Job Opening Title:
Metadata Specialist
Name of Employer:
Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas at Austin
Job Site Location (City, State) :
Austin, TX
Application Deadline:
Minimum Degree Requirement:
Bachelors
Years of experience required:
1-3 preferred
Salary Range:
$45,000
Job Opening URL:
https://utaustin.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/UTstaff/job/UT-MAIN-CAMPUS/Metadata-Specialist_R_00033106
Job Description (if URL to posting not available). Include instructions for how to apply.:
Job Details:
About the Harry Ransom Center:
The Ransom Center is an internationally renowned humanities research library and museum at The University of Texas at Austin. Its extensive collections provide unique insight into the creative process of writers and artists, deepening our understanding and appreciation of literature, photography, film, art, and the performing arts. Visitors engage with the Center’s collections through research and study, exhibitions, publications, and a rich variety of program offerings including readings, talks, symposia, and film screenings.
The Ransom Center encourages discovery, inspires creativity, and advances understanding of the humanities for a broad audience through the preservation and sharing of its extraordinary collections.
The Ransom Center welcomes and respects all individuals and communities by valuing and maintaining awareness of broad perspectives and experiences. To learn more about our institutional mission and values, visit: https://www.hrc.utexas.edu/about/#mission-values.
Purpose
Reporting to the Head of Printed & Published Media and Metadata Services, the Metadata Specialist engages in metadata analysis, remediation and/or enhancement to support improved discovery, access, and accurate representation of the Ransom Center’s collections in a manner that is respectful to the individuals and communities who create, use, and are represented in them.
Success in this position requires a combination of analytical skills, creative thinking, and eagerness to experiment and learn new tools for problem solving and efficiency gains.
Responsibilities
• Works collaboratively with the Unit Head to analyze legacy and newly created descriptive metadata distributed in different systems (QI, CONTENTdm, Alma/Primo, SQL databases) encoded in different formats and metadata schemas (MARC, EAD, Dublin Core, etc…) for quality, consistency, completeness and adequacy to facilitate coherent aggregation with other data and display on the Center’s Website
• Performs activities in support of controlled vocabularies and entity management workflows, including reconciliation with external data sources (LCNAF, VIAF, ULAN, SNAC, Wikidata)
• Participates in the Unit standards discussion meetings and contributes to documentation development and maintenance efforts
• Communicates with metadata stakeholders, including colleagues from the Technical and Digital Services Division, the Research Services Division and Curatorial Services, providing input for appropriate meetings and committees as needed
• Takes part in professional development activities, including attending workshops, webinars, and conferences, to stay informed of evolving cataloging trends, and changes in best practices and standards
Required Qualifications
• Bachelor’s Degree in a field relevant to the position
• Experience managing metadata, including data standardization, remediation, mapping, and repurposing metadata for reuse
• Strong problem-solving skills
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.
Preferred Qualifications
• Experience with data cleanup and transformation tools such as OpenRefine
• Experience working with APIs
• Knowledge of entity management and linked data principles
• Demonstrated ability to conduct research to aid in metadata analysis and remediation
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously
• Demonstrated ability to communicate and document complex technical issues
Salary Range
$45,000
Working Conditions
• May work around standard office conditions
• Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation
• Use of manual dexterity, climbing of stairs, and lifting and moving
Work Shift
• Standard M-F, 40hrs a week, 8:00am-5:00pm
Required Materials
• Resume/CV
• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
• Letter of interest
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