POSITION FOCUS. Under the supervision of the Head of Arrangement and Description, work with staff in MSSA and across Yale University Library to ensure metadata integrity, normalization, portability, and development of or adherence to local and national metadata best practices. Contribute to quality control of metadata operations; maintain documentation on best practices and track developments on standards of all types (descriptive, technical, preservation, and administrative) to recommend and design appropriate metadata schema and products for discovery and access. Follow the development of new and emerging technologies and analyze their potential application to the department and library to significantly improve and transfer information resource discovery and retrieval; take part in departmental and library-wide technology planning and implementation activities.
Serve as primary technical lead for the department’s data migration from Archivist’s Toolkit to ArchivesSpace. Provide ongoing development and support of the department’s use of ArchivesSpace. Collaborate across the library on ArchivesSpace implementation and use.
Process and catalog archive and manuscript collections in all formats, including born digital, in accordance with approved plans and departmental procedures, including screening for sensitive materials and implementation of necessary preservation procedures. Devise processing plans for collections requiring more than minimum processing. Prepare and update access tools such as finding aids and catalog records for archival and manuscript holdings in accordance with archival and library standards.
Take part in departmental planning; represent the department on a variety of collaborative projects and programs inside and outside the department; seek opportunities for cooperation with other departments or institutions; plan and manage specific library projects.
Assist with public services through weekly rotations on the reference desk and involvement in primary source instructions.
Undertake special projects as assigned. Plan, direct, and review the work of support staff and student assistants. Take part in departmental and library-wide planning and committee activities. Actively contribute to the archival profession.
PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES. Assume a variety of responsibilities related to manuscript and archival material in all formats, including selection, appraisal, arrangement and description, preservation, and access and outreach. Work in libraries across the university campuses to meet the needs of local, national, and international teaching and research communities. Assist with management of printed collections, as assigned. Assist, if necessary, with disaster-recovery efforts. May perform other duties as assigned.
REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE. An ALA-accredited MLS or MLIS with formal training in archival theory and practice. Experience arranging and describing or providing public services for manuscript and/or archival collections.Experience working collaboratively and independently with varied groups within a complex organization and rapidly changing team environment.Demonstrated knowledge of archival theory and practice may be substituted for formal training.Demonstrated knowledge of archival and library management systems.Demonstrated job or school experience with basic preservation and conservation standards for archival and manuscript collections. Demonstrated excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communications and analytical ability. Demonstrated record of designing projects and bringing them to a conclusion in a timely fashion.
REQUIRED SKILLS/ABILITIES. Strong working knowledge of EAD, HTML, XML, including experience writing and maintaining XSL style sheets; DACS and familiarity with MARC, AACR2, RDA, LCSH, LCAF, and LC cataloging standards. Proven skills processing manuscript and/or archival collections. Strong knowledge of American history, and/or broad knowledge of the humanities, as demonstrated through academic course work. Ability to manage a variety of tasks and multiple priorities. Logical and enthusiastic approach to work; careful attention to detail; initiative and follow through.
PREFERRED EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS. Experience with Archivists’ Toolkit or ArchivesSpace; EAC,MODS, METS; Relax NG, Schematron, and scripting languages; SQL, XQuery, and/or SPARQL; and Linked Data. Demonstrated ability to work databases and manipulate and migrate data. Creative approaches to introducing or using online tools to enhance access. Experience accessioning and/or arranging and describing born-digital materials.
Amanda N. Bennett | Candidate Development Specialist
Office of Staffing and Career Development
Yale University
221 Whitney Avenue, 2nd floor
New Haven, CT 06511
T: (203)436-5160