Friday, October 18, 2013

Head, Digital Services Unit, Technical Services - Yale University Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, New Haven

Head, Digital Services Unit, Technical Services - Yale University Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, New Haven. Position Focus: Under the direction of the Head of Technical Services and working in close collaboration with units across the Beinecke Library and the Yale University Library, the Head of Beinecke Digital Services leads and coordinates the Beinecke Library’s digitization program, digital projects, and user experience initiatives that enhance access to and use of Beinecke Library and its collections, including the Beinecke Digital Library, collection web pages, and online exhibits. The Head leads and provides technical expertise in the investigation, development, and application of interfaces and tools that affect the user experience, as well as metadata and digitization workflows and standards. The Head of Beinecke Digital Services liaises with the Yale University Library’s Information Technology and Digital Initiatives departments and works collaboratively with Yale University Library staff. The Head may represent the Beinecke within Yale University Library and nationally and internationally in discussions and committees pertaining to user experience initiatives, metadata, and digitization at Yale and is active professionally. The Head of Beinecke Digital Services supervises the work of three senior photographers and three metadata catalog assistants to coordinate and supervise metadata creation, digitization, color management, and quality control activities. The Head participates in the Beinecke’s Technical Services Management Group to develop technical services strategies, policies, and procedures for the Beinecke Library. Required Education, Skills and Experience: 1. Master’s degree from an ALA-accredited library school or equivalent accredited degree. In selected instances, a post-graduate degree in museum studies or a related discipline in the humanities or social sciences may be substituted for a master’s degree in library science. 2. Excellent supervisory and strong leadership abilities. 3. Demonstrated ability to work with a wide range of digital library standards and practices, such as digitization, digital preservation, standards for media content, metadata, controlled authorities, and user experience. 4. Project management skills, especially the ability to devise and achieve agreed-upon completion dates for projects; ability to multitask and keep priorities aligned to objectives; ability to identify and analyze problems in the context of special collections technology initiatives. 5. Excellent analytical, oral, and written communication skills, especially the ability to convey and explain to non-technical audiences the importance and impact of technology trends and issues relevant to the YUL’s operation and mission. 6. Strong commitment to customer service with well-developed interpersonal skills and demonstrated abilities to work collegially with staff, researchers, and colleagues, especially in the context of technology initiatives that are specific to academic libraries and special collections. Yale University assigns ranks to librarian positions based on a combination of professional experience and accomplishments (see range assigned to this description as noted in the posting position title). Librarian ranking information can be found at: http://www.library.yale.edu/about/departments/lhr/rank.html. Preferred Education, Skills and Experience: 1. Experience with agile and traditional project methodologies. 2. Professional experience with digital photography and color management. 3. Familiarity with intellectual property rights and Fair Use applied to libraries. 4. Familiarity with one or more major digital content management systems appropriate for repositories. 5. Knowledge of current digital library technologies, standards, and best practices. How to apply: Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Applications, consisting of a cover letter, resume, and the names and contact information of three professional references should be submitted by applying online at http://www.yale.edu/jobs. The STARS req. ID for this position is 23269BR. Please be sure to reference #23269BR in your cover letter. Yale University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer. Yale values diversity in its faculty, staff, and students and strongly encourages applications from women and members of underrepresented minority groups.