The IU Indianapolis University Library seeks an experienced Digital Preservation and Digital Collections Archivist to join its team. This position is responsible for ensuring the long-term preservation, effective management, and innovative reuse of digital assets, as well as facilitating creation of new digital collections from both Library and community partner-held cultural sources. The successful candidate will have a deep understanding of digital preservation and experience working with digital collections.
The Digital Preservation and Digital Collections Librarian reports to the Director of Distinctive Collections and works closely with colleagues within Distinctive Collections (Herron Art Library and Ruth Lilly Special Collections & Archives) and across the Library, to ensure the preservation and maintenance of digital content. This content includes, but is not limited to, digitized texts, images, audio-visual material, 3D and VR content, GIS data, research data sets, and born-digital materials. This is a tenure-track position, with an anticipated start date of March 1, 2025. University Library is especially interested in promoting an environment of diversity and excellence throughout the institution and welcomes candidates committed to fostering diverse and inclusive environments.
Indiana University Indianapolis is an urban research and health sciences campus with 15 degree-granting schools and more than 375 degree and certificate programs. Located in downtown Indianapolis, a multicultural and affordable mid-sized city, the campus serves more than 25,000 students.
As the state’s premier urban research institution, IUI is committed to being a welcoming campus community that reflects and enacts the values of diversity, equity and inclusion that inform academic excellence.
Responsibilities
- Supervise one full-time staff with responsibility for digitization and metadata creation.
- Develop and implement strategies, policies, procedures, tools, and best practices for the ongoing preservation of the library's digital collections, ensuring the integrity and accessibility of digital assets over time.
- Monitor and maintain the integrity of digital assets in line with best practices
- Collaborate with internal and external partners to manage digital collections projects, including digitization, metadata creation, quality control, and preservation.
- Facilitate the maintenance and enhancement of existing digital collections and creation of new digital collections, both digitized and born-digital, including web archives.
- Serve as a member of the Digital Collections Advisory Group charged with evaluating potential digital collections projects, setting priorities, and establishing best practices for digital collection creation.
- Participate in Indiana University-wide projects related to digital preservation and digital collections.
- Represent the library in local, state, and national digital preservation and digital collections venues as appropriate.
Required Qualifications
- An ALA-accredited master’s degree in library or information science or an equivalent degree in a related field
- Proven success working in digital preservation, digital archives, and/or digital collections
- Demonstrated knowledge of digital preservation issues, strategies, standards, and best practices
- Expertise in digital collections management and platforms, particularly with CONTENTdm, Samvera, and/or DSpace
- Understanding of metadata standards such as Dublin Core
- Excellent communication, collaboration, and project management skills
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively with a team environment
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience working in an archives or special collections
- Experience with preserving obsolete digital media, such as floppy disks
- Experience in standards for digitizing physical materials such as print and photographs
- Experience with web archiving in Archive-It
- Proficiency with the Dublin Core metadata standard
- Familiarity with national and international collaborative digital preservation efforts
- Familiarity with copyright considerations related to digital collections creation and reuse
- Experience in assessing digital collections and digital collection platforms
About Indiana University Indianapolis and University Library
IU Indianapolis, an urban-serving institution with a mission and a vision focused on both diversity and community engagement, has been the recipient of the prestigious Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) award from Insight into Diversity (the nation’s oldest higher education diversity publication) for twelve consecutive years. The campus has been recognized in recent years by Forbes Magazine as the #3 best employer for women in the state among universities, and the #4 best employer for diversity in Indiana. University Library is a Power of Libraries award winner and home to numerous award-winning professionals.
University Library is looking for archivists who will support our commitment to engage with the wider educational community through performance, professional development and service that are inclusive of the rich diversity of our campus and our city. We seek candidates who will not only enhance our representational diversity but whose research, teaching, and community engagement efforts contribute to diverse, equitable, and inclusive learning and working environments for our students, staff, and faculty.
IU Indianapolis condemns racism in all its forms and has taken an anti-racist stance that moves beyond mere statements to interrogating its policies, procedures, and practices. We hope to identify individuals who will assist in our mission to dismantle racism so that everyone has the opportunity to succeed at IU Indianapolis.
Compensation and Application
The salary range is $58,000 with additional funding for professional development and travel. Benefits include 22 vacation days, 10 paid holidays, health/dental insurance options, and retirement contributions of 10% to a Fidelity Investments retirement plan. A start-up package includes $10,000 for moving and ongoing professional development expenses.
Deadline for applications is January 15, 2024. The position is available no sooner than March 1, 2025. Please forward a CV, contact information for four references (include name, title, telephone number, and e-mail address) and a letter of application discussing your ability to advance the library’s Strategic Priorities, and the individual strengths you will bring to the position. Interested candidates should review the application requirements and submit their application at https://indiana.peopleadmin.com/.
Questions regarding the position or application process can be directed to University Library Human Resources Specialist Jeff Hostetler at the following email address: jehostet@iu.edu