Metadata Specialist, Cornell University
The department of Library Technical Services at Cornell University is seeking a Metadata Specialist. Working under the general direction of the Head of Metadata Services and in consultation with other key staff, the Specialist will provide strategic and technical guidance on metadata practice for Cornell University Library’s (CUL) digital, physical and virtual collections within the broader context of CUL’s digital and programmatic needs. The Specialist also provides consultation and advocacy to both CUL colleagues and the community more broadly; this effort demands a strong knowledge of well-established and evolving metadata standards as well as their practical applications.
Key Opportunities this position provides:
- Contribute to strategic library initiatives focused on resource discovery and repository implementation
- Collaborate on the development of long-term solutions for improved metadata management and interoperability
- Participate in the library’s research and development efforts as well as local and national discussions relating to access, retrieval, description and management of library resources
- Play an active role in professional organizations inside and outside of the Cornell University Library community
Specific Duties Include:
Metadata Management and Coordination (70%)
- Serves on library projects addressing better discovery solutions for library users, including research and development initiatives; current R&D efforts include the Andrew W. Mellon funded Linked Data for Libraries Labs (LD4L Labs) and Linked Data for Production (LD4P) projects
- Performs data modeling and develops standards for local and community use based on principles of integration and reusability of metadata across platforms and collections
- Assesses and implements best practices and standards for interoperability
- Identifies, monitors and engages in national areas of interest in metadata development
Metadata Outreach and Consultation (20%)
- Builds and maintains strong working relationships with staff throughout Library Technical Services (LTS) and CUL, fostering collaborative efforts between LTS and other CUL units, notably CUL-IT
- Serves as a metadata consultant to larger library projects and initiatives
- Collaborates with colleagues to initiate and provide continuing education to LTS and other library staff regarding linked data, resource description and metadata management
- Participates in the strategic alliances with partner institutions on metadata initiatives
Professional Activities (10%)
- Monitors and contributes to local, national, and international forums on metadata standards and policies
- Actively participates in CUL and professional working groups, task forces, instruction programs, and committees
- Conducts research and contributes to professional publications and forums in areas related to metadata, access to information, and digital libraries
Required Qualifications:
- Master’s degree in relevant field, such as library science or information science; applicants with advanced degrees in fields such as linguistics and digital humanities will also be considered
- Strong and diverse metadata background
- Demonstrated skills with scripting languages and/or tools for data manipulation (e.g. Python, OpenRefine, XSLT, etc.)
- High comfort level with evolving technology landscape and cataloging practices; ability to bridge knowledge between technical services staff and information technologists
- Strong service orientation and interest in library users’ values and needs
- Excellent communication and analytic skills, including the ability to work well in a team-based environment
Preferred Qualifications:
- Academic or professional background working with dataset manipulation or digital scholarship
- Three to five years of progressive experience with metadata projects
- Demonstrated aptitude for learning and applying new technologies and metadata standards
- Excellent organizational and project management skills
- Proven history of designing creative solutions to meet demonstrated user needs
- Familiarity with, and aptitude for, the application of linked data technologies and methodologies (e.g. ontology development, semantic tools and best practices)
- Demonstrated experience creating and/or working with authority and entity data (e.g. ISNI, LC authorities, Getty vocabularies, etc.)
Application Procedure: submit an online application including the following (preferred as one PDF document) :
- cover letter
- resume
- names and contact information for three references at this link.