Research and Scholarly Communications Librarian

Western University Probationary or Continuing Appointment for a

Research and Scholarly Communication Librarian

Western Libraries

Appointment Type and Rank: Probationary or Continuing Appointment at General, Assistant, Associate, or Senior rank commensurate to experience

Number of Positions: One (1)

Posting Date: May 5, 2026

Closing Date to Apply: June 5, 2026

Anticipated Start Date: September 1, 2026

Position Profile: The RSC team advances initiatives and services that foster a culture of open and equitable access to knowledge and facilitate sharing of diverse research outputs. The RSC Librarians work collaboratively to lead and coordinate strategy, services, and education to support scholarly publishing, digital scholarship, and research impact at all stages of the research cycle. This includes, but is not limited to, open access advocacy, journal publishing, institutional repository services, open educational resources, digital scholarship, persistent identifiers, author rights and licensing, and emerging areas of scholarly communication.

RSC has staff who support the work of the team. Additional librarians and staff on RSC have expertise in the areas of copyright, data management practices, GIS, data services, and knowledge synthesis (such as systematic reviews). The team collaborates with Western Research to sustain an active partnership in research services, research impact, and knowledge exchange activities. RSC builds relationships with colleagues, faculty, students, and campus and external partners to enhance their research creation, management, dissemination, and preservation.

Main Responsibilities

• Plan, implement, and assess strategic and sustainable services and programming on campus and within the libraries with respect to bibliometrics and research impact assessment
• Serve as a campus leader and resource on bibliometrics and research impact assessment, providing expert guidance to students, faculty, and researchers
• Work with campus partners to manage the research information management system (RIMS)
• Promote adoption, integration, and use of persistent identifiers such as ORCID and ROR
• Advocate and be a resource for the responsible use and collection of scholarly metrics, following principles such as those outlined in the Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) and the Leiden Manifesto
• Create research impact reports with campus partners
• Maintain institutional hierarchies and affiliations across databases and platforms such as Scopus and Web of Science
• Develop, deliver, and assess instructional content and training materials as applicable (individual or group, in person or online, synchronous or asynchronous)
• Ensure timely and relevant campus communications
• Collaborate with colleagues on other Western Libraries teams
• Contribute to work in scholarly publishing and digital scholarship, in collaboration with others on the RSC team
• Participate on relevant committees, working groups, etc.
• Engage in professional development to maintain currency with tools, methodologies, and best practices

Academic Expectations: Each Member with Responsibilities in the area of Academic Activity shall be entitled and expected to engage in Academic Activity, which involves some or all of:

1. the creation of new knowledge, including understanding or concepts;
2. the creative application of existing knowledge;
3. the organization and synthesis of existing knowledge;
4. creative expression;

all in whatever media are appropriate to the Member’s area of academic expertise.

Members shall disseminate the results of Academic Activity. It is the responsibility of Members to make the results of their Academic Activity available for independent review and assessment in a form which can be evaluated by peers. This normally entails invited or refereed journal publication, invited or refereed papers or conference presentations, published monographs, or other vehicles or media, as are appropriate to the Member’s area of Academic Activity.

Academic Activity directly related to performance in Professional Practice is encouraged. Where a Member’s Academic Activity is judged by peer review to represent a development of materials or methods of an innovative sort or an academic advance, with application wider than the Member’s own Professional Practice, then such work may be counted either as Professional Practice or as Academic Activity, but not both.

Required Qualifications:

• Master's degree from a program accredited by the American Library Association (ALA), or equivalent degree, or a PhD degree in Library and Information Science, or equivalent degree
• Experience (including coursework/training) relevant to research impact assessment and/or bibliometric analyses
• Understanding of principles and practices to support the responsible use and collection of scholarly metrics
• Knowledge of the research cycle and research processes including issues surrounding scholarly metrics across a variety of disciplines
• Knowledge of scholarly publishing, open scholarship, and digital scholarship
• Demonstrated experience leading projects and programs
• Demonstrated ability to work strategically and collaboratively with key constituents to support programs and initiatives
• Excellent written communication and presentation skills
• Demonstrated ability to learn new skills and new technologies

Preferred Experience:

Any of the following kinds of experience will be an asset:

• Demonstrated experience extracting and analyzing information from a variety of bibliometric data sources such as SciVal or OpenAlex
• Demonstrated experience carrying out technical analysis using a variety of bibliometric databases, methods, and analytical tools such as R, Python, etc.
• Demonstrated experience working with research information management systems, particularly Elements

Compensation Details: Salary Range: $80,000.00 -130,000

Librarians at Western are Members of the Librarians and Archivists Bargaining Unit represented by The University of Western Ontario Faculty Association. Terms and conditions of employment, including salary and benefits, are governed by the Librarians and Archivists Collective Agreement. Rank and salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Western offers a comprehensive benefit package including but not limited to extended health, dental, vision and pension.

Affirmation Policy Statement: Western, like many postsecondary institutions in Canada, is moving beyond sole reliance upon Indigenous self-identification in its hiring processes. This is to safeguard against the use of incorrect, incomplete, or misleading information in circumstances in which a candidate has made a declaration of Indigenous citizenship or membership. Candidates who are invited for an interview or who are short-listed, and who have made a declaration of Indigenous citizenship or membership for material advantage at Western, including where required or preferred for the position, will be asked to have their declaration of Indigenous citizenship or membership affirmed through a relational accountability process, led by the Office of Indigenous Initiatives (OII), that is consistent with Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing. Please contact the OII directly for details on the affirmation processes: https://indigenous.uwo.ca/. The policy can be viewed at: POLICY 1.58 - Affirming Declarations of Indigenous Citizenship or Membership at Western University.

Western Libraries: Western Libraries is committed to excellence: anticipating information and service needs related to the University's goals for research and scholarship, teaching and learning, and service to our university community and key partners. The University’s strategic plan emphasizes research excellence and internationalization as key priorities. Our Strategic Plan 2022-2028, Forward Together, aligns with the University’s strategic plan, Towards Western at 150, which has three main themes: Greater Impact; People, Community, and Culture; and Western’s Place in the World.

Western Libraries, one of Canada’s leading research libraries, is a member of the Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL), the Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL), the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), the Center for Research Libraries (CRL), the Canadian Research Knowledge Network (CRKN), and a proud partner in the OCUL Collaborative Futures Project. Recognized for the quality of its staff, the access and services provided, and its outstanding print and digital collections, Western Libraries supports the University’s mission to create, disseminate, and apply knowledge for the benefit of society through excellence in teaching, research, and scholarship.

The University: Western University delivers an academic experience second to none. Western challenges the best and brightest faculty, staff and students to commit to the highest global standards. Our research excellence expands knowledge and drives discovery with real-world application. Western attracts individuals with a broad worldview, seeking to study, influence and lead in the international community. Since 1878, The Western Experience has combined academic excellence with life-long opportunities for intellectual, social and cultural growth in order to better serve our communities.

With annual research funding exceeding $300 million, and an international reputation for success, Western ranks as one of Canada's top research-intensive universities. Our research excellence expands knowledge and drives discovery with real-world application. Western also provides an exceptional employment experience, offering competitive salaries, a wide range of employment opportunities and one of Canada's most beautiful campuses.

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Learn more about the Librarians and Archivists Collective Agreement
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