Archival & Metadata Librarian

Description

The University of Southern California (USC) Libraries seek an energetic, experienced librarian with archival and project management experience to oversee and participate in Special Collections’ archival and metadata operations following prescribed archival practices, as well as establishing and documenting new practices, managing metadata, training staff and students, processing, and managing gifts workflows. The Archival & Metadata Librarian serves as project manager for grant funded projects, works with the Director of Grants and Research Communications to identify projects suitable for grant funding, and assists with public services operations, including reference, instruction and outreach across the Libraries. Duties include some weekend and evening hours.

Responsibilities and Duties

Reporting to the Head, Special Collections, the Archival & Metadata Librarian will:

• Provide project and budget management for grant-funded projects, and others as assigned
• Process, arrange, and describe archival collections with primary focus on grant projects, as assigned
• Migrate legacy finding aids, inventories, accession information, and other relevant documentation into Archivists’
• Toolkit, USC Libraries’ archival data management system, as needed
• Utilize OCLC Connexion to catalog archival collections in MARC for inclusion in Homer
• Submit EAD-encoded finding aids to the Online Archive of California
• Ensure prompt accessioning of all archival collections
• Ensure quality standards for Archivists’ Toolkit
• Supervise metadata staff, student assistants, and volunteers
• Train and monitor work of USC Libraries’ personnel using Archivists’ Toolkit
• Perform outreach and collection liaison duties, including creating or revising Libguides, as assigned
• Provide reference services and instruction including some evenings and weekends
• Meet with donors as appropriate.

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum qualifications: MLS from an ALA-accredited program or non-U.S. equivalent is typically required for a librarian appointment at USC; at least two years professional archival experience in an academic, research or public library setting. In addition, candidates must have demonstrated:• Formal training in archival theory and practice or relevant professional archival experience

• Experience processing and cataloging manuscript and archival collections
• Familiarity with Archivists’ Tooolkit, DACS, MARC21 and LC cataloging standards
• Experience converting legacy files to EAD XML format
• Experience creating and maintaining online archival finding aids, including EAD encoding
• Experience creating and/or maintaining documentation of policies and procedures
• Knowledge of metadata standards, such as Dublin Core, METS, EAD
• Familiarity with grant preparation process
• Experience managing grant-funded projects
• Project management experience with large scale projects
• Supervisory experience
• Ability to work in a collegial, collaborative environment
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and instructional abilities
• Experience providing reference service
• A strong public service orientation.

Desirable qualifications: More than two years professional archival experience; knowledge of digital asset management systems, such as CONTENTdm, Fedora and D-Space; experience using OCLC Connexion and as a NACO contributor; experience creating, capturing, and processing images and documents in a variety of digital formats; and working knowledge of one or more foreign languages (German, Latin, and modern European languages preferred).