Metadata Analyst

Description

The Emory University Libraries seek an energetic, service-oriented and collaborative professional to serve as the Metadata Analyst for the Content Division in the Robert W Woodruff Library. The ideal candidate will support initiatives that relate to digital scholarship, digitization, special collections access, and other metadata-dependent efforts to describe, manage, expose and share collections with users.

Position Summary
Reporting to the Senior Director of the Content Division, the Metadata Analyst supports initiatives that relate to digital scholarship, digitization, special collections access, and other metadata dependent efforts to describe, manage, expose and share collections with users. Acting as an individual contributor, the incumbent may alternately lead projects or serve as a member of a project team and provide metadata expertise. The Metadata Analyst will interact with curators, archivists, librarians, technologists, researchers and students to learn about and deliver metadata solutions for projects and programs. The Metadata Analyst focuses on creating and normalizing metadata, optimizing the interoperability of metadata among systems, and leveraging metadata to increase discoverability and use of collections and monitors emerging technologies and recommends their adoption if they meet project or long-term organizational goals.

Specific duties of the incumbent include:

• Provides and anticipates metadata solutions for a wide variety projects, services, and stakeholders, chiefly in special collections, digital scholarship, and IT units.
• Identifies, designs, and develops schemas, ontologies, taxonomies, vocabularies, etc. for images, sound, video, text, realia, graphics, data, geospatial data, etc.
• Prototypes and develops automated services and applications for metadata extraction, creation, normalization, analysis, transformation, syndication, and ingest.
• Integrates semantic, linked data, and other metadata analytical technologies with various existing digital asset management and discovery platforms.
• Contributes to research and development of other metadata projects and initiatives.
• Develops training and documentation in support of metadata encoding and transformation for metadata librarians and catalogers.
• Shares results of work with other staff through presentation and written documentation.
• Facilitates meetings to learn about needs and to develop agreement and consensus.
• Acts as chair of the University Libraries Metadata Working Group (MWG), providing leadership and direction developing and implementing best practices for metadata creation and management across the Emory Libraries.
• Schedules meetings and sets agendas. Builds consensus through dialog and group problem-solving,
• working with individuals and groups, to reach agreement.
• Provides updates to Library Cabinet, the senior management group.
• Oversees and guides the work of the Cataloging and Authorities Working Group, a subgroup of the University Libraries Metadata Working Group, which includes the cataloging department heads from all Emory University libraries.
• Participates in library committees related to primary job assignment as appropriate.
• Represents the library on university committees and task forces related to primary job assignment OR at the request of the Senior Vice Provost for Library Services & Digital Scholarship.
• Serves on professional and scholarly association committees, task forces, work groups, and other entities at the local, state, regional, national, and international level as appropriate to position and area of expertise.
• Participates in appropriate professional and scholarly associations and organizations including maintaining membership and/or accreditation; attending meetings, conferences, workshops; and serving in appointed or elected positions.
• Presents on work-related topics and research at professional and scholarly conferences, symposia, and workshops. Publishes on work-related topics and research in professional and scholarly publications.
• Maintains up-to-date professional knowledge and skills in areas related to primary job assignment as well as maintaining general knowledge of current trends in higher education, academic libraries, and information and educational technology.

Required Qualifications

• ALA-accredited master’s degree in Library and Information Science OR equivalent education and experience (subject expertise combined with appropriate industry experience and/or library experience).
• Knowledge of basic administration, management and automation of various Content Management Systems and installed software packages.
• Technical expertise including:
  • 2+ years related experience with metadata schemas, XML, and XSLT.
  • Knowledge of Semantic Web technologies (RDF, RDFS, OWL, SPARQL).
  • Familiarity with semantic web W3C standards and ongoing efforts.
  • Experience with Internet architecture and services, including HTTP, HTML, Web Services, JSON,
  • JavaScript, and AJAX techniques.
  • Experience coding in a scripting language, such as PHP, Python, or Ruby.
  • Experience with database technologies and retrieval systems, such as Oracle, SQL Server, Postgres.
  • Experience working with APIs and in Linux/Unix server environments.
• Ability to build and sustain effective interpersonal relationships with library staff, faculty and students, off campus faculty and administrators, campus administrators, etc.; ability to work productively on cross-cultural teams.
• Evidence of analytical, organizational, communication, project, and time management skills and demonstrated ability to set priorities, meet deadlines, and complete tasks and projects on time and within budget and in accordance with task/project parameters.
• Capacity to respond effectively to changing needs and priorities.
• Demonstrated proficiency and capabilities with personal computers and software, the Web, and library-relevant information technology applications. Working knowledge of standard computer office applications such as Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint or other productivity software.
• Demonstrated knowledge of current trends and issues in academic libraries or higher education.
• Commitment to fostering a diverse educational environment and workplace and an ability to work effectively with a diverse faculty and student population.Page 3 of 4
• Evidence of active participation, involvement, and leadership in local, state, regional, national, or international professional or scholarly associations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or extensive coursework in in computer science or related field.
• At least 2 years of professional experience working with metadata in an academic library setting.
• Experience with Ex Libris products (Primo, Aleph, Metalib, SFX).
• Knowledge of library technology protocols such as OpenURL, OAI-PMH, and Z39.50.