Head, Beinecke Library Digital Services Unit [Yale University, New Haven, CT]

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 the Digital Services Unit coordinates the Beinecke Library’s digitization program. This includes, its digital projects, and its user experience initiatives to enhance access to and use of Beinecke Library and its collections, including Beinecke Digital Collections, collection web pages, and online exhibits. The Head leads the investigation, development, and implementation of metadata and digitization workflows and standards as well as user interfaces and tools that affect the user experience.

The Head supervises the work of three senior photographers and two metadata catalog assistants to coordinate metadata creation, digitization, and quality control activities.  Leadership of user experience development requires collaboration across Beinecke and University Library departments. The Head participates in the Beinecke’s Technical Services Management Group to develop technical services strategies, policies, and procedures for the Beinecke Library.

The Head liaises with the Yale University Library’s Information Technology department 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.

Required Education, Skills and Experience:

• 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.
• A minimum of two years of professional experience.
• Excellent supervisory and strong leadership abilities. 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.
• Demonstrated knowledge of and 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.
• Demonstrated 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.
• Excellent analytical, oral, and written communication skills, especially the Demonstrated 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
• Demonstrated knowledge of current national and international metadata content and structure standards related to library and archival control of collection materials.
• Demonstrated knowledge of library digitization standards and practices.
• Demonstrated excellent oral and written communications and analytical ability.
• Demonstrated record of designing projects and bringing them to conclusion in a timely fashion.
• Demonstrated experience working collaboratively and independently with various groups within a complex organization and rapidly changing team environment.

Yale University assigns ranks to librarian positions based on a combination of professional experience and accomplishments. Librarian ranking information can be found at: http://www.library.yale.edu/about/departments/lhr/rank.html.

Preferred Education, Skills and Experience: A minimum of five years of professional experience. Familiarity with digital photography and color management. Familiarity with intellectual property rights and Fair Use applied to libraries. Familiarity with one or more major digital content management systems appropriate for repositories.

The University and the Library

The Yale University Library, as one of the world’s leading research libraries, collects, organizes, preserves, and provides access to and services for a rich and unique record of human thought and creativity. It fosters intellectual growth and supports the teaching and research missions of Yale University and scholarly communities worldwide. A distinctive strength is its rich spectrum of resources, including around 12.8 million volumes and information in all media, ranging from ancient papyri to early printed books to electronic databases. The Library is engaging in numerous projects to expand access to its physical and digital collections. Housed in eighteen buildings including the Sterling Memorial Library, the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, the Center for Science and Social Science Information, and the Bass Library, it employs a dynamic and diverse staff of approximately five hundred who offer innovative and flexible services to library readers.  For additional information on the Yale University Library, please visit the Library’s web site at www.library.yale.edu.

Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library:

The Beinecke Library is Yale’s principal repository for literary archives, early manuscripts, and rare books. One of the great collections in North America, the Beinecke collections are internationally known and heavily used by scholars from around the world. For further information about the Beinecke Library, consult the library’s web site at: http://www.library.yale.edu/beinecke.

Salary and Benefits

We invite you to discover the excitement, diversity, rewards and excellence of a career at Yale University. One of the country’s great workplaces, Yale University offers exciting opportunities for meaningful accomplishment and true growth. Our benefits package is among the best anywhere, with a wide variety of insurance choices, liberal paid time off, fantastic family and educational benefits, a variety of retirement benefits, extensive recreational facilities, and much more.

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 37906BR.

Yale University considers applicants for employment without regard to, and does not discriminate on the basis of an individual’s sex, race, color, religion, age, disability, status as a veteran, or national or ethnic origin; nor does Yale discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.