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Continuing Resources Metadata Librarian

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Position description

Department: Cataloging & Metadata Center
Rank and Salary: Assistant Librarian – Associate Librarian ($49,165 – $86,072)
Position Availability: Immediately
Application deadline for first consideration: February 15, 2018

Description of Institution and Library
As one of the world's great public research universities, UCLA integrates education, research, and public service so that each enriches and extends the others. From its beautiful neighborhood campus in a uniquely diverse and vibrant city on the Pacific Rim, teaching and research extend beyond the classroom, office, and lab through active engagement with communities, organizations, projects, and partnerships throughout the region and around the world.

UCLA’s diverse community of scholars encompasses nearly 30,000 undergraduates pursuing 125 majors, 13,000 graduate students in fifty-nine research programs, and 4,000 faculty members including Nobel Laureates; Rhodes Scholars; MacArthur Fellows; winners of the Fields Medal, National Medal of Science, Pritzker Prize, and Pulitzer Prize; and recipients of Oscars, Emmys, Tonys, and Golden Globes. UCLA ranks tenth in the Times of London Higher Education World Reputation Rankings, twelfth in the Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and fifth in the U.S. by Washington Monthly. The National Research Council ranks forty of its graduate and doctoral research programs among its top ten.

To enable these accomplished students, faculty, and staff to create, disseminate, and apply knowledge for the benefit of global society, the UCLA Library is re-envisioning how knowledge is acquired, synthesized, and shared across academic audiences and with the public. The UCLA Library was one of the first academic libraries to develop subject-specialist librarians and to launch a program to enhance students’ research skills. Its Special Collections pioneered the acquisition by public institutions of rare and unique books, children’s literature, pulp and detective fiction, works by or about women and minorities, screenplays, architectural plans, and Los Angeles-related materials and today leads the way in collecting archival resources in digital format such as emails and manuscripts. It has launched innovative data management services and an affordable course materials initiative that have served as models for other libraries.

The Library serves UCLA students, faculty, and staff whenever and wherever they need its resources and expertise. Reconfigured, high-tech spaces and services in its ten campus libraries enable users and librarians to explore and work with print and digital materials collaboratively or individually, pursue new lines of inquiry, and develop new pedagogical approaches as well as novel forms of scholarship. More than 3.5 million people visit annually, while an additional 3.4 million visitors enter online through its virtual front doors.

Whether on campus or online, the Library forms the intellectual heart of UCLA, a hub for cutting-edge discovery, scholarship, and instruction.

The UCLA Library Cataloging & Metadata Center is the main cataloging unit in the UCLA Library system. The Center serves the cataloging needs of the Arts, Biomedical, Management, Music, Powell, Science & Engineering, and Young Research Libraries, as well as of eight small collections on campus. The Center’s 13 FTE librarians and 20 FTE staff are organized into six teams: Data Integrity, Discovery, ERM/Continuing Resources, International, Metadata Services, and Subject Specialists. It is primarily responsible for providing access to more than 90,000 titles annually, including locally-digitized and curated materials, in various formats and languages, using a variety of metadata schemas. In addition to providing access to tangible materials, the Center creates metadata in support of UCLA’s Digital Library Program. Members of the Center advise and consult with members of the campus community and others on metadata and cataloging issues. The Center is exploring next generation metadata development through BIBFRAME/linked data and actively participating in national efforts to determine how these changes in data format can improve the user experience and obtain greater benefits from structured metadata investments. The Center is also a long-standing member of the Program for Cooperative Cataloging and a significant contributor to BIBCO, CONSER, NACO, and SACO.

Within the Center, the Continuing Resources Management Team consists of 2 FTE librarians and 1.2 FTE library assistants and is responsible for creation and enhancement of CONSER records for continuing resources collected by client units; for identity management of persons and corporate bodies; and for related e-resources management (ERM) work. The team also assists in metadata creation for digital collections. CONSER records created by the team facilitate discovery of journals, newspapers, and other ongoing publications in the local library catalog and shared bibliographic database (OCLC). The team’s ERM work facilitates successful linking from library research tools (such as online indexes) to the resources themselves.

Position Duties
The UCLA Library seeks a highly-motivated, collaborative, and future-oriented professional to contribute to a team with a history of providing leadership in the bibliographic control of continuing resources at the national and regional levels, involvement in cutting-edge initiatives, and experimentation with tools and technologies. Reporting to the Continuing Resources Management Team Leader the Continuing Resources Metadata Librarian contributes internally to the organization and externally through participation in the profession and maintains metadata for UCLA’s continuing resources through the PCC’s CONSER program, as well as the local e-resource management system and link resolver; actively participates in the efforts to assess and develop the standards and best practices to support this work, identifies, suggests, and helps implement means of improving efficiencies and workflows, studies new tools and technologies, and explores ways to put library metadata to new uses.

Specific duties and responsibilities include:
• Creates, authenticates, and maintains CONSER records and corresponding NACO authority records in OCLC and the UCLA local system.
• Activates and maintains related data in the library E-Resources Management System and link resolver.
• Resolves problems related to continuing resources in the bibliographic, authority, ERMS, and link-resolver databases.
• Assists with developing and revising load specifications for batch loaded metadata received from outside sources and oversees follow up work needed.
• Creates non-MARC metadata and responds to requests for metadata advice, in support of the UCLA Digital Library. Contributions may also include (but are not limited to): creating non-MARC metadata using a variety of schemas; mapping among various metadata schemas; reviewing and analyzing data; identifying strategies for extending and reusing existing metadata; consulting with members of the campus community on any of the above; as well as collaborating with the unit head and the Director of Metadata Services to develop cost-effective, efficient best practices.
• Manages and reviews work for assigned special projects.
• Contributes to the UC CONSER Funnel.
• Develops and delivers training within the team, the Center, and in other settings.
• Writes and maintains documentation of policies and procedures.
• Suggests methods for streamlining or automating metadata creation and management, using various tools for metadata manipulation and scripting, and contributes to effective implementations.
• Collaborates with team leader and department colleagues in the provision of quality control, data transformation, investigation of new tools and standards, and development of standards and best practices.

Required Qualifications
• ALA-accredited Master's Degree in Library or Information Science OR significant graduate-level coursework toward such a degree OR equivalent education and experience (subject expertise combined with professional library education and/or experience).
• Familiarity with current and emerging issues, trends, workflows, and best practices in the area of continuing resources cataloging.
• Knowledge of Resource Description and Access (RDA)/Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules (AACR2r), CONSER cataloging practices and documentation, Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) and classification, FAST, MARC21 formats for bibliographic and authority data, and other relevant standards.
• Strong service orientation and interest in anticipating and supporting information users' values and needs.
• Experience in working with a cataloging utility, such as OCLC, in an integrated library system environment.
• Demonstrated proficiency and capabilities with personal computers and software, the Web, and library-relevant information technology applications. Working knowledge of standard computer office applications such as Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint or other productivity software.
• Aptitude for learning new technologies and metadata standards.
• Ability to work effectively in a production-oriented environment and to develop and adjust workflow to service needs.
• Ability to thrive in an environment that values cooperation, creativity, innovation, continuous improvement, assessment, and accountability for results.
• Ability to plan, coordinate and manage projects.
• Excellent analytical, organizational and time management skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to train librarians, staff and/or student employees.
• Ability to work creatively, collaboratively, and effectively both as a team member and independently and to promote teamwork among colleagues.
• Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with peers and stakeholders throughout the Library.
• Ability to work with staff, students and faculty from diverse cultural backgrounds and in a dynamic and complex environment within a large organization.
• Capacity to thrive in the exciting, ambiguous, future-oriented environment of a world-class research institution.
• Commitment to professional issues, demonstrated through strong interest in local or national committee work, research, publication, etc.

Desired Qualifications
• Experience cataloging continuing resources.
• Experience working with linked open data and familiarity with linked data concepts.
• Knowledge of, and experience with programming languages (such as Python, Ruby, etc.).
• Bibliographic proficiency in at least one language other than English.

General Information
Professional librarians at UCLA are academic appointees. Librarians at UCLA are represented by an exclusive bargaining agent, University Council – American Federation of Teachers (UC-AFT). This is a represented position. Librarians are entitled to appropriate professional leave, two days per month of vacation leave, one day per month of sick leave, and all other benefits granted to non-faculty academic personnel. The University has an excellent retirement system and sponsors a variety of group health, dental, vision, and life insurance plans in addition to other benefits. Relocation assistance may be provided.

Appointees to the librarian series at UC shall have professional backgrounds that demonstrate a high degree of creativity, teamwork, and flexibility. Such background will normally include a professional degree from an ALA-accredited library and information science graduate program. In addition to professional competence and quality of service within the library in the primary job, advancement in the librarian series requires professional involvement and contributions outside of the library, and/or university and community service, and/or scholarly activities. Candidates must show evidence or promise of such contributions.

Candidates applying by February 15, 2018, will be given first consideration for this position. UCLA welcomes and encourages diversity and seeks applications and nominations from women and minorities. UCLA seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce as a reflection of our commitment to serve the people of California, to maintain the excellence of the university, and to offer our students richly varied disciplines, perspectives, and ways of knowing and learning.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see: UC Nondiscrimination and Affirmative Action Policy at http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct

Under federal law, the University of California may employ only individuals who are legally authorized to work in the United States as established by providing documents specified in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Employment is contingent upon completion of satisfactory background investigation.

Visit the Jobs @ UCLA Library website at: http://www.library.ucla.edu/about/jobs-ucla-library

Application Requirements

Document requirements
  • Cover Letter - Describing qualifications and experience.

  • Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V. detailing education and relevant experience.

  • References - Names and contact information for three professional references, including current or previous supervisor; contact information only.

Job location

Los Angeles, CA