Metadata Project Coordinator for Archival Collections

Description

The Georgetown University Library is seeking a creative and experienced Metadata Project Coordinator for Archival Collections for the grant-funded project On These Grounds: A Project to Model and Share the Archival Materials and Data from Universities with Past Ties to Slavery (https://onthesegrounds.org/).  The term of the grant runs through December 2022.  This project, in partnership with Michigan State and the University of Virginia, seeks to develop and test a sustainable, extensible, linked-open data (LOD) model for primary sources that document enslaved lives and their experiences. The project is funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.  Reporting to the Metadata Librarian, Digital and Special Collections at Georgetown University Library, this position will serve as the project manager and participate in the testing and application of the LOD model. Working collaboratively with Library staff in identifying archival materials (processed and unprocessed) to serve as test cases, this position will test and apply the data model to selected items, and also manage/train several student workers who will assist with this work.
 

Primary Duties:

Primary duties will be centered on 3 major areas of responsibilities: archival, metadata and project management. The incumbent will:

• Collaborate with Library staff to survey the Georgetown University Archives, Maryland Province Archives, and manuscript collections to select documents used in the testing model, based on an appraisal of each document’s historical significance and the ability to use existing finding aids, indices, transcripts, and databases to add records to the testing model
• Participate in the testing of the LOD model; working in Omeka S and CSV data entry files, populates resource templates with pilot data representing documents from Georgetown's archival collections
• Examine archival documents from Georgetown's collections and identify events related to the lives of enslaved people
• Categorize and describe events found in archival documents
• Perform additional research as necessary to establish context for events related to the lives of enslaved people; consult outside sources and other archival documents as necessary to identify and describe related people and places
• Create authority records in Omeka S for names and places related to selected archival collections; ingest data into Omeka S
• Work with partners at MSU and UVA  in the application of the LOD model and development of protocols for ongoing evaluation; work collaboratively with Library staff to review the outcomes of pilot data work and provide feedback on the LOD model in development
• Serve as a project manager to manage project progress, ensure that the project meets deadlines, lead planning sessions, and conduct periodic reviews to report on project progress; manage internal and external stakeholder relationships, optimize workflows and processes as needed
• Trains and supervises student workers, and establishes their respective work plans

Required Qualifications:

• A Master’s degree from an ALA-accredited MLS program and/or 1-2 years of work experience related to archival collections and applying metadata standards
• Familiarity with linked data concepts, ontologies, and vocabularies
• Demonstrated experience formulating workflows and procedures
• Excellent organizational and project management skills, accuracy, and attention to detail
• Strong interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills
• Commitment to fostering an equitable and inclusive workplace, and an ability to work effectively with a diverse faculty, staff, and student population.

Preferred Knowledge and Skills:

• Knowledge and experience in working with Omeka S
• Aptitude for learning emerging technologies and metadata standards
• Working knowledge of data formats such as XML, CSV, and JSON
• Familiarity with creating and working with authority data (LC authorities, ORCID, VIAF, ISNI etc.)
• Understanding of archival theory and practice, including national standards for archival materials
• Familiarity with the history and documentation of slavery