Metadata Coordinator (14416)

Description

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Our diverse community of students, faculty, and staff represent every state and more than 150 countries. Our internationally recognized faculty are today's thought leaders in the areas of public policy, law, the arts, communications, international development, and more. Our staff are innovative, service-oriented, and dedicated to moving the university towards achieving its strategic goals. We are committed to an excellent experience for all of our students, faculty and staff and share a passion for creating change through our knowledge and our work. 

Learn more about American University by clicking here.  

About the Department/Unit

The University Library’s role in sharing information as widely as possible is central to American University’s culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion – and at the heart of what we do. Our team is constantly learning and growing in order to meet the ever changing landscape of library services. In this role, the incumbent will work with collaborative, motivated colleagues to help build descriptive metadata workflows across multiple library departments. This role will give the incumbent the opportunity to work with unique materials, develop project management skills, develop student supervisory skills, and work across an array of platforms and systems.

Summary/Objective

The Metadata Coordinator coordinates the creation, enhancement, and transformation of descriptive metadata for digitized resources in the university library’s digital research archive and special collections to enable the discovery of the digital collections. In cooperation with the Resource Description Librarian and Head Archivist for Special Collections and Digital Initiatives, the incumbent plans and carries out metadata description projects for digitized materials in Archives and Special Collections. The Metadata Coordinator is responsible for developing and maintaining project documentation, workflow assessment, training, review, and quality control of Resource Description staff participating in these projects. The incumbent participates in transformation and loading of metadata across various discovery platforms. Additionally, the incumbent participates in Resource Description Unit projects, cataloging, and batch maintenance of bibliographic records.

Essential Functions

1. Serves as the project leader for creating and enhancing metadata in the library’s digital research archive and special collections. In consultation with the Resource Description Librarian and Archives and Special Collections stakeholders, develops and implements digital collections metadata workflows and projects. Assumes primary responsibility for creating, enhancing, or cleaning up metadata for digital collections. In conjunction with the Resource Description Librarian, Head Archivist for Special Collections and Digital Initiatives, and other stakeholders, develops best practices and local policies for non-MARC metadata. Transforms and loads metadata into AU digital research archive (AUDRA) for faculty research.

2. Participates in Resource Description Unit workflows and special projects. Transforms and loads record sets, performs authority control and identity management, configures integration and import profiles, and creates normalization rules and other processes to facilitate automating the creation of local bibliographic metadata. Maintains awareness in developments of BIBFRAME and linked data. Investigates creation or enhancement of Open Access records into discovery platforms. Serves as primary point of contact for campus partner collections cataloging. Performs original and copy cataloging as necessary.

3. Serves as the primary point of contact for coordinating metadata projects between Archives and Special Collections and the Resource Description Unit. In consultation with the Resource Description Librarian, prepares, assigns, and distributes metadata projects to Resource Description Unit staff. Performs quality control to ensure overall accuracy and consistency. Trains staff as necessary on application of standard schemas, vocabularies, and tools for digital collections metadata creation. Develops and maintains project and workflow documentation for carrying out this work.

4. Implements harvesting and transformation processes to improve sharing and discoverability of metadata across systems. Performs MARC and non-MARC metadata mapping and transformations to facilitate data input, cross-system functionality, and platform migration that may include the digital research archive, institutional repository, archival finding aids, and the library management system. Participates in cross functional teams to support metadata work across platforms.

5. Other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibility

• Part-time student assistants may report to this position.

Work Environment

• Onsite presence will be required for this position.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

• Full Time, 35 hours per week, Monday-Friday.

• Coordinator/Analyst A

• Non-Exempt

Salary Range

• $49,588.00 - $56,147.00. Salary will be based on experience.

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree

• 2-4 years of relevant experience

• Demonstrated knowledge of metadata schemas, standards, tools, and their applications including, but not limited to, MODS, Dublin Core, XML, Getty TNG, Getty AAT, EAD, NACO, LCSH, RDA, MARC21.

• Experience working with digital repositories and library management systems.

• Demonstrated project management and problem-solving skills.

• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

• Excellent interpersonal skill and strong orientation to team culture and cross-functionality.

• Experience with XML transformation using XSLT and XSD and tools such as Oxygen, OpenRefine, and MarcEdit.

• Experience working with metadata in Excel and CSV files.

• Experience with batch maintenance, analysis, transformation of large record sets.

• Demonstrated ability to implement standard metadata schemas and crosswalk data between schemas.

• Ability to create and maintain workflow documentation.

Preferred Education and Experience

• Master's degree or equivalent

• 3-5 years of relevant experience

• Experience with library management systems and enterprise platforms such as Alma, Primo VE, OCLC Collection Manager and Connexion, Islandora, ArchivesSpace, and Figshare.

• Experience with Python or other programming languages or tools.

• Familiarity with BIBFRAME and linked data.

• Experience cataloging electronic resources and non-monographic formats.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications

• Hiring offers for this position are contingent on successful completion of a background check.

• To ensure the health and safety of our community AU requires COVID-19 vaccinations for faculty and staff. Click here to learn more about our health and safety directive.

Others

• Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Benefits

AU offers a competitive benefits package including a 200% matching retirement plan, tuition benefits for full-time staff and their families, several leadership development certificates, and has been recognized by the American Heart Association as a fit-friendly worksite. Click here to learn about American University's unique benefit options.

Current American University Employees

If you are a current employee at American University, please log into AsuccessfulU through the myAU portal. Once in AsuccessfulU, please select the Careers tile which will take you to our internal career page. 

Contact Us

For more information or assistance with the American University careers site, email theworkline@american.edu.

American University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution that operates in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. The university does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy), age, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, personal appearance, gender identity and expression, family responsibilities, political affiliation, source of income, veteran status, an individual’s genetic information or any other bases under federal or local laws (collectively "Protected Bases") in its programs and activities.