General Summary of Position:
UMass Lowell Library seeks a collaborative and service-oriented E-Resources Librarian to join our Collections Strategy department and contribute to principle-based collection development and management, including prioritizing content from values-aligned organizations and supporting a sustainable information environment that advances research excellence. As much as possible, UML Library allocates resources to support open content, support accessibility, reduce reliance on problematic suppliers, and continually evaluate our collections to meet evolving needs.
Reporting to the Assistant Director for Library Collections, the E-Resources Librarian is involved in all steps of the electronic resource lifecycle including evaluation, license and price negotiation, acquisition, access maintenance, assessment, support, and deaccession. The E-Resources Librarian brings curiosity, collaboration, and a strong interest in a sustainable information ecosystem to their work.
The E-Resource Librarian collaborates with members of the Library Systems & Discovery and Research & Learning teams to understand student and faculty e-resource needs, assess online collections, launch product trials, troubleshoot e-resource issues, and communicate coverage and title list changes. They also participate in budget tracking and planning with the Assistant Director for Library Collections.
We want candidates to know that we are committed to helping our colleagues develop professionally throughout their time at UMass Lowell; we do not expect all applicants to possess all the preferred qualifications we list here. We welcome applications from people who are curious, embrace lifelong learning, and are passionate about providing meaningful and equitable access to information, resources, and services that enable the success of a diverse and engaged community. If you are excited by the prospect of being part of a team that is working to understand and serve the current needs and future goals of our community, we hope you consider submitting your application to this position.
Essential Job Duties:
E-Resource Acquisitions
- Negotiates pricing and terms for new and renewing e-resources.
- Negotiates license agreements.
- Reviews and submits invoices for payment.
- Works with Systems and Discovery department to launch product trials, troubleshoot e-resource issues, and communicate coverage and title list changes.
- Manages vendor contact information, pricing, and license terms in the Electronic Resource Management (ERM) system (CORAL).
- Cultivates and maintains business relationships with vendors.
- With the Assistant Director for Library Collections, participate in budget tracking and planning.
E-Resource Access, Troubleshooting, & Support
- Works with the Systems & Discovery department to manage the e-resource lifecycle and ensure discoverability and accessibility of Library resources.
- Leads maintenance of the library’s A-Z databases list, coordinating with the Collections Advisory Committee.
- Evaluates e-resources for usability and accessibility compliance.
- Supports the Assistant Director for Library Collections in their work analyzing usage statistics, institutional data, ILL reports, and community feedback, as well as qualitative data, to evaluate return on investment and support decision-making around selection and renewal of resources; create reports and other deliverables to communicate usage trends and impact to Library staff and external stakeholders.
- Responds to queries from colleagues (e.g., public services staff), students, and faculty.
Assessment & Evaluation
- With the Assistant Director for Library Collections, tracks the Library’s e-resources spend and budget to ensure equitable distribution of resources across the curriculum and research agenda.
- Maintains journal usage and cost data in Springhare LibInsight; evaluate usage and cost data for all e-resources; provides usage and cost data for ACRL Benchmark.
- Collaborates with Library colleagues on the review and evaluation of e-resources and responds to purchase requests submitted by the faculty, staff, and students.
Library Governance & Strategy
- In coordination with other staff, contributes to policy and workflow creation and documentation.
- Leads and serves on Library standing committees, taskforces, and working groups as appropriate for this position’s primary responsibilities and job duties.
- Participates with consortia subcommittees and/or communities of interest.
Promote the University’s commitment to customer service by:
- Building effective partnerships with co-workers throughout the University by freely sharing appropriate information and providing assistance when needed.
- Ensuring optimal service to all internal and external partners in response to all requests for service and information.
- Maintaining an environment that is welcoming to persons of all backgrounds, nationalities, and roles.
- Embracing lifelong learning and professional development for themselves and their staff.
Other Job Duties:
- Performs other related job duties as assigned.
- Position may require travel between campuses and attendance at off-site meetings.
- May involve additional occasional weekend or evening hours.
- If appropriate in the context of fulfilling organizational needs, opportunities for remote (hybrid) work may be available.
Minimum Qualifications (Required):
- A master's degree in library and information science from an ALA-accredited library/information science program, or international equivalent, by the time of hire.
- Relevant coursework or experience in electronic resource management.
- Demonstrated analytical, organizational, and negotiation skills.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and work independently.
- Familiarity with workflows relating to management and access of electronic resources.
- Knowledge of current and emerging technology trends pertaining to electronic resources.
- Ability to gather and analyze budgetary and statistical data.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Demonstrated ability to perform complex problem-solving and decision-making.
Preferred Qualifications:
- One or more years of experience managing e-resources.
- Awareness of, and curiosity about, acquisitions principles, processes and systems.
- Demonstrated understanding of business relationships with vendors.
- Experience troubleshooting performance issues with vendors.
- Experience reviewing and negotiating e-resource license agreements.
- Experience navigating and complying with state institution procurement processes and systems.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities. effectively and flexibility to adapt to a rapidly changing landscape.
- Understanding of cataloging principles and workflows.
- Knowledge of current e-resource standards and protocols (SUSHI, KBART, COUNTER).
- Familiarity with electronic resource management infrastructure such as link resolvers, discovery services, knowledge bases, and electronic resource management systems.
- An awareness that a good sense of humor is helpful in some vendor interactions.
Special Instructions to Applicants:
Only Internal Professional (SEIU 888 Professional Union) Bargaining candidates will be considered during the first 10 business days of the posting. All other candidates will be considered after that period.
This position is full-time, benefited and in the SEIU Professional union in grade P18. Anticipated salary based on qualifications/experience within range. Minimum: $72,170, 25th quartile: $82,093 and midpoint: $92,017.
Initial review of applications will begin immediately. This position has a priority application deadline of Friday, December 11, 2026.
Please include a resume and cover letter with your application. Names and contact information of three references will be required during the application process.
