Newspaper Content Coordinator, Illinois Newspaper Project - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Under the direction of the Head of the History, Philosophy, and Newspaper Library, and the Digital Reformatting Coordinator, Preservation Services, the Content Coordinator will serve as the key liaison between the Illinois Newspaper Project (INP), as a grant recipient of the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP), and cultural heritage institutions in Illinois during a 2022-2024 newspaper digitization project. The Content Coordinator will promote a call for proposals for digitization candidates to a broad range of cultural heritage institutions, provide informational sessions about newspaper history, microfilming and digitization, and serve as the primary point of contact for potential partner institutions, consulting with applicants regarding viability of proposed titles and completion of proposals. Once titles have been selected, the Content Coordinator will liaise with partner institutions in all stages of the digitization process. If necessary, this will include traveling to assess or pick up materials selected for digitization. The Content Coordinator will also work on all aspects of production, title essay research, and finally, will be responsible for spearheading outreach and dissemination efforts. National travel is required as part of the position. 

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Statement: The University Library of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign values diversity of thought, perspective, experience, and people, and is actively committed to a culture of inclusion and respect. We are dedicated to the practices of social justice, diversity, and equality, and we strive to overcome historical and divisive biases in our society and embrace diverse points of view as assets to the fabric of our community. All positions will be called on to contribute to building this environment in the Library and throughout the campus community, and we encourage candidates who share these values to apply. Additional information can be found on the Library’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) webpage: https://www.library.illinois.edu/geninfo/deia/ .

Major Duties and Responsibilities: 

Illinois Newspaper Project Organizational and Strategic Initiatives 

• Conduct research and lead outreach with institutions across the state to assist with title selection, to ensure diverse representation of title selection for digitization.
• Instruct interested colleagues at Illinois institutions in relevant aspects of newspaper preservation history, and microfilm and digitization technologies.
• Lead research efforts into Illinois newspaper titles, culminating in title essay writing and submission to the National Endowment for the Humanities.
• Facilitate title selection committee meetings with scholars and cultural heritage institution staff.
• Assist with preparation of grant reporting.

Preservation Services Newspaper Digitization 

• Research newspaper digitization to ensure Library of Congress established best practices are followed.
• Develop, update, and maintain project documentation.
• Drive the planning, delivery, and evaluation for the digitization of approximately 100,000 pages of microfilmed newspapers. 
• Liaise with microfilm storage and reproduction vendor(s).
• Review images and associated metadata returned from the vendor to ensure product meets project specifications.

Outreach and Engagement 

• Attend NDNP awardee meeting.
• Plan and execute outreach and instruction events to promote and disseminate digitized content.
• Spearhead social media efforts.
• Monitor, and contribute to, NDNP discussion lists for relevant news and information relating to NDNP projects.
• Other related duties as assigned. 

Required qualifications:   

• Master’s degree from an ALA-accredited library school; OR advanced degree in in history, American Studies, or other relevant field AND experience working in a library or conducting similar work.
• Graduate or undergraduate coursework in American history and/or demonstrated interest in and familiarity with Illinois history. 
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external organizations, groups, team leaders and members, and individuals.
• Demonstrated ability to establish efficient workflows and document decisions and procedures.

Preferred qualifications:   

• Working knowledge of principles, practices, and techniques in the support
• and application development of digital newspaper projects.
• Teaching or instruction experience in library, academic, or public history setting.
• Familiarity with the history of newspaper publishing in the United States.
• Familiarity with microfilm history and technologies.
• Experience working in an academic library or similar cultural heritage institution and/or in a collaborative environment in an institution of higher education.    

Appointment Information

This is a 100%-time, twelve-month Visiting Academic Professional appointment, for the duration of the 2022-2024 National Digital Newspaper Program grant. The expected start date is as soon as possible, and the new employee may be eligible for a hybrid work schedule. 

Academic Professional employees are encouraged to use “investigation time” to pursue areas of interest, not directly in support of an immediate program need, in accordance with the University Library’s policy on Investigation Time for Academic Professional Employees. Some investigations originating in this manner may evolve into regular work assignments or production activities.

Environment: The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) Library is a leader in the delivery of user services, and active programs in information, instructional, access, and scholarly services that help the Library to maintain its place at the intellectual heart of the campus. The Library also holds one of the preeminent research collections in the world, encompassing more than 13 million volumes and a total of more than 23 million items. The Library is committed to maintaining the strongest collections and service programs possible, and to engaging in research, development, and scholarly practice - all of which support the University's missions of teaching, research, and public engagement. The Library employs approximately 90 faculty members, and more than 300 academic professionals, staff, and graduate assistants. For more information, see: http://www.library.illinois.edu/.

Salary and Rank: Salary is set at $55,000 for a duration of two years. 

Terms of appointment: Twelve-month appointment; 24 annual vacation days; 11 annual paid holidays; 12 annual sick-leave days (cumulative), plus an additional 13 sick-leave days (non-cumulative) available, if needed, each year; health insurance is available to employees (with the option to purchase coverage for spouse and dependents); required participation in State Universities Retirement System (SURS) (8% of annual salary is withheld and is refundable upon termination), with several options for participation in additional retirement plans; newly-hired employees are covered by the Medicare portion of Social Security and are subject to its deduction.

Campus and Community: The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a comprehensive and major public land-grant university (Doctoral/Research University-Extensive) that is ranked among the best in the world. Chartered in 1867, it provides undergraduate and graduate education in more than 150 fields of study, conducts theoretical and applied research, and provides public service to the state and the nation. It employs 3,000 faculty members who serve 31,000 undergraduates and 12,000 graduate and professional students; approximately 25% of faculty receives campus-wide recognition each year for excellence in teaching.

More information about the campus is available at www.illinois.edu. The University is located in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana, which have a combined population of 100,000 and are situated about 140 miles south of Chicago, 120 miles west of Indianapolis, and 170 northeast of St. Louis. The University and its surrounding communities offer a cultural and recreational environment ideally suited to the work of a major research institution. For more information about the community, visit: http://illinois.edu/about/community/community.html or http://www.ccchamber.org/

Application Procedures & Deadline Information

Applications must be received by 6:00 pm (CST) on December 9, 2022. The submission of the application must include a cover letter, CV, and names and email addresses of four professional references. Applications not submitted through https://jobs.illinois.edu will not be considered. Apply for this position using the Apply Now button at the top or bottom of this posting. 

For further information about this specific position, please contact 217-333-8169. For questions regarding the application process, please contact 217-333-2137. 

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, COVID-19 vaccination requirement, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify.

Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply and may request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (2008) to complete the application and/or interview process. Requests may be submitted through the reasonable accommodations portal, or by contacting the Accessibility &  Accommodations Division of the Office for Access and Equity at 217-333-0885, or by emailing accessibility@illinois.edu.