Digital Asset Librarian

Description

The Digital Asset Librarian reports to the Digital Services Manager and is responsible for coordinating the ingest of digitized objects from a variety of sources (including vendor digitization, in-house digitization and legacy projects) into Hoover’s digital collections repository as part of the Library & Archives’ Digital First Initiative. They will ensure the consistent quality of digitization outputs, track and analyze progress, and generally support the discovery of, access to, and engagement with content including a mix of general and archival collections, languages, formats, and object types.

CORE DUTIES*:

• Apply digitization guidelines and procedures to complex and unique collections. 
• Coordinate the ingestion of digitized objects into the repository using standard and specialized software.
• Record and monitor project outputs and analyze trends using Smartsheet and G Suite.
• Create documentation about digitization workflows and provide guidance and assistance for colleagues contributing to digitization projects.
• Assess the quality of OCR output (either created internally or received from vendors), correct errors, and input on policy decisions about which objects receive OCR treatment.
• Troubleshoot software errors and liaise with support staff.
• Perform quality control checks on digitized materials and contribute to quality control policies.
• Collaborate with description, research, outreach and curatorial teams to prepare objects for ingest and communicate project outputs to researchers.
• Provide technical guidance and training; may guide other staff.
• May assist with the supervision and training of support staff and student assistants.
• Independently analyze problems and recommend solutions, displaying a high degree of initiative, originality, and judgment.

* The job duties listed are typical examples of work performed by positions in this job classification and are not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, tasks, and responsibilities.  Specific duties and responsibilities may vary depending on department or program needs without changing the general nature and scope of the job or level of responsibility.  Employees may also perform other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

Education & Experience:

Master's degree from an ALA-accredited library school or equivalent accredited degree, or a master’s degree in a related discipline in the humanities or social sciences. One to two years' experience in cultural heritage digitization or digital preservation preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of relevant aspects of library operations including understanding of contemporary library practices, trends and emerging technologies.
• Evidence of strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work with a wide variety of people.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Excellent organization and time management skills.
• Ability to learn new software quickly and to independently troubleshoot problems.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong knowledge of the Microsoft Office and Google suites of software tools, particularly Excel and Google Sheets.
• Working experience with structured data, digital object standards, and metadata formats, standards, and frameworks (i.e., METS, MODS, ALTO, MARC, IIIF, Dublin Core, etc.).
• Working knowledge of United States copyright law and fair use.

Desired/Preferred Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Familiarity with standards and best practices for cultural heritage digitization and digital preservation.
• Familiarity with digital asset management or digital repository systems.
• Experience with command-line tools and basic Python and bash scripting.
• Reading knowledge of any of the following: Arabic, Farsi, Japanese, traditional Chinese, Russian.
• Experience reading 20th-century handwritten documents.
• Familiarity with project management tools and digitization workflow management systems (i.e., Trello, Smartsheet, LIMB Processing, Goobi, Opus Workflow, DocWorks, etc.).
• Knowledge of current standards and methods for OCR and HTR (including tools such as ABBYY and Transkribus).

Please submit a cover letter and resume along with your online application for full consideration.

About Stanford University’s Hoover Institution:  The Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace is a public policy research center devoted to the advanced study of economics, politics, history, and political economy—both domestic and foreign—as well as international affairs. 

Founded in 1919 by Herbert Hoover before he became the thirty-first president of the United States, the Institution began as a repository of historical material gathered at the end of World War I.  The library and archives have grown to be among the largest private repositories of documents on twentieth-century political and economic history.  Over time the Institution expanded its mission from collecting archival material to conducting advanced research on contemporary history and economics and applying this scholarship to current public policy challenges. 

With its eminent scholars and world-renowned library and archives, the Hoover Institution seeks to improve the human condition by advancing ideas that promote economic opportunity and prosperity while securing and safeguarding peace for America and all humanity.