Metadata and Materials Coord (Indigenous Stud

Newberry Library•Chicago, IL

2h•Hybrid

About The Position

Reporting to the Digital Asset Management Librarian (DAML), the Coordinator supports the Mellon Implementation grant, “Expanding Indigenous Access and Stewardship at the Newberry Library” (2026-2030). This role adds and enhances digital assets and metadata within the Newberry’s Digital Asset Management System (DAMS) and Internet Archive to ensure discovery and ethical, community-guided attribution. Additionally, the Coordinator facilitates the digitization of materials from the Newberry's collections for Indigenous Studies, overseeing the physical inventory, packing, and metadata preparation for offsite shipment. The Mellon-funded Implementation grant is a five-year community-driven initiative that centers Indigenous voices, builds lasting relationships, and creates accessible, sustainable pathways to Indigenous histories and knowledge. Building on a 2020–2023 Mellon-funded planning grant and larger institutional initiatives, the project will fund community-led research, digitization, and training—ensuring that American Indian and Alaska Native nations have greater access to and control over the presentation of historical materials that contain their histories and knowledge.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
Proficiency in a Windows environment with advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
Demonstrated ability to quickly learn and apply new technologies.
Basic experience with web technologies and scripting (APIs, Python, XML, or CSS) to support data workflows required.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively; strong organizational skills and high attention to detail are essential.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Demonstrated interest in the Newberry’s mission and a commitment to ethical, community-guided access and attribution.

Nice To Haves

Specialization or coursework in Indigenous Studies, Latin American History, or related fields preferred.
Experience or coursework in digital library standards (Dublin Core, LCSH, FAST), DAMS or content management systems, or digital publishing platforms preferred.
Familiarity with image editing software (e.g., Adobe Photoshop) preferred.

Responsibilities

Collaborating with the Mellon team under the DAML’s guidance, support the enhancement of metadata for Indigenous studies collections. Implement ethical, community-guided changes—including Traditional Knowledge (TK) Labels via the Local Contexts Hub—and apply appropriate controlled vocabularies.
Facilitate the digital asset lifecycle (ingest, metadata updates, and quality control) for the Newberry’s DAMS (OrangeDAM) and the Internet Archive to ensure content is discoverable and accurately described.
Execute existing workflows using APIs, Python scripts, and semi-automated tools to extract, transform, and ingest data from MARC records, finding aids, and OCR processing.
Collaborate with colleagues to link DAMS content to the catalog and finding aids.
Support the digitization of approximately 2,500 titles from the Edward E. Ayer North and Middle American Indian Linguistics Collection and other Indigenous Studies materials, ensuring efficient and secure movement through the offsite scanning project.
Organize physical inventory, packing, and metadata for offsite scanning; conduct condition surveys and identify fragile items requiring special handling.
Execute post-digitization workflows, including reviewing vendor images for quality, downloading/ingesting files into the DAMS, and routing materials for conservation treatment.
Handle the circulation and return of project materials using the Aeon system, ensuring items are accurately discharged and safely reshelved.
Assist with the fulfillment and delivery of digital content for separate, tribally defined digitization projects submitted by grant partner communities.
Perform circulation duties, including retrieving, paging, and reshelving materials for digital projects and the reading room.
Perform other duties as needed to achieve goals related to the grant project.