Metadata Specialist II
About The Position
The New York Public Library (NYPL) is one of the world's great public research libraries. Its research centers provide opportunities for engagement with in-depth and unique collections, inspirational reading rooms, exhibitions, programs, and a range of research services. Collections and Research Services encompasses several departments focused on managing the ongoing development of our exceptional research collections, advancing unified discovery and expanded access, both in-person and online, and ensuring stewardship of the collections at every stage of the collections lifecycle. Within the Digital Collections Operations department, the Metadata Services Unit (MSU) supports access and discovery of the Library's digital assets through the creation and management of descriptive metadata, strengthening data interoperability across the Library, and guiding its metadata strategy. Reporting to the Manager, Metadata Services, the Metadata Specialist II contributes to metadata initiatives focused on describing digitized and born-digital research collections made available through NYPL Digital Collections. Strong interpersonal skills and attention to detail are crucial for ensuring quality metadata creation, approvals, and remediation within our collaborative team, which manages over 2.5 million records. This is an ideal opportunity for a proactive individual who can quickly synthesize complex information and is dedicated to making unique, historically significant collections accessible to the public. Note: We are filling two openings. Each position will liaise with a combination of 4–6 divisions of the Humanities and Social Sciences Research Library located at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building that will be determined by subject expertise and interest. Collections supported may include manuscripts, archives, rare books, maps, prints, photography, image clippings, and/or reference works about art and architecture.
Requirements
- Master's degree in a relevant discipline such as library and information science, archival studies, information management, data science, and/or public history
- Experience with metadata creation, remediation, reconciliation, and/or enhancement in the context of libraries, archives, museums, or other collecting institutions (can include coursework or internships)
- Experience working with manuscripts, archives, rare books, maps, prints, photographs, image clippings, and/or art and architecture reference collections (can include coursework or internships)
- Demonstrated competency with metadata schemas and standards (MODS, Dublin Core, METS, VRA Core, MARC/RDA, EAD/DACS, etc.), controlled vocabularies (Library of Congress, Getty Vocabularies, Wikidata, etc.), and data formats (XML, JSON, etc.)
- Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills
- Ability to work both collaboratively and independently on complex projects that involve diverse stakeholders
- Capacity to manage a large volume of work across simultaneous projects while maintaining a consistently high degree of accuracy
- Comfort with problem solving and rapidly synthesizing new information and workflows
- Willingness to experiment and incorporate new tools and practices (e.g., linked data, entity management, IIIF, etc.) to enhance services and complete tasks more efficiently
Responsibilities
- Serve as the Metadata Services Unit's primary liaison for 4–6 divisions of the Humanities and Social Sciences Research Library located at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
- Actively contribute to the creation, approval, and enhancement of descriptive metadata for corresponding digital collections
- Provide consultation for division staff and metadata partners through planning, training, and guidance on metadata standards and local practices
- Participate in large-scale remediation, reparative description, targeted enhancement, and migration projects to improve discovery and access of digital assets, including an upcoming system migration to a new Digital Asset Management System (DAMS)
- Work closely with Library colleagues involved in digitization, digital asset management, and description including rights clearance, permissions, digital imaging, cataloging, archival processing, exhibitions, et al.
- Keep current with emerging standards, trends, and technologies in the field
- Perform other related duties as necessary
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Number of Employees
501-1,000 employees
