Classification Title: Job Title Catalog & Metadata Librarian
Posting Number: 2014259
Position Type: Staff
Employment Type: Full Time
Job Description Summary
The Catalog & Metadata Librarian (CML) provides expertise in managing discoverable access to the collections of both the Bush Memorial Library and the University Archives.
The CML’s broad responsibilities include:
• Working across administrative boundaries to accomplish work associated with the development, implementation, and support descriptive bibliographic access to library resources.
• Designing systems that streamline workflow and processes for cataloging and metadata functions.
• Increasing Hamline University Librarian Association’s (HULA) capability and capacity for digitizing content from the university’s various collections that currently are not available in electronic format and establishing effective methods for making these newly digitized materials available.
• Cooperating with colleagues and vendors to design, build, and maintain a comprehensive mix of digital resources and services that, collectively, offers library users the maximum possible access and convenience.
The CML is one of the positions within HULA that collectively constitute the Resource and Acquisition Management (RaAM) Department. This department is charged with providing leadership, management, and day-to-day oversight of several of the library’s primary functions—including identifying, selecting, acquiring, organizing, providing convenient access to, and managing library content and resources. The department is also responsible for the bulk of all library lending operations, including the: (1) lending and circulation of physical resources based from HULA’s Central Service Desk (CSD), and (2) interlibrary loan services.
Representative Duties and Responsibilities
Cataloging/Metadata Operations:
• Provides original and complex copy cataloging of all formats of library materials. This includes creating and editing bibliographic and authority records that adhere to current standards. Manages cataloging for print special collections.
• Provides copy cataloging expertise.
• Maintains and updates authority records.
• Develops, recommends, and implements policies for creating and maintaining bibliographic and authority records.
• Establishes and evaluates library-wide metadata policies and procedures in collaboration with other library staff.
• Identifies and resolves complex problems relating to the integration of various databases and interfaces into HULA’s overall web presence.
• Creates and maintains digital collections in collaboration with the Director for Digital Services & Strategies (DDSS)
• Manages controlled vocabularies within digital projects.
• Supports initiatives related to digitization, special collections access, and other non-traditional collections.
• Participates in regular HULA and Cooperating Libraries in Consortium (CLIC) meetings.
Teaching, Training, and Coaching:
• Recommends appropriate metadata schema, develops workflows, and creates processes and pathways for certifying the quality control of metadata created by others.
• Provides metadata consulting and project analysis services for faculty and other colleagues in support of their use of digital scholarship techniques in their learning, teaching, and research.
• Trains other library staff in developing appropriate metadata for digitized material.
• Collaborates with Interlibrary Loan/Central Service Desk Coordinator (ILL/CSDC) to learn daily operations of Interlibrary Loan in order to serve as backup when necessary. Participates in ongoing development of Interlibrary Loan systems and procedures.
Other Job Functions:
• Serves on library work groups and university committees, elected and assigned.
• Serves as backup for other RaAM staff as needed.
• Performs other duties as requested.
Required Knowledge, Skills and abilities
• Knowledge of, and a record of achievement with cataloging and metadata services, including awareness of emerging trends in resource discovery and description.
• Familiarity with cataloging standards (MARC, RDA, LCRI, LCSH, Dewey) and other metadata schema (e.g. Dublin Core).
• Working knowledge of resource discovery systems and library electronic resource management systems—preferably Innovative Interfaces, Inc. (III) Millennium and Ex Libris Alma.
• Demonstrated experience with digital asset management systems (e.g., Digital Commons, CONTENTdm, DSpace, Omeka, etc.).
• Knowledge of next-generation information discovery systems.
• Understanding of issues involved in developing, licensing, maintaining, and/or delivering digital collections of various types.
• Competence for successfully shepherding a variety of projects associated with cataloging operations in an academic library.
• Strong analytical skills that aid in the processes of selection, content creation, quality control and digital preservation.
• Competence in the evaluation of library resources and services.
• Ability to effectively supervise, train, and motivate student employees.
• Aptitude for working effectively with students, faculty, staff, and colleagues; enthusiasm for delivering high quality service to an academic community.
• Commitment to a diverse academic community, and an understanding of the contributions a diverse workforce brings to the workplace.
• Communication skills commensurate with a professional workplace—including the ability to communicate about information resources, scholarly research, and scholarly communication topics—as well as concepts associated with copyright and fair use in an academic environment.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, including demonstrated experience in project management, facilitating teamwork, and cross-unit collaboration.
• Proficiency with personal productivity IT tools used in a typical academic environment, including virtual collaboration tools (e.g., Google Apps, Basecamp).
• Poise and polished interpersonal skills, and the ability to listen carefully and patiently to disparate concerns of multiple constituencies.
• Ability to accommodate multiple, conflicting demands for commitment of effort.
• Excellent time-management skills coupled with the ability to coordinate projects, resources, and collaborative effort to achieve assigned goals.
• Outstanding attention to detail and thoroughness.
• Ability to make prudent, fair, and sound decisions while anticipating results, direct and indirect.
• Creative problem-solving abilities, initiative, perseverance, and intellectual curiosity.
• Capacity to adjust and thrive in an ambiguous, future-oriented environment and to respond effectively to changing needs and priorities.
• Resilience of character and perspective.
Minimum Education/Experience
• American Library Association-accredited master’s degree in library science or equivalent, or master’s degree in information science, computer science.
• Three (3) years professional experience working in a library, including increasing levels of responsibility for cataloging/metadata functions.
• Three (3) years professional experience providing original and complete copy cataloging of all library materials.
Preferred Education/Experience
• Application of linked data and semantic web technologies.
• Knowledge of web-related markup languages, programming, and protocols including HTML, CSS, PHP, XML, JavaScript.
• Aptitude to effectively supervise, train, and motivate student employees.
• Two (2) years professional experience working in a library consortium environment.
• Two (2) years professional experience working in archives.
• Two (2) years project management experience.
Original posting and application information