NDNP Project Manager - Assistant Professor - 530822

Department/Organization
219101 - University Libraries

Rank
Assistant Professor

Position Summary
This is a grant-funded clinical faculty position with an initial one-year contract, with the opportunity for additional annual appointments as funding allows. The Digitizing Alabama Newspapers Project will digitize Alabama newspapers between the years 1894-1963 in accordance with National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP) technical digitization standards during the grant period of performance. The National Digital Newspaper Program, a partnership between the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Library of Congress, is a long-term effort to develop a searchable database of digitized historic newspapers from every U.S. state and territory for open access and digital preservation.

Detailed Position Information
The Digitizing Alabama Newspapers Project will digitize Alabama newspapers between the years 1894-1963 in accordance with National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP) technical digitization standards during the grant period of performance. The National Digital Newspaper Program, a partnership between the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Library of Congress, is a long-term effort to develop a searchable database of digitized historic newspapers from every U.S. state and territory for open access and digital preservation. Historic Alabama newspapers will be digitized from microfilm and reformatted to preservation technical standards from previously digitized files. All content produced as part of the Digitizing Alabama Newspaper Project will be included in the Chronicling America database, which currently houses over 13 million pages of historic newspapers published between 1690 and 1963: https://www.loc.gov/collections/chronicling-america/. This rich digital resource is developed and maintained by the Library of Congress. The University of Alabama Libraries has participated in the National Digital Newspaper Program since 2018, contributing over 300,000 digitized pages of historically significant state newspapers to Chronicling America to date. Content contributed by the University of Alabama Libraries is served through the database to an international user base 2.2 million times per month on average, with up to 40,000-page views recorded monthly by users based within the state.
The NDNP Project Manager will manage daily operations and workflow, supervise student assistants, and coordinate the work of other staff contributing to the project. The NDNP Project Manager will additionally be responsible for coordinating digitization outsourcing, overseeing established QC procedures using specialized software, and developing regular reports on project progress. The incumbent will possess strong managerial skills, project management experience, supervisory experience, knowledge of and experience with technical and metadata standards and best practices for digitization and/or microfilm conversion projects, and excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills. The incumbent will report to the Project Director. This is a good opportunity for an early career librarian or a recent graduate to gain expert knowledge of digitization best practices and grant management in an R1 university Special Collections unit.
Responsibilities of the position evolve as the library environment continues to change.
SPECIFIC DUTIES INCLUDE:
70% Manage day-to-day NDNP project operations and workflow, including maintaining regular contact with contracted vendors; supervise the technical inspection of microfilm per ISO specifications; supervise quality control checks on all digital assets created by vendors; supervise the shipment and tracking of microfilm and digital assets; oversee microfilm evaluation and metadata collection; maintain project records and documentation, including invoices; compile statistics; prepare progress reports; monitor the project budget; and assist with the title selection and duplication process, including reels held by contributing state institutions.
20% Supervise project student assistants; coordinate work of other contributing project staff.
10% Develop and implement outreach initiatives, including overseeing project publicity and developing public relations materials; assist with the maintenance of the project website; serve as point of contact for the project Advisory Board and interested stakeholders; promote the project through presentations (local, state and online) and targeted outreach activities as assigned; and actively participate in the NDNP user community, including the annual NDNP Awardee Meeting.

SALARY/BENEFITS: 12 month grant funded faculty appointment at rank of assistant professor. This position will include a one-year contract with the opportunity for additional annual appointments contingent upon satisfactory performance and available funding allocations. Salary is $68,000.00 - $72,000.00, commensurate with qualifications, experience, and advanced degrees. Strong benefits, including professional development support and tuition fee waiver.

Minimum Qualifications
• Master’s degree in library or information science from an ALA-accredited program or a graduate degree in a related field.
• Demonstrated experience with digitization processes.
• Demonstrated project management and supervisory experience.
• Demonstrated experience applying standards-based metadata schemas (MARC, MODS, Dublin Core) and XML.
• Demonstrated understanding of microfilm to digital conversion processes and technical standards governing digital reformatting. Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize tasks and document decisions and procedures.

Preferred Qualifications
• Minimum of one year’s experience as a project manager or coordinator for an NDNP or other federal grant. • Experience in an academic or research library setting. • Experience with digital reformatting projects, including microfilm to digital conversion. • Knowledge of strategies and standards relating to digitization of historical newspapers. • Experience with project management applications such as Basecamp or Trello. • Experience with budget management and reporting. • Demonstrated experience with file management best practices at scale. • Demonstrated knowledge of copyright principles and experience conducting copyright research. • Demonstrated knowledge of preservation best practices for digitized materials. • Experience creating digital exhibits. • Experience conducting outreach and instruction to K-12 educators, a university community, or the general public. • Knowledge of Alabama history and geography.

Instructions and Required Materials for Application
TO APPLY: Applications are accepted online only at https://facultyjobs.ua.edu. Click Search Positions. University Libraries in Organization drop down box. Please include your application, Curriculum Vitae, cover letter, and names, addresses, phone numbers, and e- mail addresses of three references, including one current supervisor. Position open until filled. The University of Alabama is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and is strongly committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff. Applicants from a broad spectrum of people, including women, members of ethnic minorities and disabled persons, are especially encouraged to apply. THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER

About the Division/College/School
The University of Alabama Libraries, a system of seven separate discipline-related libraries, is proud to support the research enterprise at the University of Alabama via a comprehensive and integrated network of resources, services, and technologies designed to meet the academic and research needs of students, faculty, and staff. We take pride in serving as a hub for innovation, knowledge creation and dissemination, research assistance, and collaborative learning. As a U.S. Government Documents Regional Depository since 1860, University Libraries also serves the public and our local community.

The University of Alabama Libraries maintains memberships in the Association of Research Libraries, the Center for Research Libraries, the Greater Western Library Alliance (GWLA), the Coalition of Networked Information, centerNET, LYRASIS, HathiTrust, the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries, LOCKSS, the Network of Alabama Academic Libraries, and the Alabama Digital Preservation Network.

University Libraries provides strong mentorship for faculty and staff, with ongoing collaborative opportunities, and administrative support for innovative services and ideas. We promote and administer a robust professional development environment that supports faculty research and conference travel, and we are invested in academic freedom with teaching and research. We are heavily invested in performing the same high value research that our stakeholders produce, and that assists in our data-driven strategic planning for the future. Our staff routinely update and maintain cutting edge programs of service in support of our stakeholders. Our faculty librarians have developed a record-breaking instruction program, including a series of research data services and workshops, that consistently perform at the top of the SEC.

UA is located in Tuscaloosa, a metropolitan area of over 250,000, with a vibrant economy, a moderate climate, and reputation across the South as an innovative, progressive community with an excellent quality of life. If working with a talented group of professionals who value service, innovation, and high achievement, earning a nationally competitive starting salary, in a thriving college town, with a low cost of living, close to Birmingham, Atlanta, Nashville, New Orleans, and the Gulf Coast sounds interesting to you, start your application process with us to learn more!
Prior to employment the successful candidate must pass a pre-employment background investigation.

About the University
The University of Alabama is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, named one of Travel + Leisure’s 25 Best College Towns and Cities in the U.S. As one of the nation’s premier universities, UA offers bachelor’s, master's and doctoral degrees in nearly 200 fields of study. With more than 1,400 acres of tree-lined academic core campus and over 300 state-of-the art facilities, UA has been ranked among the most beautiful and most impressive college campuses in the South, in the state of Alabama and in the nation.

In Fall 2023, the Capstone set a new enrollment record with more than 39,000 students, including more than 8,200 in the freshman class. The current enrollment includes students from every county in Alabama, every state in the nation and 92 countries around the world. More than 1,100 National Merit Scholars are currently enrolled, making UA one of the largest enrolling institutions of the scholars in the country.

UA was recently recognized as a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. students for the seventh time in nine years, as well as a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. Scholars for the first time. UA is one of only 12 universities in the nation to receive both honors.

For reasons like this, the University made Forbes list of America’s Top Colleges for 2023 and Time magazine’s list of Top 50 Best Colleges for Future Leaders. It also made Princeton Review’s list of Top Value Colleges.

UA is also designated among the top doctoral research universities in the United States in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. One of the fastest growing major research institutions in the nation, UA saw a 21% increase in sponsored awards in the 2023 fiscal year.

Since 2015, UA has invested over $1.1 billion in the physical campus, adding more than 2.55 million gross square feet of space, over 150 new research-intensive faculty, signature research areas (e.g., “The Alabama Research Institutes”), and a growing number of partnerships with industry and with state and federal agencies.

The University employs nearly 2,100 faculty and over 4,500 staff, with 52 UA researchers included in the National Academy of Inventors. An additional 40 current faculty have received the NSF CAREER Award, the nation’s most prestigious recognition of top performing young scientists in disciplines ranging from nanoscience and engineering to biological sciences.

Background Investigation and EEO Statement
Background Investigation Statement: Prior to hiring, the final candidate(s) must successfully pass a pre-employment background investigation and information obtained from social media and other internet sources. A prior conviction reported as a result of the background investigation DOES NOT automatically disqualify a candidate from consideration for this position. A candidate with a prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags will receive an individualized review of the prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags before a hiring decision is made.

Equal Employment Opportunity: The University of Alabama is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment or volunteer status without regard to any legally protected basis and will not be discriminated against because of their protected status. Applicants and employees of this institution are protected under Federal law from discrimination on several bases. More information is available in the EEOC’s Know Your Rights: Workplace (https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights6.12ScreenRdr.pdf) discrimination is illegal poster.

The University of Alabama affirms its longstanding commitment to institutional neutrality, free speech, and academic freedom.

Advertised: 14 Oct 2026 Central Daylight Time
Applications close: 14 Dec 2026 Central Standard Time

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