Metadata Services Manager

Description

The Metadata Services Manager will oversee, guide and collaborate with managers and staff to set standards for the creation and use of metadata across the New York Public Library's digital initiatives. In particular, the Metadata Services Manager will represent stakeholder interests in the development of the Library's metadata repository and other related components of digital library infrastructure.

This position will also be pivotal in developing new policies and practices for handling an expanding range of metadata types and sources including user-generated content, machine-derived data (e.g. output from large-scale visual analysis, OCR, geodata), as well as participating in conversations about other aspects of metadata lifecycle and evolution. The Library is looking for a strategic and tactical thinker who excels at building partnerships and empowering staff.

Responsibilities:

Reporting to the Deputy Director, Reference and Research Services, the Metadata Services Manager:
Informs metadata policy and documents best practices for metadata creation for digital objects, including metadata created by or purchased from third parties
Directs or manages the training of staff on metadata tools, policies, and procedures
Works closely with the Digital Repository stakeholders to ensure appropriate descriptive, technical, and administrative metadata standards are employed by the Library’s Repository and other digital library tools
Devises strategies for the management and coordination of metadata and related cataloging for digital projects in concert with Curatorial division heads, processing unit heads, Digital Imaging Unit, Rights, NYPL Technology Group, Repository, Cataloging, and other staff
Monitors trends to ensure that NYPL complies with and helps to set nationally-accepted standards and practices
Supervises librarians, specialists and paraprofessionals who create metadata and MARC records, when necessary, for digital objects
Performs related duties as required

Key Competencies:

Communication
Job Knowledge
Judgement
Quality Management
Technology Leadership

Qualifications:

ALA-accredited Master's degree in Library and Information Science or equivalent relevant experience working with library and archival metadata
Demonstrated understanding of digital library standards including MODS, METS, EAD, Dublin Core, MARC, and RDA
Experience with cataloging or creating descriptive metadata
Experience with creating name, title and subject access points and maintaining national and local controlled vocabularies
3 years of professional and supervisory experience, including training paraprofessional and professional staff
Experience creating, editing, and executing transformations on XML data
Knowledge of database structures and query syntax (Oracle in particular), familiarity with data access via APIs, and data exchange
Experience managing metadata workflows
Ability to articulate and promote an evolving vision of resource access and discovery
Knowledge of Semantic Web, LODLAM and other open data communities
Strong interpersonal, oral and written communication skills
Demonstrated ability to work well collaboratively and independently
Experience working with special collections or academic libraries preferred
experience in automating and streamlining metadata creation, analysis and management preferred
Familiarity with regular expressions and at least one programming language preferred