Digital Initiatives Librarian

The University of California, Irvine Libraries is seeking a dynamic, knowledgeable, collaborative, and user-oriented professional for the position of Digital Initiatives Librarian. As an integral part of UC Irvine Libraries' Data, Publishing, and Digital Scholarship (DPDS). Department (https://www.lib.uci.edu/dss), the Digital Initiatives Librarian provides essential contributions that bolster robust digital research and learning across all disciplines.

The UC Irvine Libraries are fully committed to inclusive excellence and we encourage applicants to address how their skills, expertise, and experiences might serve the varied communities of California. Please feel free to include relevant information in any of your application materials.

Qualified candidates from diverse backgrounds and life experiences are encouraged to apply. The UC Irvine Libraries are committed to recruiting a diverse workforce and advancing UC Irvine's Commitment to Inclusive Excellence.

Reporting to the Head of Data, Publishing, and Digital Scholarship (DPDS), the Digital Initiatives Librarian (DIL) is a highly collaborative team member and will play a leadership role in the strategic development and stewardship of UC Irvine Libraries' digital collections, contributing to capacity-building, procedure development and policy development for sustainable digital publishing, digital scholarship and innovative research.

The Data, Publishing, and Digital Scholarship (DPDS) department fosters the use of transformative technology to manage, preserve, and share digital scholarship in an increasingly dynamic and computationally-rich research ecosystem. DPDS provides infrastructure, education and consultation services that support research data management and curation, open access publishing, digital collection-building, and critical literacies for digital research across disciplines.

Key Responsibilities

* Providing leadership and collaborative management of UC Irvine Libraries' distinctive digital collections, both special and general, created and stewarded by the Libraries.

* Serving as project manager for inter-departmental projects related to digital collections, systems, publishing infrastructure and research.

* Coordinating rights review process for digitization and digital publishing projects, in collaboration with key stakeholders across the organization.

* Proactively contributing to the management and growth of tools, services, and standards that promote dynamic, ethical digital collections and computationally rich digital scholarship.

* Working with library and external partners to identify and prioritize support needs, system improvement, and user experience for the libraries' digital repositories and collections.

* Formulating strategies, policies, and procedures for digital projects in collaboration with key stakeholders across the organization.

* Serving as a representative/liaison to the California Digital Library on matters concerning digital libraries, digital collections, and related services.

* Engaging in outreach to encourage creative and innovative use of digital collections, emphasizing ethical re-use of materials, digital humanities, and collections as data concepts.

* Maintain awareness of grant opportunities and opportunities for collaboration that will enhance the Libraries capacity to participate in digitization and digital projects.

* Other duties as assigned, including permanent or interim subject liaison responsibilities depending on interests, background, and library needs.

Qualifications

Required:

* Graduate degree in library science from an ALA-accredited institution or an equivalent combination of relevant advanced degree and library experience.

* Ability to contribute creative scholarly and technical expertise to the evolving strategic vision for data, publishing, and digital scholarship at UC Irvine Libraries

* Demonstrated experience with project management and/or leading complex digital projects

* Demonstrated experience with creating, developing and maintaining strategies, policies, and workflows in areas including digitization, digital asset management, and digital publishing

* Knowledge of scholarly communication, intellectual property and rights management

* Ability to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical collaborators

* Commitment to user-centered library services

* Ability to work creatively, collaboratively, and effectively to support teamwork and inclusive excellence within UC Irvine Libraries and the campus.

* Ability to meet the University of California criteria for advancement and promotion.

Preferred:

* Experience in an academic or research library

* Knowledge of emerging technologies and their responsible use for managing digital collections

* Knowledge of digital scholarship methodologies, tools, and technologies, scholarly communication, and metadata principles and practices.

The Data, Publishing, and Digital Scholarship (DPDS) department provides infrastructure, research support, and instruction to the UC Irvine community in support of transformative scholarly research and learning experiences. Members of the department include the Digital Initiatives Librarian, Digital Scholarship Librarian, Computational Research Librarian, Data Curation Librarian, Scholarly Communications Coordinator, the Digital Library Developer, and the Data, Publishing and Digital Scholarship Library Assistant. The department offers consultation appointment services, a range of workshops and customized instruction, including a robust online Carpentries-based programming curriculum, and collaborates closely on the development of new services, such as the Digital Sandbox.

At the heart of the University of California, Irvine's academic community, the UC Irvine Libraries plays a vital role in enabling our outstanding students, faculty, and researchers to create new knowledge, develop lifelong learning skills, and make meaningful contributions to society. We value innovation and collaboration, and we are committed to fostering an environment that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our commitment is described in our Diversity Statement and Plan, https://diversity.lib.uci.edu/diversity-statement-and-plan. The UC Irvine Libraries received the 2024 Library Excellence in Access and Diversity (LEAD) Award from Insight Into Diversity, https://www.insightintodiversity.com/ magazine, a leader in advancing best practices in DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) in higher education.

The Libraries' physical spaces consist of the Langson Library, the Science Library, the Library Gateway Study Center, and the Grunigen Medical Library (located at the UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange, CA). These locations provide a welcoming and technology enhanced environment valued by students as places for study, research, and collaboration. Together they contain over 3,300 public seats, over 500 public access computers, laptop computers for checkout, and a wide range of multimedia resources including 3D printers. The library collection consists of over 4.3 million volumes, 254,000 journals and serial titles, and an ever-expanding collection of electronic books, databases, and other resources. As part of the University of California system, the UC Irvine Libraries collaborates closely with the other nine UC campus libraries and the California Digital Library (CDL). Our public website, https://www.lib.uci.edu/, is a portal to access e-resources; discover print, archival, and multi-media collections; and connect with reference and instructional services. It also includes cutting edge digital tools and tutorials and numerous subject specific research guides created by subject specialists.

The UC Irvine Libraries employs approximately 140 full-time librarians and staff and many part-time student assistants. We strongly support the professional development of librarians and staff throughout their careers.

The UC Irvine Libraries are a member of the: Association of Research Libraries (ARL), HathiTrust, Center for Research Libraries (CRL), Coalition of Networked Information (CNI), Digital Library Federation (DLF), Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR), Scholarly Publishing & Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC), Pacific Rim Research Libraries Alliance (PRRLA), International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), National Information Standards Organization (NISO), and OCLC Research Library Partnership (OCLC RLP).

The University of California, Irvine, is nestled in over 1,500 acres of coastal foothills, five miles from the Pacific Ocean, between San Diego and Los Angeles and located on the homelands of the Acjachemen and Tongva peoples, https://diversity.lib.uci.edu/land-acknowledgement. Founded in 1965, UC Irvine has over 37,000 undergraduate and graduate students and over 1,800 faculty and staff. Nearly 67% of UC Irvine students identify themselves as Asian American, African American, Chicano/Latino, or Native American. Over 50% of UC Irvine's bachelor's degrees are awarded to first generation college students. The University is committed to serving students from all backgrounds as demonstrated by UC Irvine's Black Thriving Initiative and its designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI), https://www.admissions.uci.edu/discover/why-uci/diversity.php. The New York Times ranks UC Irvine as the #1 college doing the most for the American Dream, and U.S. News and Report ranks UC Irvine among the top ten public universities in the nation. The University offers graduate degrees in more than 100 academic disciplines and interdisciplinary programs in addition to the M.D. and J.D.

Salary & Benefits: Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience based on the University of California pay scales. Appointment is anticipated to be at the Assistant Librarian, Associate Librarian, or Librarian rank with a salary of $74,224 - $102,121. The posted UC salary scales set the minimum pay determined by rank and salary point at appointment. See Table for Represented Librarians at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ntD6oW0-Ceeuk0qK7MPOZt8ydzYuOBB8/view.

Librarians are entitled to two days per month of annual leave, thirteen paid holidays, and one day per month of sick leave. The University has an excellent retirement system and offers a variety of group health, life, and disability insurance plans. Benefits are equal to approximately 45% of salary.

Librarians at UC Irvine are academic appointees. Non-managerial librarians are represented by an exclusive bargaining agent, University Council - American Federation of Teachers (UC-AFT). This is a represented position.

As academic appointees, UC Irvine Librarians receive potential career status at the time of their initial appointment. Librarians periodically receive administrative and peer review for merit increases based on the following criteria: 1) professional competence and quality of service within the Library; 2) professional activity outside the Library; 3) university and public service; and 4) research and other creative activity.

Consideration will be given to applicants with a wide range of years of experience, including qualified early career librarians.

Deadline for Applications: Applications received by January 5, 2026, will receive first consideration.

To Apply: Qualified applicants who wish to be considered for this position should submit the information requested: cover letter; complete resume; a statement that addresses past and/or potential contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and a list of three references (names and contact information only) via UC IRVINE AP Recruit at: https://recruit.ap.uci.edu/JPF09979

Upon application, candidates should be in possession of proof of their legal right to employment in the U.S. In compliance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, verification of legal right to work will be required between the time of final selection and hiring and is absolutely essential in ultimately being hired.

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

This position description is listed on the UC Irvine Libraries website at https://www.lib.uci.edu/libraries-experience/academic-staff-positions with links to additional websites featuring campus and community information.

Department: https://www.lib.uci.edu/

* Graduate degree in library science from an ALA-accredited institution or an equivalent combination of relevant advanced degree and library experience.

* Ability to contribute creative scholarly and technical expertise to the evolving strategic vision for data, publishing, and digital scholarship at UC Irvine Libraries

* Demonstrated experience with project management and/or leading complex digital projects

* Demonstrated experience with creating, developing and maintaining strategies, policies, and workflows in areas including digitization, digital asset management, and digital publishing

* Knowledge of scholarly communication, intellectual property and rights management

* Ability to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical collaborators

* Commitment to user-centered library services

* Ability to work creatively, collaboratively, and effectively to support teamwork and inclusive excellence within UC Irvine Libraries and the campus.

* Ability to meet the University of California criteria for advancement and promotion.

The University of California, Irvine is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories covered by the UC anti-discrimination policy.

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct.

• "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment or discrimination, as defined by the employer.
• UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
• UC Anti-Discrimination Policy for Employees, Students and Third Parties
• 
  APM - 035: Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment.
  
  

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.