Digital Initiatives Librarian

Description

Reporting to the Manager of Digital Initiatives and Services, the Digital Initiatives Librarian has the technical ability and knowledge to assist in the development, implementation, and management of the Library’s growing digital collections, publications, and resources. The Digital Initiatives Librarian has primary responsibility for managing Piction, the Newberry’s digital asset management system. The Digital Initiatives Librarian will work closely with Information Technology, Research and Academic Programs, Department of Continuing Education, Communications and Marketing, Readers Services, and Collection Services and serve on the reference team.

Responsibilities:
Digital collections: Provide expertise, advice, and assistance in the development, deployment, evaluation, and preservation of digital collections and content.

• Consulting with Newberry staff, prioritize materials and create publically accessible digital collections of Newberry holdings in ContentDM and other content management systems.
• Coordinate staff training, support, and documentation relating to digital collections and technologies.
• Assist with the acquisition and implementation of new digital collections (e.g., digital collections of Newberry images, video, and audio; born-digital content in manuscript and archival collections; preservation reformatting projects; commercial digitization projects).
• Consult and assist with the preservation of digital assets and content.

Digital Asset Management: Serve as primary manager of Piction.

• Manage the Newberry’s use of Piction, including administrative maintenance, content ingest, report generation, staff support, training, and troubleshooting.
• Lead the development workflows and procedures for expanding the use of the Piction; prepare documentation for workflows and procedures.
• Develop and lead Piction training sessions as needed.
• Participate in planning for the Piction public interface and e-commerce implementation.

Digital Initiatives: Provide expertise, advice, and assistance in the development, management, evaluation, and sustainability of digital resources and publications.

• Participate in digital project planning and management; assist with writing grant proposals and reports; oversee digital project development; hire and supervise technical consultants for digital projects.
• Participate in the evaluation and implementation of technologies related to digital resources, e.g., digital exhibition software, content management systems.
• Assist in the maintenance and sustainability management for digital content and resources, including technical troubleshooting, preventative planning and development of new policies and procedures.
• Manage externally hosted digital resources that have been developed by the Newberry.
• Assist with the development of a digital initiatives/digital scholarship internship and supervise interns.

Metadata: Work with Collection Services and other relevant staff to provide discovery and access for the library’s digital assets in Piction, ContentDM and other digital resources.

• Assist in the development and implementation of efficient, effective workflows for metadata production and use throughout the library.
• Serve as a staff resource, liaison, and facilitator for metadata services.
• Assist with metadata training for staff, interns, and volunteers.
• Assist in the coordination and integration of digital collections with other relevant resources and services.

Reference, instruction, and outreach: Serve and provide digital leadership as an active member of the reference team.

• Serve at the reference desk on a weekly basis.
• Serve as a catalyst for digital innovations in reference, instruction, and outreach and assist in the development and delivery of web content and services.
• Participate in instruction and outreach as part of the reference team.

Other responsibilities include:

• Keep abreast of current developments in librarianship and emerging technologies. Monitor, identify, and communicate innovations in uses of the web to deliver resources and services.
• Represent the Newberry in the area of digital initiatives and collections on committees, inter-institutional collaborative efforts, and at meetings and conferences.
• Participate in local, regional, national and international collaborative digital collection building efforts.
• Participate in other tasks or activities needed for the achievement of Library Services goals.

Qualifications:

• MLS from ALA-accredited institution or equivalent degree required, with 1-3 years professional experience.
• Background in the humanities and experience providing access to digital resources highly desirable.
• Interest in the Newberry’s scholarly and public mission, collections, and audiences required.

Experience in or knowledge of the following areas:

• Digital library/archives trends and technologies
• Digital resource access and use
• Metadata/cataloging/archival descriptive standards and controlled vocabularies, Metadata harvesting and crosswalks
• Content/digital asset management systems, Omeka, ContentDM, preferred
• Database report generation, preferred
• Website development and design, preferred
• Web hosting and maintenance, preferred
• Leadership, project management, communication, and organizational skills and competencies:
• Excellent interpersonal skills with ability to facilitate collaboration
• Excellent writing skills
• Ability to communicate effectively with diverse library users and staff
• Public service orientation requiring tact, patience, and flexibility
• Ability to work independently and collegially
• Capacity for working flexibly and creatively in a changing environment