Amherst College invites applications for the Cataloging & Metadata Librarian position. The Cataloging & Metadata Librarian is a full-time, year-round position, starting at $61,545 - commensurate with experience. Given Amherst’s distinction as one of the most diverse liberal arts colleges in the country, the successful candidate will demonstrate the ways in which they bring value to and will work towards supporting a broadly diverse community.

The Cataloging & Metadata Librarian performs resource descriptions for all formats of library materials. This includes creating bibliographic records and batch loading electronic resource records using our library services platform (FOLIO) and discovery platform (EDS), and creating metadata for digital materials in Amherst College Digital Collections. Collaborates with colleagues throughout Collection Management and the Library to ensure that cataloging and metadata practices make resources discoverable and usable, with a particular lens for inclusion and the needs of a diverse community. Works effectively with colleagues in the Five Colleges consortium on best practices for our shared systems.

Summary of Responsibilities:
Cataloging

• Creates original and updates bibliographic records for a variety of formats and languages using accepted standards such as MARC, RDA, LCSH, and LC classification
• Manages the batch processing, analysis, and editing of records, working collaboratively with colleagues across the Five Colleges consortium
• Troubleshoots and resolves access issues related to catalog records for ebooks and batch-loaded resources, working collaboratively with Electronic Resources staff
• Contributes to cataloging policies and documentation, working collaboratively with colleagues within the library and the Five Colleges consortium
• Participates in collaborative projects to improve discoverability of our electronic and physical materials, including efforts to implement critical cataloging practices
• Performs authority control and disambiguation of names, including original authority work for NACO

Metadata

• Supports discovery of and access to digital library collections through metadata creation, analysis, enrichment, quality control, and maintenance adhering to appropriate schema, standards, and best practices
• Uses existing and emerging metadata standards and schemas such as MODS, XML, RDF, and JSON to describe and make accessible the Library’s unique digital collections, working with controlled vocabulary thesauri such as LCSH, LCNAF, AAT and content standards such as DCRM(MSS)
• Implements policies and procedures and contributes to goals for non-MARC metadata, in consultation with the Metadata Management Librarian
• Assists with establishing appropriate approaches to the creation of metadata for individual projects or categories of material in consultation with various stakeholders
• Maintains an awareness of developments in metadata and participates in resource description initiatives supporting the advancement of the discoverability and use of digital collections
• Engages with community efforts around use of descriptive language and controlled vocabularies through a DEI lens

Supervision of student assistants

• Hires and trains student assistants to help with physical processing and/or data clean-up projects
• Provides quality control for work done by student assistants

Qualifications:
Required

• Master’s degree from a program accredited by the American Library Association or foreign equivalent
• Experience in resource description, including MARC bibliographic records and non-MARC metadata for digital collections, using established schemas and controlled vocabularies following accepted standards and best practices
• Experience with adapting to new standards and technologies and a willingness to explore and implement new technologies, standards, and practices to enhance discoverability and use of collections
• Familiarity with how library resources are accessed and used (preferably in an undergraduate context) and a commitment to removing barriers and advocating for users
• Demonstrated analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in a team environment
• Demonstrated commitment to effectively supporting a broadly diverse and intentionally inclusive community
• Awareness of critical concerns in the field, including bias in resource description

Preferred

• Experience with tools and techniques for metadata transformation, remediation, and management (e.g., Oxygen, OpenRefine, Python, XSLT, MARCEdit)
• Familiarity with digital asset management and digital repository systems including their architecture and requirements (e.g., Archipelago, Islandora, etc.)
• Working knowledge of one or more foreign languages