Visual Resources Curator

Description

Lafayette College seeks a creative, energetic professional to support the creation and management of digital visual resources within the College Libraries and the Department of Art. The Visual Resources Curator at Lafayette College is a member of the college libraries’ Digital Scholarship Services (DSS) unit and is embedded within the Department of Art. Working closely with faculty in the Department of Art and librarians in DSS, the curator leads, manages, and provides vision for the creation and use of digital images and related digital content in support of art instruction at Lafayette College, extending these services to other academic departments through their work with DSS.  The curator manages digital imaging labs including scanning and photography equipment within the Department of Art and Skillman Library; oversees outsourcing and quality control of select digitization projects; and contributes to the development of disciplinary digital collections to support the curriculum and research, including image production, using and displaying digital assets, and consultation on best practices for development and use of digital resources. The curator develops and implements new services, such as support for virtual reality applications, to support the development of innovative teaching, learning and research practices.

Lafayette is deeply committed to creating a diverse community, one that is inclusive and responsive and is supportive of each and all of its faculty, students, and staff. All members of the College community share in the responsibility for creating, maintaining, and developing a learning environment in which difference is valued, equity is sought, and inclusiveness is practiced. The libraries reflect the College’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, Access, and Inclusion (DEAI) initiatives, and welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
1.     Directs local digital production in the imaging labs located within the Williams Center for the Arts and Skillman Library, including selection of materials, development of workflows, pre-production, scanning, photography, and post-production. Configures and oversees scanning and photography equipment in all labs in support of these tasks.

2.     Oversees quality control and transformation of all digital image content produced for projects undertaken by Digital Scholarship Services.

3.     Selects, implements and maintains platforms for digital image cataloging and management, including ArtStor and JSTOR Forum. Oversees and performs ingest and cataloging of digital image content and performs art-specific original cataloging for all images produced in support of the art curriculum.

4.     Provides faculty support for art instruction including reference services, support for locating and acquiring images, and copyright consultation. Tests and installs imaging technologies for learning and research.

5.     Provides consultation for faculty and other clients of Digital Scholarship Services concerning project development in light of digital image production requirements.

6.     Trains and manages student assistants; provides training for staff.

7.     Participates in professional development and ongoing education. Follows developments in new platforms and strategies in imaging standards and visual resources curation, digital scholarship, digital humanities and digital art history.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education/Experience: Master’s degree in library and information science, plus two years relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Academic background in art history is also highly desirable.

Skills:
●      Knowledge of and experience with cataloging and metadata standards and practices in art history and art-related fields.

●      Knowledge of and experience with digital repository and digital asset management products and architecture.

●      Excellent communication, organization, interpersonal, and training abilities.

●      Knowledge of the history of art and familiarity with literature in the field.

●      Knowledge of and experience with technologies used in digital imaging, editing, and batch processing, including hardware (cameras and scanners) and software (Photoshop).

●      Expertise with digital library resources such as ARTstor and JSTOR Forum (formerly Shared Shelf).

●      Ability to foster an inclusive environment and dedication to increasing diversity and equity within curation practices.

Preferred skills:

●      Knowledge of relational database software, data entry, processing, and querying/reporting.

●      Reading knowledge of one additional foreign and/or programming language desired.

●      Background in Fine Arts/photography.

Start date and salary: Start date is negotiable from October 1, 2021. Starting salary $60,000 with generous benefits package. This is a full-time, 12-month position. The College has a flexible work policy that may allow for partial remote work and/or flexible schedules, depending on the requirements of the position.

Lafayette College is located in Easton, PA, 70 miles west of New York City, 60 miles north of Philadelphia, and 35 miles south of the scenic Pocono Mountains. Overlooking the Delaware River, Easton offers direct access to the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, including the D & L Canal Trail for biking and hiking.  As part of the culturally vibrant Lehigh Valley with neighboring cities Bethlehem and Allentown, Easton is home to a dynamic restaurant culture, annual festivals, a historic farmers’ market, and arts institutions such as the Karl Stirner Arts Trail.

For consideration, please submit a resume and cover letter addressing job qualifications and the names of three professional references via Interfolio at http://apply.interfolio.com/91827. Review of applications will begin immediately, and will continue until the position is filled.