. Training on understanding these issues was not discussed in any of the library literature
that I found. This may be an area for possible future research in the literature.
Another job duty that was listed in all seven postings is instruction and services to
support scholarly output. This ties to traditional reference and instruction duties and is one of the
main components of outreach listed in all of the job postings. This theme of outreach was
addressed in every article in the library literature at which I looked.
Promoting the use of an institutional repository was a component for six of the seven job
postings. The one posting that did not contain this duty also did not list any other details about an
institutional repository in the posting, so it is possible that this university does not have an
institutional repository as of yet (ALA JobList, 2015a). While this was a component in only six
of the postings, it clearly factors in greatly for the duties of most scholarly communication
librarian positions and is supported by being addressed in the library literature by Ogburn (2008),
and Eng, Jordan, and Lesher (2014).
Ensuring compliance with open access policies or other policies was a factor for five of
the seven jobs analyzed. Creation of policies was important in four of the seven jobs listed. This
can also relate to the category of Funder duties that was identified in three of the seven postings
and to the earlier category of supporting scholarly output. This is supported through practices

SCHOLARLY COMMUNICATIONS LIBRARIANS

demonstrated in the literature by Ogburn (2008), Eng, Jordan, and Lesher (2014), and Malenfant
(2015). Scholarly communication librarians may need to advise faculty and students on
requirements for research funded by governmental institutions or other through other grants.
Similarly, these librarians should be able to help the academic community learn to identify what
a respected open access journal looks like, both for their own publishing purposes and to
ascertain the reliability of information in a digital literacy skill set (Budd, 2012, p. 262).
Some categories for these job postings seemed more incidental to the institution for
which they were posted. For example, four of the job postings listed specific technical skills
related to systems or repository maintenance. It is possible that the scholarly communications
librarian has a dual function of managing the technical aspects of the repository in these cases,
but is illustrative of the diverse skills that may be required for this type of position and the
frequency for which they may be needed. Similarly, one posting required the upkeep of scholarly
communication web pages. This may be an unlisted duty on other positions or could be specific
to how this institution disseminates communication and training to their academic community.
The other categories for these job postings were much more general requirements for a
management or an academic librarian position and were not as tailored to scholarly
communication duties. Project management skills, supervisory skills, and budgeting are all
important for many positions in an academic library, but these also were related to positions that
were graded for leadership at their institution. Additionally, four of the positions posted required
the librarian to publish research and pursue professional development. In fact, I was surprised
that this was not listed in more of the postings as most of these positions were located at a
research institution. While this job duty may not have been explicitly stated, it is possible that
this would be expressed in interviews and the offer of employment or for tenure status.

SCHOLARLY COMMUNICATIONS LIBRARIANS

Conclusion
While scholarly communications librarians seem to have varied duties, important points
demonstrated by the literature and the job posting analysis include instruction and services to
support scholarly output, promoting an institutional repository, and ensuring compliance with
open access or other policies. Additionally supported by historical factors and the job posting
analysis is an expertise in copyright and fair use for instructional purposes. It is important for a
scholarly communications librarian to be well-spoken and versed in the complications and
historical implications of scholarly communication for effective outreach within the academic
community. This subject expertise is very valuable for the library, the larger academic
institution, and for individual faculty members and students. This is an interesting new value that
academic libraries can offer to their users, but we must be thoroughly informed to be effective.

SCHOLARLY COMMUNICATIONS LIBRARIANS

10

References
ALA JobList. (2015a). Scholarly communication librarian. Retrieved from
http://www.joblist.ala.org/modules/jobseeker/Scholarly-CommunicationLibrarian/31018.cfm
ALA JobList. (2015b). Scholarly communication librarian. Retrieved from
http://www.joblist.ala.org/modules/jobseeker/Scholarly-CommunicationLibrarian/31084.cfm
ALA JobList. (2015c). Scholarly communication librarian. Retrieved from
http://www.joblist.ala.org/modules/jobseeker/Scholarly-CommunicationLibrarian/31323.cfm
Budd, J. (2012). The changing academic library: Operations, culture, environments. Chicago,
IL: American Library Association.
Carrigan, D. P. (1990). The political economy of scholarly communication and the American
system of higher education. The journal of academic librarianship, 15(6), 332-337.
Eng, A., Jordan, C. J., & Lesher, M. (2014). The great transition of scholarly communication at
the Thomas G. Carpenter Library. The serials librarian, 66, 298-302.
doi:10.1080/0361526X.2014. 880865
Hastac. (2012, March 21). Job: Georgia Tech Library scholarly communication librarian.
Retrieved from https://www.hastac.org/opportunities/job-georgia-tech-library-scholarlycommunication-librarian

SCHOLARLY COMMUNICATIONS LIBRARIANS

11

Malenfant, K. J. (2015). Leading change in the system of scholarly communication: A case study
of engaging liaison librarians for outreach to faculty. College & research libraries, 76,
392-405. doi:10.5860/crl.76.3.392
Ogburn, J. L. (2008). Defining and achieving success in the movement to change scholarly
communication. Library resources & technical services, 52(2), 44-53.
Profera, E., Jefferson, R., & Hosburgh, N. (2015). Personalizing library service to improve
scholarly communication. The serials librarian, 68, 274-281.
doi:10.1080/0361526X.2015.1017710
University of Arkansas Libraries. (n.d.). Head, the Office of Scholarly Communications.
Retrieved from https://jobs.uark.edu/postings/9872
Virginia Commonwealth University. (2015). Associate university librarian for scholarly
communications and publishing. Retrieved from
http://www.library.vcu.edu/about/jobs/aul-scholarly-communications/
Western Washington University Libraries. (2013, December 2). Scholarly communications
librarian. Retrieved from https://jobs.wwu.edu/JobPosting.aspx?JPID=4987
Wiegand, S. (2013). Beginning the conversation: Discussing scholarly communication. The
serials librarian, 65, 335-349. doi:10.1080/0361526X.2013.833883

SCHOLARLY COMMUNICATIONS LIBRARIANS

Appendix A
Job Posting for Scholarly Communication Librarian at Texas Womans University Libraries

12

SCHOLARLY COMMUNICATIONS LIBRARIANS

Appendix B
Job Posting for Scholarly Communication Librarian at Oregon State University Libraries

13

SCHOLARLY COMMUNICATIONS LIBRARIANS

Appendix C
Job Posting for Scholarly Communication Librarian at University of Wyoming Libraries

14

SCHOLARLY COMMUNICATIONS LIBRARIANS

15

Appendix D
Job Posting for Associate University Librarian for Scholarly Communications and Publishing at
Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries

SCHOLARLY COMMUNICATIONS LIBRARIANS

16

SCHOLARLY COMMUNICATIONS LIBRARIANS

17

Appendix E
Job Posting for Scholarly Communication Librarian at Western Washington University Libraries

SCHOLARLY COMMUNICATIONS LIBRARIANS

18

Appendix F
Job Posting for Scholarly Communication Librarian at Georgia Institute of Technology Library

SCHOLARLY COMMUNICATIONS LIBRARIANS

19

SCHOLARLY COMMUNICATIONS LIBRARIANS

Appendix G
Job Posting for Head, the Office of Scholarly Communications at University of Arkansas
Libraries

20

SCHOLARLY COMMUNICATIONS LIBRARIANS

21

SCHOLARLY COMMUNICATIONS LIBRARIANS

22
Table 1

Identified Categories for Job Duties/Qualifications with Mapping to Individual Job Postings

Scholarly
Communicati
on Librarian
at Texas
Womans
University
Libraries

Job Duties and

Qualifications
Instruction and
services to
support scholarly
output
X
Project
management
skills
Promote use of
institutional
repository
Technical
expertise with
systems or files
for repository
Copyright and
fair use
instruction/experti
se
X

Scholarly
Communicati
on Librarian
at Oregon
State
University
Libraries

Scholarly
Communicati
on Librarian
at University
of Wyoming
Libraries

Associate
University
Librarian for
Scholarly
Communicatio
ns and
Publishing at
Virginia
Commonwealt
h University
Libraries

Scholarly
Communicati
on Librarian
at Western
Washington
University
Libraries

Scholarly
Communicati
on Librarian
at Georgia
Institute of
Technology
Library

Head, The
Office of
Scholarly
Communicatio
ns at
University of
Arkansas
Libraries

SCHOLARLY COMMUNICATIONS LIBRARIANS

Funder duties
Ensure
compliance with
open access
policy or other
policies
Create policies
for scholarly
communication or
institutional
repository
Budgeting
Scholarly
communication
web pages
Supervisory
duties
Publish research
and pursue
professional
development

23

X
X

SCHOLARLY COMMUNICATIONS LIBRARIANS

24
Table 2

Summary of Occurrences for Job Duties/Qualifications among Job Postings

Job Duty/Qualification Categories

Copyright and fair use instruction/expertise
Instruction and services to support scholarly output
Promote use of institutional repository
Ensure compliance with open access policy or other policies
Create policies for scholarly communication or institutional repository
Project management skills
Publish research and pursue professional development
Technical expertise with systems or files for repository
Funder duties
Supervisory duties
Budgeting
Scholarly communication web pages
Grand Total

Count of Duties/Qualifications among Job Postings

7
7
6
5
4
4
4
4
3
3
1
1
49

SCHOLARLY COMMUNICATIONS LIBRARIANS

25
Table 3

Distribution of Job Duties/Qualifications among Job Postings

Job Posting Title

Associate University Librarian for Scholarly Communications and Publishing
at Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries

Count of Duties/Qualifications from Identified

Categories
11

Scholarly Communication Librarian at Georgia Institute of Technology

Library
Scholarly Communication Librarian at University of Wyoming Libraries

8
8

Head, The Office of Scholarly Communications at University of Arkansas

Libraries

Scholarly Communication Librarian at Western Washington University

Libraries
Scholarly Communication Librarian at Oregon State University Libraries

7
6

Scholarly Communication Librarian at Texas Womans University Libraries

Grand Total

2
49