Rachel Sweeney (*formerly Nutter)

Information, Library, Scholarly Publishing, and Copyright Professional

rsweeney@rachelsweeney.net

Click here to download resume in PDF format

Scholarly Communications, Copyright, and Library Professional

• Highly experienced in content management across publishing, academic, creative, and technical fields
• Facile in all aspects of scholarly communications within academic institutions, including open scholarship, conventional scholarly publishing, open access, altmetrics, and bibliometrics
• Highly Experienced in digital asset management systems, metadata management, rights asset management systems, implementation, document lifecycle
• Expert on Copyright Laws (U.S.) for publication/distribution/academic usage of primary and third party materials. Highly knowledgeable of recent legislation pertaining to Fair Use **Earned Copyright Leadership Certificate from copyrightlaws.com, May 2019
• Superior communications skills with members of all positions within multiple organizations
• Experienced as DAMS, LOR, and CMS contributor for enterprise media systems regarding metadata strategy and governance.

Professional Experience

American Public University System • Charles Town, WV (Remote) • January 2019-Present

Digital Publications Librarian

Primary contact for digital publications, open access, and scholarly communications for the Library. Work closely with faculty to move academic publications (OERs and Monographs) through publisher. Editorial analysis in a scholarly publishing.. Point person for copyright issues within the library. Reference librarian. Teaching and literacy instruction for students. Taxonomy and metadata strategy for initial stages of LOR implementation.

SAE INTERNATIONAL • Warrendale PA  (Greater Pittsburgh Area),• January 2018-August 2018

Intellectual Property and Content Licensing Manager

Intellectual Property management for large technical/educational publisher, SDO, and professional member society.  Metadata supervisor within publishing team. Managed a team of IP/archival specialists and contractors. Vendor management (both U.S. and off-shore).

F/T Graduate Student  • The University of Pittsburgh • 2015-2016 

SOCIETY OF ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIANS • Chicago, IL & Charlottesville, VA • April 2012-May 2015

Acquisitions & Media Editor – SAH Archipedia and SAHARA, an ARTstore Library

Responsible for the research, acquisition, management, copyright management, and digitization/preservation of thousands of still images for an educational digital humanities project, www.sah-archipedia.org. Maintained strong relations with faculty, vendors, photographers, architects, lay-out professionals, stock houses. Evaluated Fair Use for academic purposes. Metadata stewardship in a Drupal-based environment.

The University of Virginia Press • Charlottesville, VA • 2011-2012

Same position as Society of Architectural Historians above  (Employer changed payroll due to grant structure.)  **Earned “Top Performer” status during yearly review (only review period) while at UVa, 2011.

Rosetta Stone inc. • Harrisonburg, Virginia • 2007 – 2009

Photography Research Editor

Managed all stock photography research, acquisition, licensing, editing, and delivery for tens of thousands of editorial and creative services images. Metadata management. Advanced knowledge of internal CMS and DAMS, and copyright. **Slashed per macro-stock photo rates for Rosetta Stone by 48%, while negotiating licensing rights to include marketing and advertising.

EDUCATIONAL FILM CENTER • Springfield, Virginia • 2006 – 2007

Film Researcher, On Dangerous Ground

Contributed to the success of a one-hour documentary by locating and acquiring images for production. Drove initiative to digitize archival materials from third-party vendors.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Society • Washington, DC • 2005 

Editorial Illustrations Specialist – National Geographic Books 

Led image research and acquisition for high-end trade publications. Led productive rights negotiations. Liaison between Books Division and Legal Team. Copyright management.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Society • Washington, DC • 2003 – 2004

Stock Footage Specialist – National Geographic Television & Film

Oversaw all areas of film rights clearance and copyright issues. Primary and third-party source management.  Contributed to metadata schema.  Researched and cleared still and moving images.  Due diligence and risk assessment for copyright of orphan and undocumented items. (Mostly staff, some contract)

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Channel • Washington, DC • 2000 – 2002

Clearance Supervisor (Copyright)  – National Geographic Channel 

Managed image & music use and rights clearance for news magazine and five one-hour nationally broadcast specials. Acquisition and negotiation for third-party materials. Authored TV packages and produced hour-long special broadcasts. Interpreted and determined Fair Use claims for news use. Contract drafting and negotiation. Produced short & long term packages using materials from archival images from the National Geographic Archives.  Contributing member of DAM team. ** Official Member of Nat Geo Channel Launch Team.

Independent Archival Research/Copyright Clearance Consultancy • Washington, D.C. • 1994 – 1999

Worked with high profile clients on short and long-term projects. Clients included National Geographic, Discovery, Animal Planet, Travel Channel (and their contractors), PBS (national), 2000 Academy Awards, Democratic National Committee

Credits

Producer/Writer/Archival Researcher Credits/Copyright Lead

• National Geographic Traveler Magazine: Behind the Lens, marketing video (2004) and World Legacy Awards (2003 and 2004)
• The Best of America, one-hour national broadcast special, NGC,  (2003)
• Reflections on War, one-hour national broadcast special (2001) featuring Tom Brokaw, Stephen Ambrose and Bob Ballard
• Traveler Magazine (weekly travel advice segment airing from 2000-2003) Contributing Editor to the Print Magazine
• Various News Segments on the subjects of science, nature, history and lifestyle (2000 – 2003
• Isaac Stern: Life’s Virtuoso, AMERICAN MASTERS series, national PBS broadcast (1999)
• America’s Millennium: Muheim Motion Pictures for U.S. Government Celebration of 2000 (1999-2000)
• NEW YORK TIMES – LIVE FROM THE PAST Educational History Series (1995-1996)
• One Woman, One Vote, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE series, national PBS (1993-1995)

Education

The University of Pittsburgh • Pittsburgh, PA • August 2015-August 2016

M.L.I.S. (Archives Specialty)

The College of Wooster • Wooster, OH • August 1989-May 1993

B.A. in Sociology/Anthropology