Metadata Librarian

Description

Position Summary

We are looking for candidates who will apply knowledge of metadata, digitization, and technical expertise to incorporate new content into USC’s digital library management system as part of the CLIR grant project Restoring the Visual Record of Mesoamerican and Spanish Colonial Cultures: Hidden Artifacts, Rare Books, and Photography Collections at Cal State LA and the USC Libraries. This work involves the description of materials; the transformation of metadata into standard schemas; the training of student assistants and contributors in best practices related to metadata creation, digitization, and digital library practice; and in reviewing the work of contributors to ensure that it adheres to relevant standards and best practices.

Position Responsibilities and Duties

Reporting to Director, Digital Library, the Metadata Librarian will:

• Collaborate with USC faculty and external contributors to develop services and collections in support of their research. Work with contributors to develop tools and processes to create metadata for their projects. Develop appropriate resources and services to further the academic and research endeavors of USC faculty, staff, and students.
• Manage projects that result from the digitization and description of materials from USC Libraries and other institutions throughout their life cycle, coordinating digitization and description activities to ensure efficient use of library resources
• Develop metadata crosswalks from nonstandard approaches to standards such as Dublin Core and MARC, and convert metadata to standard schema using scripting and/or coding and import metadata into digital library management systems and/or make metadata available for harvesting
• Review metadata created by contributors for completeness and accuracy, and troubleshoot metadata issues
• Describe objects in the Digital Library following best practices using library standards such as Dublin Core
• Stay up to date on relevant library and scholarly information trends and practices and be able to apply this knowledge to have a significant, positive impact on the USC Digital Library, and the advancement of the USC Libraries’ strategic plan and the University’s strategic vision
• Participate in library and other committees as assigned
• This position may be required to work evenings and/or weekends
• Other duties as assigned.

Experience and Qualifications

Minimum qualifications: MLS from an ALA-accredited program or international equivalent is typically required for a librarian appointment at USC. In addition, candidates must provide examples of:

• Experience using metadata standards, especially Dublin Core and MARC and techniques used to transform nonstandard metadata to standard metadata
• Experience using digital library management systems or digital asset management systems in a hosted environment
• Knowledge of current professional trends, especially those relating to discovery, digital libraries, digital humanities, scholarly communication, digital curation, and digital preservation
• Evidence of a strong customer-service orientation within an academic or research library setting
• Effective oral and written communication skills
• Experience independently and collaboratively solving problems

Desirable qualifications:

• Experience managing projects in a library, academic, or information environment
• Experience engaging with end-users to develop project requirements
• Experience teaching and developing teaching or training materials
• Proficient in Spanish language reading and writing
• Supervisory experience
• Understanding of copyright and related rights and how they are applied in a digital library setting
• Engagement in professional and/or subject discipline organizations, research, or publishing that will have a significant, positive impact on the provision of service to the USC Libraries

Please apply through the USC Careers website: 

https://usccareers.usc.edu/job/los-angeles/metadata-librarian-372/1209/19281821904