Geospatial Resources Librarian

Description

The UCLA Digital Library Program serves as the catalyst for the creation, management, and delivery of digital content in support of the UCLA Library mission and goals. The Program provides for the storage and dissemination of digital objects, including text, images, audio, and video in their various digital manifestations and combinations. The UCLA Library provides a web presence for digital collections and projects, and provides storage, backup and digital preservation support for all digital content accepted into, or developed by, the Library. Program staff collaborate with faculty, and instructional and research units across the campus and beyond to develop integrated and innovative platforms and environments that provide a solid foundation for 21st century instructional and research activities.

As a partner in the creation and dissemination of knowledge, the Collections, Research and Instructional Services (CRIS) Department of the Charles E. Young Research Library supports the UCLA community by selecting the resources and providing the services necessary for world class research and instruction. The department is home to subject specialists in the humanities and social sciences, including area studies, government information, and cartographic resources. These subject specialists serve as liaisons to academic departments and research units in their areas of responsibility, partnering with faculty and students on a wide variety of research projects and teaching initiatives. CRIS librarians and support staff serve the faculty and students in these disciplines by cultivating research-level collections in a variety of formats, as well as providing high-level research services, in person, via e-mail, and digital reference. CRIS librarians actively participate in UCLA Library’s Teaching and Learning Services, taking the lead in the design and delivery of specialized instruction sessions for upper-division/graduate level courses.

CRIS administers the Henry J. Bruman Map Collection, comprising more than 750,500 maps from around the world with particular strengths in Los Angeles City and Los Angeles County maps from 1850-1950. The collection also includes atlases, aerial photographs, Sanborn maps, gazetteers, place name literature, online databases, GIS resources, specialized books, and journals about cartography.

Position Duties

Reporting to both the Head of the Digital Library Program and the Humanities and Social Sciences Team Leader in Collections, Research, and Instructional Services, the incumbent is responsible for the following duties:

Digital Scholarship Development and Support: Provide leadership and planning support for digital projects with mapping and GIS components.  Provide strategic planning and practical decision-making for the technical infrastructure for the map and GIS components of digital projects in support of both teaching and research across the campus.  Collaborate with the Digital Library Program and Digital Initiatives and Information Technology on the creation of, and support for, a range of map geo-referencing, map tiling, and online map delivery services.  Serve as project lead or map/GIS lead on selected digital projects as appropriate.  Serve as the Library’s principal consultant on GIS and digital mapping issues to the UCLA community.  Coordinate the Library’s interaction and collaboration with the campus GIS Coordinator.  Stay abreast of developments in GIS and digital mapping services and promote their use in support of research and instruction.  Provide expert advice on persistence and preservation of GIS and digital mapping resources to Library units such as Library Special Collections, Digital Library Program, and Library Preservation.  Collaborate with colleagues in the Library and on campus to provide strategic direction for data management services.

Collection Development and Public Services: Oversee the selection, organization, and management of geospatial data sources and attribute data, including geospatial data hosted locally.  With the help of student assistants, manage UCLA Library’s collection of analog cartographic resources, including its extensive print map collection, developing geospatial/GIS projects to enhance access to analog collections.  Collaborate with the Librarian for Digital Research and Scholarship, the Social Sciences Data Subject Specialist, and colleagues from the Cataloging and Metadata Center and the UCLA Digital Library Program to address user needs relating to cartographic and geospatial resources.  Promote geospatial literacy among UCLA students and scholars by offering training opportunities, research consultations, and instruction.  Identify opportunities to expose UCLA Library’s extensive map collection through strategic digitization projects.  In collaboration with the campus GIS Coordinator, work with faculty to integrate geospatial data and cartographic resources into the curriculum.  Advise UCLA scholars on geospatial data management.  Provide individual consultations involving the use, processing, and analysis of geospatial data and/or cartographic resources including print maps to UCLA students, faculty, and staff, as well as off-campus users.  Represent UCLA on the UC/Stanford Map & Geospatial Libraries bibliographers group and other relevant groups/organizations as needed.