Digital Library Technical Coordinator

Description

Digital Library Technical Coordinator
Academic Professional
University of Illinois Library at Urbana-Champaign

Position Available:  This position is available as soon as possible.  This is a 100% time, twelve month appointment Academic Professional position in the University Library.

Duties and Responsibilities: Reporting to the Preservation Librarian and liaising with Library IT, the Digital Library Technical Coordinator supports the planning, implementation and ongoing production of the Library’s digital collections, with particular emphasis on project design, digitization workflows, and transfer into content and delivery systems. Collections include, but are not limited to, digitized newspapers, audiovisual media, books, and manuscripts created locally or by vendors for access and distribution purposes. The successful candidate will have a strong knowledge of digital library practices, and practical familiarity with scripting languages and database technology. He or she will have demonstrable excellent interpersonal, organizational, oral, and written communication skills and strong service orientation.

The Digital Library Technical Coordinator will:
• Evaluate workflow architecture of Preservation Services reformatting operations and implement improvements in collaboration with stakeholders
• Coordinate meetings and discussions concerning technical architecture to support reformatting workflows
• Develop clear and expedient workflows to move projects from image and audio capture to appropriate access platforms as informed by emerging trends and best practices in digital collection creation and management
• Write text and image file processing scripts to support the streamlined deposit of digitized book packages to the HathiTrust Digital Library
• Collaborate with and serve as primary liaison between the Library’s Digital Production units and Library IT
• Provide technical coordination for newspaper digitization initiatives
• Provide technical coordination for audio and moving image digitization initiatives

Qualifications:
Required:
• Bachelor’s degree
• Demonstrated ability to assess, analyze, plan, and solve problems creatively and collaboratively in a complex, rapidly-changing environment
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex projects with minimal supervision, to balance competing priorities, and to meet deadlines
• Working knowledge of a scripting language such as Ruby, Python, and Perl, especially as it relates to digital library workflows, file transformations, moving and renaming files, and manipulating XML or text documents
• Experience with databases and SQL

Preferred:
• ALA-Accredited Master’s degree in library and information science
• Experience with digital library and/or content management platforms such as CONTENTdm, HathiTrust, Veridian, DSpace and Fedora
• Familiarity with library digitization practices and standards for books, newspapers, and/or audiovisual content
• Familiarity with programming Web applications
• Experience with Web development frameworks such as Ruby on Rails
• Familiarity with Web technologies like HTTP and REST
• Working knowledge of library metadata standards and applications

Environment
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) Library is a leader in the delivery of user services, and active programs in information, instructional, access, and scholarly services help the Library to maintain its place at the intellectual heart of the campus. The Library also holds one of the preeminent research collections in the world, encompassing more than 12 million volumes and a total of more than 23 million items. The Library is committed to maintaining the strongest collections and service programs possible, and to engaging in research, development, and scholarly practice - all of which support the University's missions of teaching, research, and public engagement. The Library employs approximately 90 faculty members, and more than 300 academic professionals, staff, and graduate assistants. For more information, see: http://www.library.illinois.edu/

The Preservation Services Unit at the University of Illinois Library operates with the holistic vision of developing a comprehensive preservation, conservation, and imaging program for the entire library system.  The Conservation Lab consists of both collections conservation as well as special collections conservation functions in a shared 5,000 square foot lab space, and employs two endowed professional conservators as well as support staff, graduate students, hourly student assistants, volunteers and conservation interns.  The Unit also assists in the education, planning and development of the overall preservation program for the Library. For more information on the Preservation Services program, visit http://www.library.illinois.edu/prescons/.

Salary:  Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience and credentials.  

Terms of appointment:  Twelve-month appointment; 24 annual vacation days; 11 annual paid holidays; 12 annual sick-leave days (cumulative), plus an additional 13 sick-leave days (non-cumulative) available, if needed, each year; health insurance requiring a small co-payment is provided to employee (with the option to purchase coverage for spouse and dependents); required participation in State Universities Retirement System (SURS) (8% of annual salary is withheld and is refundable upon termination), with several options for participation in additional retirement plans; newly-hired employees are covered by the Medicare portion of Social Security and are subject to its deduction.

Campus and Community: The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a comprehensive and major public land-grant university (Doctoral/Research University-Extensive) that is ranked among the best in the world. Chartered in 1867, it provides undergraduate and graduate education in more than 150 fields of study, conducts theoretical and applied research, and provides public service to the state and the nation. It employs 3,000 faculty members who serve 31,000 undergraduates and 12,000 graduate and professional students; approximately 25% of faculty receives campus-wide recognition each year for excellence in teaching. More information about the campus is available at www.illinois.edu.

The University is located in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana, which have a combined population of 100,000 and are situated about 140 miles south of Chicago, 120 miles west of Indianapolis, and 170 northeast of St. Louis. The University and its surrounding communities offer a cultural and recreational environment ideally suited to the work of a major research institution. For more information about the community, visit: http://illinois.edu/about/community/community.html or http://www.ccchamber.org/.

To Apply: To ensure full consideration, please complete your candidate profile at https://jobs.illinois.edu and upload a letter of interest, resume, contact information including email addresses for three professional references.  Applications not submitted through this website will not be considered. For questions, please call: 217-333-8169.

Deadline:  In order to ensure full consideration, applications and nominations must be received by August 24, 2015.

Illinois is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status as a protected veteran, or status as a qualified individual with a disability. Illinois welcomes individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and ideas who embrace and value diversity and inclusivity. (www.inclusiveillinois.illinois.edu).