Department/Organization
207401 - School of Library and Info Studies

Rank
Assistant Professor

Position Summary
Appointments to the faculty of The University of Alabama are based on the personnel requirements of the University’s academic programs and on the goal of achieving and maintaining excellence in its teaching, research, and service/academic citizenship activities.

Detailed Position Information
The University of Alabama School of Library and Information Studies seeks a faculty member for a full-time, tenure-track position to begin August 16, 2026 at the rank of Assistant Professor. This position provides an exciting opportunity for an outstanding creative scholar and intellectual leader with a background in bookbinding and the preservation and conservation of paper-based materials to shape the character and direction of the School of Library and Information Studies which has a strong Master of Fine Arts (MFA) Book Arts program and an undergraduate minor in Book Arts.

• Maintain a robust and established research/creative production agenda in the area of bookbinding, preservation, and/or book studies that opens up new conversations, provides novel solutions, and offers new perspectives
• Attract, advise, and mentor master’s students as part of our NASAD-accredited Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) Book Arts program
• Teach two courses per semester at the undergraduate and/or graduate levels in the fall and spring. Instructional modes can include synchronous, online distance education and face-to-face.
• Expand and grow collaborative relationships across campus, within the larger book studies professions, and in other academic disciplines
• Develop and lead new scholarly, educational, and community initiatives (and actively advocate for existing initiatives) that promote the book arts across the University of Alabama and within the larger community, state, region, and beyond
• Actively participate and engage in relevant professional organizations at the state, national, and international levels
• Seek external grants/funding to support research/creative scholarship activities
• Exemplify a commitment to work with students, colleagues, and partners with a range of backgrounds, perspectives, and levels of experience with book arts

This position requires a highly organized individual with a commitment to outstanding job performance and demonstrated aptitude for, and experience in, research/creative production, studio practice, effective leadership, and teaching. Candidates must have excellent communication skills and writing capabilities, and demonstrate an ability to be responsive to individual student circumstances and positive in the work environment.

Review of applications begins August 16th, 2025 and will continue until the position is filled. Questions regarding the search should be directed to the search chair, Associate Professor Sarah Bryant at shbryant@ua.edu.

Minimum Qualifications
• An earned MFA in Book Arts and/or terminal degree in a related field
• Documented evidence of ability to maintain a sustained and rigorous research/creative scholarship agenda
• Demonstrated teaching ability in the areas of bookbinding and preservation and/or conservation of library and archival materials
• Demonstrated commitment to professional service
• Demonstrated ability to work with diverse constituencies

Instructions and Required Materials for Application
Applicants must apply online at https://careers.ua.edu/jobs/search/college-of-communication-information-sciences and submit the following required materials. 1. Cover letter highlighting your overall match for the position 2. Curriculum vitae 3. Creative Research Portfolio of 10 to 15 examples of scholarship. (pdf format) 4. Teaching Philosophy 5. Names and contact information for three references

About the Division/College/School
The College of Communication & Information Sciences has four academic units, approximately 110 full-time faculty members, and serves approximately 3,500 students across bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs, including approximately 95 students in the college-wide Ph.D. program. The college’s Institute for Communication & Information Research (ICIR) is a premier research institute dedicated to addressing societal and cultural issues related to communication and information research. The ICIR collaborates with businesses, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, foundations, and other entities to produce high-impact research that informs and improves our evolving communication and information landscape. The College is also home to the Public Opinion Lab, equipped with the Sprinklr data warehouse and custom data collection and management resources; a biometrics lab outfitted with state-of-the-art iMotions software and associated hardware; and the near-term development of an interactive VR/theater lab, among others. The college is also home to the Holle Center for Communication Arts, whose mission is guided by a commitment to advance narrative justice through innovative and arts-informed research, community engagement, and creative co-operation. The college also maintains the 40,000 square-foot Digital Media Center, which is home to Alabama Public Radio and WVUA 23, a full-power commercial television station serving a top-50 television market.

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
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.

The University of Alabama is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, genetic information, disability or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against because of their protected status. Applicants to and employees of this institution are protected under Federal law from discrimination on several bases. Follow the link below to find out more. "EEO is the Law" https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf