Archivist – Metadata Specialist
Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
Yale University offers exciting opportunities for achievement and growth in New Haven, Connecticut. Conveniently located between Boston and New York, New Haven is the creative capital of Connecticut with cultural resources that include two major art museums, a critically-acclaimed repertory theater, state-of-the-art concert hall, and world-renowned schools of Architecture, Art, Drama, and Music.
Position Focus: Under the supervision of the Head of Arrangement and Description, work with staff in MSSA and across Yale University Library to ensure metadata integrity, normalization, portability, and development of and/or adherence to local and national metadata best practices. Contribute to quality control of metadata operations; maintain documentation on best practices and track developments on standards of all types (descriptive, technical, preservation, and administrative) to recommend and design appropriate metadata schema and products for discovery and access. Follow the development of new and emerging technologies and analyze their potential application to the department and library to significantly improve or transform information resource discovery and retrieval; and participate in departmental and library-wide technology planning and implementation activities.
Provide ongoing support of the department’s use of ArchivesSpace; serve as an ArchivesSpace super-user. Collaborate across the Library on ArchivesSpace implementation and use.
Process and catalog archive and manuscript collections in all formats, including born digital, in accordance with approved plans and departmental procedures, including screening for sensitive material and implementation of necessary preservation procedures. Devise processing plans for collections requiring more than minimum processing. Prepare and update access tools such as finding aids and catalog records for archival and manuscript holdings in accordance with archival and library standards.
Participate in departmental planning; represent the department on a variety of collaborative projects and programs inside and outside the department; seek opportunities for cooperation with other departments or institutions; plan and manage specific library projects.
Participate in departmental reference and outreach program through weekly rotations on the reference desk and involvement in primary source instruction.
Undertake special projects as assigned. Plan, direct, and review the work of support staff and student assistants. Participate in departmental and library-wide planning and committee activities. Actively contribute to the archival profession.
Required Education, Skills and Experience:
- Qualified individuals new to the library profession are welcome to apply.
- Master’s degree from an ALA-accredited library school or equivalent accredited degree, with formal training in archival theory and practice. A post-graduate degree in museum studies or a related discipline in the humanities or social sciences may be substituted for a master’s degree in library science.
- Experience arranging and describing or providing public services for manuscript and/or archival collections.
- Experience working collaboratively and independently with varied groups within a complex organization and rapidly changing, team environment.
- Demonstrated knowledge of archival theory and practice may be substituted for formal training.
- Demonstrated knowledge of current national data content and structure standards related to the archival control of collection materials.
- Demonstrated knowledge of archival and library management systems.
- Demonstrated job or school experience with basic preservation and conservation standards for archival and manuscript collections.
- Demonstrated excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communications and analytical ability.
- Demonstrated record of designing projects and bringing them to a conclusion in a timely fashion.
- Strong working knowledge of EAD and XML, including experience writing and maintaining XSL style sheets; DACS and familiarity with MARC, AACR2, RDA, LCSH, LCAF, and LC cataloging standards.
- Demonstrated ability processing manuscript and/or archival collections.
- Strong knowledge of American history, and/or broad knowledge in the humanities, as demonstrated through academic coursework.
- Ability to manage a variety of tasks and multiple priorities. Logical and enthusiastic approach to work; careful attention to detail; initiative and follow-though.
Yale University assigns ranks to librarian positions based on a combination of professional experience and accomplishments. Librarian ranking information can be found at: http://www.library.yale.edu/about/departments/lhr/rank.html.
Preferred Education, Skills and Experience: Experience with Archivists’ Toolkit or ArchivesSpace; EAC, MODS, METS; Relax NG, Schematron and scripting languages; SQL, XQuery, and/or SPARQL; and Linked Data. Demonstrated ability to work with databases and manipulate and migrate data. Creative approaches to introducing or using online tools to enhance access. Experience accessioning and/or arranging and describing born-digital materials.
The University and the Library
The Yale University Library, as one of the world’s leading research libraries, collects, organizes, preserves, and provides access to and services for a rich and unique record of human thought and creativity. It fosters intellectual growth and supports the teaching and research missions of Yale University and scholarly communities worldwide. A distinctive strength is its rich spectrum of resources, including around 12.8 million volumes and information in all media, ranging from ancient papyri to early printed books to electronic databases. The Library is engaging in numerous projects to expand access to its physical and digital collections. Housed in eighteen buildings including the Sterling Memorial Library, the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, the Center for Science and Social Science Information, and the Bass Library, it employs a dynamic and diverse staff of approximately five hundred who offer innovative and flexible services to library readers. For additional information on the Yale University Library, please visit the Library’s web site at www.library.yale.edu.
Manuscripts and Archives, Sterling Memorial Library:
Manuscripts and Archives is a major center for historical inquiry and also serves as the documentary memory of Yale University. For more information about the department, please consult the website: http://www.library.yale.edu/mssa/.
Salary and Benefits
We invite you to discover the excitement, diversity, rewards and excellence of a career at Yale University. One of the country’s great workplaces, Yale University offers exciting opportunities for meaningful accomplishment and true growth. Our benefits package is among the best anywhere, with a wide variety of insurance choices, liberal paid time off, fantastic family and educational benefits, a variety of retirement benefits, extensive recreational facilities, and much more.
How to Apply
Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Applications, consisting of a cover letter, resume, and the names and contact information of three professional references should be submitted by applying online at http://www.yale.edu/jobs. The STARS req. ID for this position is 36555BR.
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