Digital Preservation Officer

Description

Role purpose:

To maintain and develop systems and processes to ensure that the library’s digital information and objects remain accessible, re-usable and understandable in the future, and that the authenticity, integrity and reliability of digital content is retained, with minimum loss over time; To provide knowledge, advice, and training in the library’s digital preservation functions; To support the Digital Assets Manager ensuring standards and procedures are consistently applied; To contribute to the development of policies and procedures for the Digital Assets Team; To work within the corporate framework and in collaboration with other colleagues to help deliver organisational goals. 

Duties and Responsibilities

• Developing and maintaining systems and processes to ensure the preservation and accessibility of the library’s digital information and objects, including text, images, audio, video, datasets and websites; 
• Implementing continuous review and improvement of digital preservation processes, including regular review of repository and preservation standards and best practices; Contributing to the development of the library’s digital preservation policies; 
• Researching, designing, developing, testing and implementing preservation actions for NLS digital information and objects; 
• Surveying the digital preservation environment and emerging technologies,  with regard to NLS digital objects; 
• Conducting life-cycle cost analysis to forecast and advise on future system, storage, and funding requirements; 
• Conducting analysis to determine the best actions for any preservation instance; 
• Identifying, evaluating, and specifying hardware and software requirements for digital preservation in consultation with NLS colleagues, the digital preservation community, and vendors; 
• Monitoring, analysing, and reporting on, risk to NLS digital information and objects, including analysis and maintenance of checksum routines, format verification and authentication, and preservation planning; 
• Working collaboratively with colleagues across the Library, particularly curators of digital assets and owners of digital processes, to deliver digital preservation solutions and systems and to embed digital preservation into library systems and processes; 
• Liaising with other organisations on matters of digital preservation; 
• Contributing to the design of workflows for digitisation, digital acquisition, digital deposit, and web harvesting; 
• Training, instructing and supervising staff and students in tasks associated with the job function; 
• Answering enquiries and providing advice related to the job; 
• Preparing appropriate reports, including performance monitoring, to the Digital Assets Manager, as required; 
• Deputising for the Digital Assets Manager, as required; 
• Meeting regularly with the Digital Assets Manager to review personal performance and discuss issues of mutual interest or concern; 
• Attending staff meetings, and taking minutes, as required; Participating in projects, working groups, internal and external forums as appropriate and in accordance with agreed work plans; 
• Participating in staff training and development; Contributing to the continuous improvement of procedures, service standards and documentation; 
• Contributing to the development of team and departmental plans and strategies.

Core Competencies

• Delivering Results (Core) –  Take personal responsibility for achieving the right results for the Library
• Customer Focus (Core) – Understand and, within our capability, meet actual and potential internal and external customers’ needs.
• Collaborative Working (Core) – Working together effectively to achieve common goals through sharing skills, knowledge and information. Collaborating with others to improve services and reduce costs.

Person specification:  Digital Preservation Officer

This section should cover the criteria to be used during a selection process. These are the skills, knowledge, experience etc that the individual must have in order that they are able to deliver the duties and responsibilities.

Skills, abilities and knowledge

Essential

• Problem-solving – ability to identify problems and evaluate selected methods to resolve them;
• Reasoning – ability to identify and analyse rules, principles, or relationships and to make logical inferences or conclusions;
• Literacy - ability to understand, interpret and present verbal and written information;
• Numeracy – ability to understand, interpret and present numerical information;
• Teamwork and collaboration  - ability to work with others to achieve shared goals and recognise the value of diverse perspectives;
• Hardware - ability to use computers, peripherals, mobile devices, and standard office equipment;
• Software - ability to use software, social media, or mobile applications;
• Applied learning -  knowledge and skill to apply formal training, education, or experience to accomplishing work;
• Professional knowledge – knowledge and application of the corpus of knowledge of digital preservation, digital publishing, and digitisation;
• Supervision – ability to train, motivate and encourage others;
• Customer focus – understand and, within our capability, meet actual and potential internal and external customers’ needs.

Desirable

• Professional knowledge – knowledge and application of the OAIS reference model.

Personal qualities

Essential

• Attention to detail - ability to be thorough and accurate when performing work;
• Flexibility - ability to change and adapt behaviour or work methods in response to new information, changing conditions, or unexpected obstacles;
• Interpersonal skills - ability to show respect, concern, and empathy for others.
• Self-management – ability to set well-defined and realistic work objectives, display initiative, and demonstrate responsible behaviour;
• Negotiating – ability to persuade others to accept recommendations, cooperate, or change their own or others’ behaviours to reach mutually acceptable solutions;
• Delivering results – take personal responsibility for achieving the right results for the library.

Experience

Essential

• Digital Preservation – experience of digital preservation technology and practice.

Desirable

• Professional standards - experience of working with specific metadata standards, including Dublin Core, EAD, METS, MIX, MODS, PREMIS.

Further information

Status:  The post is Permanent Full Time

Hours: 37hrs per week

Selection
Procedure: The applicants who meet the criteria based on the job description and person specification will be selected for interview.  Selection will be by a formal interview.