Metadata Librarian

Overview

UVA Library is seeking a Metadata Librarian in the Metadata and Discovery Services (MDS) department. This position develops, implements, and accomplishes the goals and objectives of the MDS department in alignment with the strategic priorities of the Scholarly Resource & Content Strategy (SRCS) division and the University of Virginia Library. This position creates, enhances, and maintains descriptive metadata and metadata standards to improve discoverability and support interoperability with the appropriate metadata schemas, content standards, and controlled vocabularies.

The incumbent serves as the primary Metadata authority across the institution with a focus on indexing, mapping, cross‑walking, maintaining, and enhancing Metadata. While the position focuses primarily on creating and maintaining non‑MARC Metadata schemas and standards, the incumbent also collaborates on MARC Metadata to ensure interoperable metadata. The Metadata Librarian engages in departmental initiatives to promote reparative Metadata descriptions and support inclusive Metadata practices.

• Provides leadership to MDS in designing and executing policies, guidelines, and profiles for metadata projects involving non‑MARC metadata schemas and standards.
• Develops non‑MARC workflows to plan, coordinate, and conduct metadata enhancement to improve discoverability.
• Serves as an expert consultant on the development and implementation of metadata projects with a focus on best practices, quality control, tools, procedures, workflows, and standards.
• Utilizes software tools to analyze and transform metadata, while also cultivating knowledge of programming languages (i.e.: Python or R) to automate tasks with scripts and manipulate metadata.
• Collaborate on strategies for utilizing sematic technologies, such as RDF, schema.org, SPARQL, and existing collections.
• Creates and maintains local documentation on metadata standards and application profiles.
• Collaborates on the planning and development of sustainable solutions for optimizing metadata management, interoperability, and integration of metadata across systems.
• Assess developments in local, national, and international Metadata standards and policies.

• Engages in metadata initiatives within the UVA Libraries and the broader university community.
• Assesses, observes, and participates in national areas of interest regarding metadata librarianship.
• Participates in professional associations, working groups, task forces, instructional programs and committees with the goal of implementing metadata tools that innovate current metadata manipulation processes.
• Contributes to innovation in metadata practices by engaging in academic discourse through scholarly publications or professional engagements.

• The Library will be hiring into the following job profiles below based on qualifications and experience and the working title will be Metadata Librarian:
• Librarian II
  :
  Education – Master’s degree in Library Science from an ALA Accredited program or relevant graduate degree. Experience equivalency substitution (per Department of Labor Equivalency Guidelines):
  Bachelor’s + 4 Years relevant experience considered in lieu of degree. Experience – 4 to 9 years (post degree/experience equivalency).
• Librarian III
  :
  Education – Master’s degree in Library Science from an ALA Accredited program or relevant graduate degree. Experience equivalency substitution (per Department of Labor Equivalency Guidelines):
  Bachelor’s + 4 Years relevant experience considered in lieu of degree. Experience – 9 or more years (post degree/experience equivalency).

• Experience with established metadata and cataloging tools and standards and demonstrates a willingness to learn, while also viewing challenges as opportunities for professional growth.
• Familiarity with evolving technologies and standards in resource description (e.g.: BIBFRAME, RDA, and RDF) and identity management (e.g., ORCID, VIAF, and BIBFRAME, et cetera).
• A commitment to explore and incorporate innovative tools that elevate digital…