Metadata Librarian

Metadata Librarian

UVA Library is seeking a Metadata Librarian in the Metadata and Discovery Services (MDS) department. This position develops, implements, and achieves the goals of the MDS department in alignment with the strategic priorities of the Scholarly Resource & Content Strategy (SRCS) division and the University of Virginia Library. The role focuses on creating, enhancing, and maintaining descriptive metadata and metadata standards to improve discoverability and support interoperability with appropriate metadata schemas, content standards, and controlled vocabularies.

The incumbent serves as the primary metadata authority across the institution, focusing on indexing, mapping, cross walking, maintaining, and enhancing metadata, primarily for non‑MARC schemas while also collaborating on MARC metadata to ensure interoperability. The librarian also promotes reparative metadata descriptions and supports 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.
• Collaborates on strategies for utilizing semantic technologies, such as RDF, schema.org, SPARQL, and existing collections.
• Collaborates on the planning and development of sustainable solutions for optimizing metadata management, interoperability, and integration of metadata across systems.
• 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:

• 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 a degree.
• Experience:
  
  4‑9 years (post‑degree/experience equivalency).

• 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 a 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 accessibility and boost operational efficiency of metadata management and knowledge of metadata sharing and harvesting practices (e.g., OAI‑PMH), metadata mapping, and linked data.
• Knowledge of analytical and transformational metadata tools (e.g., Open Refine, Marc Edit, et cetera) and programming/scripting languages (e.g., Python) for data manipulation, automation, and harvesting.
• Familiarity with semantic web technologies (e.g., RDF, schema.org, SPARQL, et cetera).
• Experience with PCC, NACO, BIBCO, CONSER, or SACO programs.
• Ability to communicate in writing to both technical and non‑technical audiences.

• Librarian II: $75,000 – $85,000
• Librarian III: $82,000 – $92,000

• This is an exempt‑level, benefited position. Learn more about UVA benefits.
• This position is based in Charlottesville, VA designated as hybrid, and the successful candidate will be eligible for remote work up to 2 days per week after a probationary period.