Position: Spatial Data Analyst & Curator (UL362)
Library: University of Minnesota
Job ID: 310686
Location: Twin Cities
Full/Part Time: Full-Time
Regular/Temporary: Regular
Qualifications
Required:
• Master’s degree in library/information science from an American Library Association accredited library school, GIS-related field, or equivalent combination of advanced degree and relevant experience.
• Demonstrated understanding of cartographic and geospatial resources and concepts.
• Experience with geographic information systems, including/especially Esri’s ArcGIS software.
• Experience with scripting languages, such as Python or JavaScript.
• Experience with metadata creation, schema, and management.
• Excellent assessment, analytical, problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Excellent communication, presentation, interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
• Demonstrated initiative, self-direction, and ability to work independently.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with faculty, staff and students in a research-intensive environment.
Preferred:
• Experience with geospatial metadata standards and specifications, including ISO 19115, FGDC, and/or Minnesota Geographic Metadata Guidelines.
• Understanding of common web and open source technologies for geospatial data such as CSS, Java, XML, XSLT, GitHub, GeoNetwork, CSW, and OpenLayers.
• Data programming experience, for example scripting or performing batch metadata operations/transformations using standard tools and methods.
• Familiarity with tools and techniques involving metadata validation, crosswalks, authorities and registries, and transformations.
• Knowledge of data repository, preservation, and curation concepts and their application.
• Demonstrated interest in the applications of current and emerging technologies and their integration into the delivery of information services.
• Demonstrated aptitude for teaching and developing user-oriented documentation.
• Demonstrated project management skills.
About the Job: The University of Minnesota Libraries and U-Spatial (https://uspatial.umn.edu/) seek a knowledgeable and proactive Spatial Data Analyst/Curator to advance the Libraries’ efforts in the areas of geospatial projects, geospatial data curation and management, and digital spatial humanities. Residing in the John R. Borchert Map Library, the Spatial Data Analyst/Curator works under the management and direction of the University Libraries, which holds institutional responsibility for supporting the products and processes of scholarship through the collection, provisioning, and preservation of information resources in all formats and media. As such, the work of the Spatial Data Analyst/Curator uses a life-cycle data management approach to serve the specific needs of the spatial data creator/user community while ensuring that processes and methods employed are strongly aligned with enterprise strategies and systems.
Background and Context: U-Spatial provides support for spatial research, providing a framework of data, equipment, expertise, and resources that benefits all researchers working with spatial related sciences and creative activities. In doing so, the initiative seeks to eliminate duplication and fragmentation of scientific resources.
The Libraries play a lead role in the U-Spatial focus to significantly enhancing access to University-generated digital geospatial research information through functions of data collection, discovery, and archiving/preservation. Access to spatial data is being addressed from two directions. One effort is building a web-based system to make spatial data easy to discover and access, while a second effort is focusing on the long term archiving and preservation of data to ensure data access and usability over time. Within the U-Spatial framework, the Spatial Data Analyst/Curator contributes to the development of full life-cycle based research data access and curation services.
The Libraries also collaborates with LATIS (Liberal Arts Technologies & Innovation Services) on the DASH project (Digital Arts Sciences + Humanities). DASH is a cross-disciplinary project from the University of Minnesota Libraries organized around emerging digital tools and methodologies for scholarly, pedagogical, and artistic projects, including spatial digital humanities.
In addition, and building on a rich history of research, scholarship, and teaching related to spatial topics, the Committee on Institutional Cooperation’s Center for Library Initiatives (CIC-CLI) launched a project to develop a geospatial data discovery portal. The goal of the CIC Geospatial Data Discovery Project is to provide discoverability, facilitate access, and connect scholars across the CIC to geospatial data resources. As lead institution, the University of Minnesota is responsible for coordinating the project.
Primary Responsibilities
Reporting to the Head of the John R. Borchert Map Library, and working closely with U-Spatial, the Libraries’ Research Data Services Team, the Data Repository for the University of Minnesota, the Digital Arts Sciences + Humanities project, and other Libraries and campus geospatial information services, the Spatial Data Analyst/Curator holds primary responsibilities in these areas:
Consultation and Advocacy
• Consults with students, faculty, staff from across the University on policy and procedural issues related to the creation, management and dissemination of spatial data assets. Consultation areas include, but are not limited to, the application of University policies, general issues on copyright and data governance (e.g., open access allowances, as well as controls over legally private and sensitive data), and best-practice data management plan compliance.
• Coordinates the assessment of need, development, release, promotion, and user support of tools and resources (enterprise-level data storage, geospatial information discovery service or portal, archiving and preservation services, web services, spatial analysis service, etc.) among the University community, in cooperation with U-Spatial, Libraries, U Services and other University staff.
• Supports end-user training activities and creates documentation to make it easy for people to use geospatial resources.
• Act as the main point of contact and collaboration between the Libraries and U-Spatial.
• Support the Digital Arts Sciences + Humanities project through consultations and research assistance in the area of Spatial Digital Humanities.
Data Curation
• Engage with geospatial data producers at the University, as well as at the state and local government levels, to acquire and build a corpus of digital spatial data for access and preservation.
• Serve on the Libraries’ Research Data Services Team.
• Perform data curation actions for geospatial data contributed to the Data Repository for the University of Minnesota or other appropriate repositories.
• Manage the geospatial data resources of the University of Minnesota in the Minnesota Geospatial Commons and continue to publish new resources.
Workflow Analysis and Process Development
• Analyzes user and data workflows to inform the design and development of low-barrier processes for content submission into the access and repository systems.
• Develop, in collaboration with U-Spatial technology staff and the Libraries’ Data & Technologies staff, systematic processes for ensuring that ingested spatial data is made discoverable/accessible and is archived/preserved.
CIC Geospatial Data Discovery Project
• Coordinate the management of geospatial metadata creation and editing processes, crosswalks, and transformations, in conjunction with the CIC Geospatial Project Metadata Coordinator.
• Manage and maintain efficient spatial data ingest processes.
• Manage, maintain, and update the front-end of the geoportal in collaboration with University Libraries’ Web Development department.
• Oversee quality control measures to ensure effective discovery and access to spatial data by the user community.
This is a full-time, two-year, academic/professional appointment, at the Assistant Librarian level, with the expectation of extension. The Libraries offer a competitive salary commensurate with experience and excellent benefits.
For full position description and application information, please click here