Metadata Archivist, NYPL – NY
Responsibilities:
Under the supervision of the Head of the Archives Unit, the Metadata
Archivist oversees NYPL’s archival data standards, in particular Encoded
Archival Description (EAD), Encoded Archival Context-Corporate Bodies,
Persons, and Families (EAC-CPF), and related description and digital
content standards and tools.
The Metadata Archivist will:
The Metadata Archivist will:
- Collaborate with staff throughout NYPL to promote portability of metadata related to its archival collections
- Lead efforts to enhance descriptive data to optimize its use by internal and external systems and partners
- Assume an active role in initiatives within the broader archival community related to the development and implementation of archival metadata standards
- Play a leadership role in NYPL’s implementation of ArchivesSpace and assume the management of the project now in progress to convert approximately 1000 legacy finding aids into EAD through a vendor
- Work closely with NYPL Labs (digital innovation team) and other technologists on the ongoing development of the Library’s archives portal (archives.nypl.org)
- Collaborate with the Library’s Metadata Services Manager and other NYPL staff outside of the Archives Unit to facilitate metadata portability and promote best practices across the organization
- Lead the implementation of Encoded Archival Context – Corporate bodies, Persons, and Families (EAC-CPF) at NYPL; plan, direct, and review the work of other staff in Archives Unit
- Perform related duties as assigned
Qualifications:
- ALA-accredited Master’s degree in library, archival or information studies or Master’s degree in Liberal Arts or Humanities; degree or background in American History preferred
- Successful completion of archival training
- Successfully demonstrated relevant experience in an archives or manuscripts repository arranging and describing archives and/or providing reference service to users of archives.
- Strong working knowledge of EAD, HTML, XML, including the RelaxNG and Schematron schema languages; DACS, MARC, AACR2, RDA, LCSH, LCAF, and LC cataloging standards.
- Familiarity with EAC-CPF, MODS, METS, other metadata standards, and Linked Data
- Familiarity and experience with methods and tools for data remediation
- Experience creating, editing, and executing transformations on XML data; experience transforming XML and JSON data programmatically through scripting languages such as python or ruby preferred
- Demonstrated ability to access and manipulate data through relational databases and API endpoints preferred.
- Experience creating and/or maintaining documentation of guidelines, policies, and procedures
- Working knowledge of historical research methodology and experience with standard bibliographic tools
- Reading knowledge of at least one foreign language
- Demonstrated willingness and ability to grow and develop existing programming skill sets
- Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills
- Successfully demonstrated initiative, accuracy, attention to detail, judgment, analytic and organizational skills
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively
- Experience maintaining an implementation of EAD in an archival or special collections context preferred.
- Familiarity with the Archivists’ Toolkit and ArchivesSpace preferred.
- Experience supervising and training staff preferred
- Awareness of web development practices and methodology preferred
