Summary:

The Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America documents the lives of women of the past and present for the future and furthers the Radcliffe Institute’s commitment to the study of women, gender, sexuality, and society. The Archival Technical Services unit at Schlesinger Library fosters the discovery, use, and care of archival and manuscript materials through various activities including accessioning, processing, description, metadata creation, preservation, and collection management. Archival Technical Services’ priorities reflect the Library’s ongoing work to document the history and contributions of women and organizations currently under-represented in our collections.

We are seeking a Lead Metadata Archivist who coordinate work to modernize archival description workflows and advance our use of ArchivesSpace and other archival metadata systems and tools. Reporting to the Head of Archival Technical Services, the Lead Metadata Archivist will collaborate with a  dedicated team of experienced archivists to evaluate and improve our practices while reaffirming our existing strengths. The Lead Metadata Archivist will coordinate and lead Schlesinger Library’s archival metadata program, streamlining the creation, reuse, and management of metadata for all archival formats.

Key responsibilities include analyzing metadata program needs, setting priorities in consultation with the department head, and developing archival metadata workflows in collaboration with colleagues using systems such as ArchivesSpace, Alma, JSTOR Forum, and local FileMaker databases. The Lead Metadata Archivist will also work closely with the Senior Metadata Archivist to provide training and coaching, and act as a strategic partner to department head and other lead archivists to help set department directions and foster cohesion and collaboration across program areas.

 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

 

• Leads collaborative work to establish, evaluate, recommend improvements to, document, and operationalize policies, procedures, and workflows for archival metadata in accordance with local and national standards.
• Designs, administers, and documents workflows for the description of archival materials in ArchivesSpace, Alma, Connexion, local databases, and other library and archival management systems.
• Provides expertise and leadership for the department’s use of ArchivesSpace, including training, coaching, and providing support for other members of the department, implementing policies and procedures, and collaborating with other Harvard repositories as required.
• Coordinates and oversees the creation, cleanup, quality control, management, and maintenance of metadata for archival collections across all library systems. Collaborates on metadata management for images and audiovisual materials.
• Leads metadata analysis and remediation projects and efforts to repurpose metadata for various uses, including for digitization. Develops, customizes, and maintains tools, scripts, and processes to manipulate, analyze, and transform metadata; migrate data between systems; and streamline metadata workflows.
• Collaborates on establishing and maintaining compliance with archival standards for descriptive metadata. Provides advice on metadata-related issues and creates documentation for staff use.
• Develops processes and procedures for creating item level metadata for special projects as needed; creates archival descriptions and item level metadata for a range of archival materials, including photographs and audiovisual materials. Applies best practices for inclusive and reparative description.
• Covers regular shifts at the Schlesinger Library reference desk.
• Monitors current developments, trends, and best practices in archival metadata and engages with the professional community. Fosters collaborative relationships within the department, across Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe, and the greater Harvard Library. Represents the department or library in various collaborative projects and programs within Harvard and beyond.

 

Supervisory Responsibilities:

 

• Supervises metadata archivist(s) and/or senior metadata archivist(s).
• Carries out supervisory responsibilities according to the Institute’s/University’s management policies, procedures, and any applicable laws.
• Responsibilities include hiring and training, planning and assigning work, conducting performance appraisals, addressing performance issues, and resolving problems.

 

Basic Qualifications:

 

• ALA-accredited MLS (Master’s in Library Science) with a concentration in archives management, and/or an MA in history or a related field.
• Three to six years of archival experience focusing on archival description, metadata management, and/or archival processing.

 

Successful candidates will demonstrate:

 

• Experience with ArchivesSpace, XML, and databases such as FileMaker Pro, along with other systems and technologies for archival metadata.
• Advanced knowledge of national data content and structure standards for archival and image collections, including but not limited to DACS, EAD, AACR2, RDA, MARC, LCSH, and AAT.
• Proven experience in planning, implementing, evaluating, improving, and managing metadata projects, workflows, and procedures, (e.g., data standardization, remediation, mapping, and repurposing metadata for reuse).
• Proficiency with tools for the creation, quality control, transformation, and migration of metadata, such as OpenRefine, Python, XSLT, and spreadsheets.
• Strong organizational and analytical skills, with the ability to set priorities, manage projects, meet deadlines, and work collaboratively with colleagues across departments.
• Familiarity with or interest in current approaches and best practices in inclusive and reparative archival description.
• Commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment and workplace, with the ability to work effectively within a diverse faculty, staff, and student population.

 

 

Additional Qualifications and Skills:

 

• Experience providing training and consultation on metadata-related topics.
• Archival processing experience.
• Demonstrated ability to work productively both independently and collaboratively in a highly collegial and team-based environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, as well as critical thinking and listening abilities.
• Reading knowledge of one or more foreign languages.
• Understanding of, or interest in contemporary U.S. women’s history.

 

Physical Demands:

 

The demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

 

• The physical demands of this position include seated work with frequent use of a computer for extended periods, frequent repetitive motion involving hands and wrist for typing, handling documents, operating office equipment,
• Frequently lifting and carrying boxes up to 40 pounds, managing cartloads of material weighing up to 240 pounds, frequent standing, walking, climbing ladders, and bending to retrieve or reshelve collections.
• Manual dexterity is required to handle delicate archival materials carefully.
• Required to perform tasks needing close vision, color vision and detailed data entry. Prolonged periods of examining documents under magnification and repetitive data entry tasks are also common.

 

Work Environment:

 

• Work conditions involve a climate-controlled, indoor environment with specific temperature and humidity levels to preserve materials. The archivist may encounter dust and mold, necessitating the use of personal protective equipment like masks and gloves. Works in an inclusive environment that values diversity and teamwork, requiring the ability to engage effectively with a diverse staff, researchers and students.