Metadata Project Coordinator for Archival Collections

 

The Georgetown University Library is an agile organization that respects the heritage of the past while anticipating the requirements of the 21st century. By providing preeminent services, collections and spaces, the Library shapes the creation of knowledge, conserves culture for posterity, and transforms learning and research.

 

The Metadata Project Coordinator for Archival Collections is assigned to the grant-funded project On These Grounds: A Project to Model and Share the Archival Materials and Data from Universities with Past Ties to Slavery (https://onthesegrounds.org/). The term of the grant runs through December 2022. This project, in partnership with Michigan State and the University of Virginia, seeks to develop and test a sustainable, extensible, linked-open data (LOD) model for primary sources that document enslaved lives and their experiences. The project is funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

 

Reporting to the Metadata Librarian, Digital and Special Collections, the Metadata Project Coordinator for Archival Collections serves as the project manager and participates in the testing and application of the LOD model. Working collaboratively with Library staff in identifying archival materials (processed and unprocessed) to serve as test cases, they will test and apply the data model to selected items, and also manage/train several student workers who assist with this work. Primary duties are centered on 3 major areas of responsibilities - archival, metadata and project management – and include but are not limited to:

 

Archival Responsibilities

 

• Collaborates with Library staff to survey the Georgetown University Archives, Maryland Province Archives, and manuscript collections to select documents used in the testing model – in considerations that include an appraisal of each indices, transcripts, and databases to add records to the testing model.

 

• Participates in the testing of the LOD model in development - working in Omeka S and CSV data entry files, and populating resource templates with pilot data representing documents from Georgetown's archival collection.

 

• Examines archival documents from Georgetown's collections and identifies events related to the lives of enslaved people.

 

• Uses LOD model in development to categorize and describe events found in archival documents.

 

• Performs additional research as necessary to establish context for events related to the lives of enslaved people; and consults outside sources and other archival documents as necessary to identify and describe related people and places.

 

Metadata Responsibilities

 

• Creates authority records in Omeka S for names and places related to the archival collections used in testing.

 

• Searches outside authority sources (Library of Congress, VIAF, Wikidata, etc.) for existing Linked Data representations of people and places related to the archival collections used in testing and integrates them into pilot data as appropriate.

 

• Reviews CSV data entry files to ensure conformance with metadata best practices established for the project.

 

• Uploads CSV data entry files for ingest to Omeka S.

 

• With project partners at MSU and UVA, participates in the application of the LOD model and development of protocols for ongoing evaluation.

 

• Works collaboratively with Library staff to review the outcomes of pilot data work and provides feedback on the LOD model in development.

 

Project Management

 

• Works with partner Library staff and other project managers to establish a common understanding about the general meaning and parameters of item sets, vocabularies, and resource templates.

 

• Trains and supervises a diverse group of student workers, and establishes their respective work plans.

 

• Documents the workflows and processes related to the project.

 

• Contributes to a shared communication approach that provides frequent project updates to partners, as well as to the Universities Studying Slavery (USS) consortium.

 

• Leads project planning sessions and follows up on developed plans.

 

• Manages project progress and adapts work as required.

 

• Ensures that the project meets deadlines and deliverables on time.

 

• Manages relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

 

• Communicates project status to supervisor and others on a regular basis.

 

• Conducts project review and creates detailed reports.

 

• Optimizes and improves processes and workflows as and when needed.

 

Qualifications

 

• Master’s degree from an ALA-accredited MLS program and/or 1-2 years of work experience related to archival collections and applying metadata standards

 

• Familiarity with linked data concepts, ontologies, and vocabularies

 

• Demonstrated experience formulating workflows and procedures

 

• Excellent organizational and project management skills, accuracy, and attention to detail

 

• Strong interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills

 

• Commitment to fostering an equitable and inclusive workplace, and an ability to work effectively with a diverse faculty, staff, and student population

 

Preferred Qualifications

 

• Knowledge and experience in working with Omeka S

 

• Aptitude for learning emerging technologies and metadata standards

 

• Working knowledge of data formats such as XML, CSV, and JSON

 

• Familiarity with creating and working with authority data such as LC authorities, ORCID, VIAF, and ISNI

 

• Understanding of archival theory and practice, including national standards for archival materials

 

• Familiarity with the history and documentation of slavery

 

To Apply

https://apptrkr.com/2248356

 

Georgetown University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer fully dedicated to achieving a diverse faculty and staff. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity and expression, and sexual orientation), disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.


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