Digital Processing Coordinator Librarian

Description

Reporting to the Head, Preservation & Conservation, the Digital Processing Coordinator Librarian manages centralized digitization and processing of collections. The Coordinator works closely with staff in Library Information Technology, Cataloging-Metadata, Digital Research & Publishing, other library departments and vendors on digitization projects in all formats, including books, photographs, manuscripts, 3D objects, and audio/visual media.

Specific responsibilities include:

• Manage the University of Iowa Libraries’ digital processing activities.
• Design, implement, document and manage workflows for multiple concurrent digitization streams.
• Negotiate priorities and coordinate with staff throughout the Libraries (Library IT, Digital Research & Publishing, and Cataloging-Metadata) and content providers for successful end-to-end digital collections building.
• Develop and maintain specifications for digital image capture and post-processing, in line with best practices as well as project-specific requirements.
• Train and supervise staff and students on all phases of digital imaging, from assessment and preparation of physical collection materials to image capture, file naming and foldering, and post-capture processing.
• Work closely with other staff in Preservation & Conservation on issues related to conservation treatment before and after digitization, and on proper care and handling of collections during digitization.
• Work with outside vendors (such as the University of Iowa’s Center for Media Production) to digitize audiovisual materials, including reel-to-reel, film, VHS, LP, cassette tapes, glass slides, and other media.
• Prepare specifications for digital vended services, evaluate responses to proposals for such services, make recommendations for selecting vendors; and act on behalf of the library as the technical liaison to vendors providing digital products.
• Represent and champion digital preservation interests across the library, the University, and to the community at large.
• Monitor developments and emerging trends, and participate in industry-wide conversations about collections digitization and relevant standards and technologies.
• Contribute expertise in the creation of technical and preservation metadata.
• Seek opportunities for cooperation and partnerships across campus, statewide, nationally and internationally.

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science from an ALA-accredited program.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Knowledge of digital imaging concepts (resolution, bit depth, etc.) and familiarity with standards and best practices in a variety of formats.
• Demonstrated ability to meet production deadlines and goals.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a rapidly changing technological environment.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team environment where consultation, flexibility, collaboration and cooperation are essential.
• Ability to articulate technical concepts to non-technical staff, and ability to translate user needs into technical requirements.
• Experience with text and image scanning, OCR, and image manipulation.
• Familiarity with Dublin Core or other metadata standards.
• Basic knowledge of copyright and fair use as it relates to digitization.
• Demonstrated interest in professional development.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity in the workplace or community.
• Understanding of the mission of a research university and the value of digital library collections in an academic and research environment.

Desired Qualifications:

• Supervisory and/or training experience.
• Demonstrated ability to direct large projects with complex workflows.
• Experience with audio/video formats and familiarity with compressed media.
• Experience working with commercial service providers.
• Experience with digital asset management software.
• Experience creating and/or modifying scripts (e.g., batch file naming operations).
• Experience with proper care and handling of physical collections.

Universal Competencies

• Positive Impact/Achieving Results: Ability to utilize existing resources and learning to achieve or exceed desired outcomes of current and future organizational goals/needs. Able to demonstrate ethical behavior in diverse situations while producing results.
• Service Excellence/Customer Focus: Ability to meet or exceed customer service needs and expectations and provide excellent service in a direct or indirect manner. Ability to effectively transmit and interpret information through appropriate communication with internal and external customers.
• Collaboration and Embracing Diversity: Ability to work with a variety of individuals and groups in a constructive and civil manner while appreciating the unique contribution of individuals from varied cultures, nationalities, genders, ages, etc.

Salary and appointment: Appointment will be made at the Librarian level with a salary range of $43,000 to $46,000. Start date is negotiable. The University of Iowa offers an attractive package of benefits including 24 days of paid vacation per year, your choice between two retirement plans and two University of Iowa health insurance plans, dental insurance, pre-tax child and health care spending accounts, and additional options.

The University of Iowa Libraries: The University of Iowa library system consists of the Main Library, the Hardin Library for the Health Sciences and a number of branch libraries. The Libraries has more than 5 million volumes including thousands of electronic resources and coordinates the development and maintenance of the University’s locally-created open access digital resources including the Iowa Digital Library, featuring close to a million digitized texts, images, and audio and video recordings, as well as Iowa Research Online, our institutional repository. Our Special Collections include over 200,000 rare books, ranging in age from the 15th century to newly created artists’ books.

Library systems are built on a mix of open source, locally developed, hosted services, and vended applications primarily from Ex Libris, OCLC, and Microsoft. The University of Iowa is a member of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC), ARL, OCLC, CRL, SPARC, CNI, CLIR, LOCKSS, CLOCKSS, and Portico. The Libraries provides a program of support for professional development activities and its staff members are actively engaged in national cooperative efforts.

The University and Iowa City: A major research and teaching institution, the University of Iowa offers internationally recognized programs in a diverse array of academic, medical, and artistic disciplines, from otolaryngology to fiction writing, printmaking to space science, hydraulic engineering to dance. The University consists of a faculty of 2,000 and a permanent staff of 13,000 serving 30,500 students, more than 40% of whom are from out of state and close to 10,000 of whom are registered in graduate and professional degree programs. Approximately 9% of the University’s faculty and staff and 10% of its student body are members of minority groups, and 8% of the students are from foreign countries.

The University of Iowa is home to the Writers’ Workshop, the oldest graduate creative writing program in the country, and the blueprint for many of the creative writing programs that now thrive on campuses worldwide. It is also home to the International Writing Program where, since 1967, over a thousand writers from more than 120 countries have participated. The University has recently instituted a program in creative writing in Spanish. Finally, UNESCO designated Iowa City as the world’s third City of Literature in 2008.

Iowa City is a community of some 68,000 people (more than 150,000 live in the surrounding area) with excellent educational, recreational, and cultural advantages. It is consistently cited in the national media as a city with an excellent quality of life. The city is readily accessible via interstate highways and a major airport is only 30 minutes away. The community is growing in its diversity; within the Iowa City Community School District, 33% of the students are minority, with 17% identifying as African-American, 9% as Latino/Hispanic, 7% as Asian-American, and .4% as Native American during the 2011/12 school year.

Application Procedure: To apply for this position, please visit the University of Iowa Jobs@UIOWA website at http://jobs.uiowa.edu. To help facilitate your application process, note the requisition number 61371. Applications must be received by Friday, September 7, 2012.