Metadata Librarian

University of Pittsburgh • Pittsburgh, PA

2d • $60,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Metadata Librarian is a Faculty Librarian in the University Library System (ULS) Resource Acquisitions and Discovery Department. The position reports to the Head of the Metadata and Discovery Unit, which specializes in descriptive, technical, administrative, and preservation metadata, with a focus on access, discovery, and stewardship of digital content created, hosted, or published by the ULS. The unit develops and implements metadata strategies, policies, and procedures for such metadata within the Library System and provides expert consultations to others at the University of Pittsburgh. Librarians at the University of Pittsburgh are members of the faculty and are expected to demonstrate continuous professional development in addition to performing their specific responsibilities. This expectation includes such activities as participating in and contributing to departmental, library and campus-wide committees or working groups as well as the profession at a regional, national, and/or international level, maintaining a broad awareness of current and emerging issues that affect their particular areas of expertise, participating in relevant publishing and presentation opportunities, and pursuing knowledge of professional trends and developments that can be applied to evolving research, services and collections. Approximately 10-25% of the librarian's time should be directed toward such activities and will be included as part of the annual evaluation. Specifically, the incumbent in this position is expected to: Keep abreast of and contribute as appropriate to current developments in the profession, especially as they relate to metadata and cataloging. Contribute to the profession through publications, presentations, teaching, and other professional activities to promote the expertise of the Metadata and Discovery Unit and Resource Acquisitions and Discovery Department. Seek out appropriate roles in professional associations, research and/or publication on the regional, national, and international level. Participate actively in ULS and campus-wide working groups and committees, as appropriate.

Requirements

• Master's degree from an ALA-accredited library and information science program or another advanced degree in a relevant field.
• Familiarity with content management software (e.g. Drupal), digital library and/or repository platforms (e.g. Islandora, Hyku), and digital preservation platforms (e.g. Preservica).
• Knowledge and understanding of metadata and cataloging principles and best practices related to resource description, discovery, and digital preservation.
• Foundational understanding of the principles of controlled vocabularies, authority control, and NACO.
• Aptitude for complex, analytical work with attention to detail, demonstrated problem-solving skills, and flexibility.
• Strong commitment to user-centered library service and the ability to work flexibly and creatively in a changing and fast-paced environment with multiple stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

• Developing metadata policies and workflows for digital collections, digital preservations, or institutional repositories.
• Creating and managing metadata in a library or similar setting.
• Applying metadata standards and schemas such as Dublin Core, MODS, METS, EAD, PREMIS, linked data, BIBFRAME, MARC, RDF, LCSH, LCNAF, AAT, and other emerging standards.
• Practical experience with batch metadata processing for normalization, remediation, transformation, and enhancement through scripting and programming (e.g., Python, PHP, R, XSLT, etc.) and data manipulation tools (e.g., MarcEdit, OpenRefine, etc.).
• Self-motivation, project management skills, and the ability to multi-task with various deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, as well as collaboratively across library departments and with university and community partners.
• Effective oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Facilitating standardization across metadata, including evaluating the quality of legacy metadata and enhancing/improving existing metadata based on current best practices.
• Bulk processing metadata for normalization, remediation, transformation, and enhancement. Developing scripts to extract, transform, and manipulate metadata.
• Applying appropriate schemas to create and manage descriptive, administrative, and preservation metadata for digital projects. Communicating metadata standards and providing documentation, guidance, and training to internal and external partners.
• Maintaining a current knowledge of relevant metadata standards and schemas and interpreting and applying those metadata standards for local purposes.
• Reviewing metadata workflows for inefficiencies and inconsistencies. Developing and documenting new workflows for efficiency/consistency.
• Representing ULS expertise in metadata to internal and external partners and seeking opportunities to collaborate with University of Pittsburgh faculty, staff, researchers, and students.
• Overseeing and supervising part-time student assistants, temporary employees, etc. on special projects or initiatives.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package includes health and wellness plans, retirement savings plans, one-month (20 working days) vacation per year, and tuition assistance.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level