Metadata Curation Specialist

Description

The University of Alberta Libraries, with a long tradition of technological innovation and service excellence, seeks a dynamic and engaged professional for an 18 month contract to work as a member of a project team to create rich metadata for discovery, access, citation, and long-term preservation of historical and contemporary collections of maternal, infant, child and youth health research data.

"Bridging the Research Data Divide: Rethinking Long-term Value and Access for Historical and Contemporary Maternal, Infant and Child Research”, a grant-funded collaboration between the Libraries and Harvard University’s Center for the History of Medicine (CHoM), seeks to bring temporal depth in laying the groundwork for value-added long-term access to and preservation of both collections, while protecting the privacy of research participants and communities of study.

Reporting to the Metadata Coordinator, and working as a part of a small team located at Uof A and Harvard, the successful candidate will work with researchers to analyze, assess and select relevant metadata standards; perform metadata mapping and data integration activities using open source tools; implement current best practices regarding sensitive health metadata (and data); work with UAL and Countway staff to expose and preserve project metadata and data; supervise and review the work of the UAL Data Curation Assistant; develop guidelines for metadata creation and enhancement by UAL project staff; develop and maintain internal / external project documentation and communication; contribute to conference presentations and articles about the project.

Qualifications include a Master’s degree in Library and Information Studies from an ALA accredited institution; experience working with metadata and/or data in the health sciences or related field. Experience with developing, applying and managing metadata schemas and controlled vocabularies or other relevant complex data integration and analysis activities and/or familiarity with conventions and standards within the health sciences or related field would be an asset. Applicants must possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills; the ability to take initiative and work independently; comfort with learning new tools and software; interest in collaborating on project presentations and papers.

The University of Alberta Libraries is a leading research library in Canada, with an impressive suite of user relevant services matched by an equally impressive and sizeable collection of physical and digital assets.  The Libraries enjoy many relationships with the broader library and research community, and is actively involved in partnerships such as HathiTrust, CLOCKSS, Public Knowledge Project, Canadian Polar Data Network, Portage (CARL), CASRAI and the Internet Archive. The Libraries, utilizing positions such as this one, endeavour to actively support and shape scholarly communication, higher education and lifelong learning. For more information, visit our website at http://www.library.ualberta.ca/.