Metadata Librarian

Description

Responsibilities:  Reporting to the Metadata Services Coordinator within the Metadata and Digitization Services Department, the successful candidate will provide leadership and expertise in developing creative, collaborative, and sustainable solutions for metadata creation and management for UH Libraries digital collections. Responsibilities include providing support and consultation for both UH Libraries and UH campus repository metadata needs such as: overseeing the creation and maintenance of descriptive, technical, and preservation metadata for the UH Digital Library; identifying and promoting opportunities for collaborative metadata projects with internal and external constituents; reviewing, developing and implementing metadata application policies and procedures; contributing to research data management and geospatial data initiatives; and keeping current with trends, innovations and best practices affecting library metadata and digital collections. This position supervises the work of two full time (staff) metadata specialists and any part-time metadata staff and student workers.

Librarians hold rank pursuant to the University of Houston Librarians’ Bylaws Document. They are required to develop a record of service, scholarship, and professional involvement. The UH Libraries support the ongoing professional development of librarians and our goal is to recruit librarians committed to continuous learning.

Qualifications:

Required:

• Master’s degree from an ALA-accredited program
• Experience with descriptive and preservation metadata standards such as Dublin Core, DACS, MODS, VRA Core, METS and PREMIS
• Working knowledge of resource description practices and an understanding of controlled vocabularies, taxonomies, and ontologies
• Familiarity with linked data and semantic web concepts and experience with XML and RDF processing technologies such as XSLT and SPARQL
• Experience with CONTENTdm, DSpace or other digital asset management systems
• Experience with the creation and management of digital objects in various text, audio and visual formats
• Ability to work effectively, independently, and collaboratively in a collegial environment
• Excellent oral, interpersonal, and written communication skills

Preferred:

• Supervisory experience
• Knowledge of a high level programming language such as Ruby, Python, or Perl
• Experience working with Fedora, Hydra, or Islandora
• Familiarity with archival description and practice
• Knowledge of geospatial metadata standards and geospatial data aggregation projects such as OpenGeoportal
• Research data management and data mining experience

Salary:  $55,000 to $58,000 anticipated hiring range, depending on qualifications.  Comprehensive benefits package; choice of retirement programs including TIAA-CREF; tax-deferred annuity program available; release time to take a class up to 3 hours/week; no state or local income tax.

Library Information:  The UH Libraries are a member of the Association of Research Libraries, the Greater Western Library Alliance, the Hathi Trust, the Council on Library and Information Resources, the Digital Library Federation, and the Texas Digital Library.  The campus libraries provide access to over 3.1 million volumes.  The University Libraries’ total staff is 160, including 62 professionals.  Additional information about the University Libraries is available at: http://info.lib.uh.edu.

The UH Libraries’ Strategic Directions document focuses on targeting services to specific user groups, reimagining library spaces, promoting outreach, and increasing national recognition. The Strategic Directions support an ambitious set of goals adopted by the University and further the drive for flagship status. We seek to recruit librarians who can relate their work to these strategies and understand their role in advancing these strategic imperatives.

General Information:  The University of Houston campus comprises 13 colleges offering close to 80 degree programs with an enrollment of about 40,000 students, 7,200 of whom are enrolled in graduate studies.  Reflecting the multicultural community of metropolitan Houston, UH is one of the most ethnically diverse research university campuses in the nation.

Houston, the fourth largest city in the United States, offers all the cultural and recreational opportunities of a great city and is within easy reach of the Gulf of Mexico.  It enjoys a very reasonable cost of living and was selected by Forbes as topping the list of America’s coolest cities .

For additional information, including information about Houston's flourishing arts scene and entertainment offerings, please see http://www.visithoustontexas.com/. For information about housing and living in Houston see: http://www.houston.org/living/index.html.

Application Deadline:  Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.  Applications should be submitted online.

Please also visit the University of Houston Libraries Employment page for more information:   http://info.lib.uh.edu/about/employment

Potential applicants seeking further information should contact John Lehner, Associate Dean for Personnel, Planning, and Systems, at 713-743-9801 or jlehner@uh.edu .

THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER. MINORITIES, WOMEN, VETERANS AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY.