Overview of Essential Functions

Under direction by the Statewide Digital Projects Supervisor, the Statewide Digitization Assistant and Project Archivist will be the primary logistics and communications coordinator for the precise delivery, scheduling, documentation, processing, and quality control of collections into the BPL digitization facilities and digital object files out to Digital Commonwealth partners.

Reports to

Statewide Digital Projects Supervisor (P4)

Supervises

As assigned, professional and support staff.

• Responds to incoming digitization applications promptly with clear instructions regarding next steps for digitization and project expectations.
• Schedules and participates in consultative site visits and material deliveries with appropriate staff to and from partner institutions.
• Articulates basic project parameters and prerequisites to applicants and partners.
• Helps assess and prepare collections for digitization in terms of organization, intellectual control, unique identification, special handling requirements, conservation needs and other applicable LIS principles.
• Appraises and arranges incoming collections to assure a high degree of efficiency through the BPL digitization production workflows.
• Consults with Digital Imaging Project Coordinator to determine ideal workflow to digitize materials safely and efficiently.
• Maintains promptly recorded and accurate documentation of materials delivered to and from BPL and affiliated digitization facilities.
• Documents all completed steps in BPL digitization workflow in appropriate shared documents and project management applications.
• Under the direction of the Digital Imaging Project Coordinator performs basic image editing and quality control of digital files.
• Creates and maintains proper naming conventions and directory hierarchies for digital files.
• Maps bibliographic descriptive metadata into upload templates and picklists for ingest into the Internet Archive production system for certain types of materials.
• Liaises with BPL metadata librarians and partner institutions to ensure the creation of descriptive records that meet or exceed minimum requirements for upload into the Digital Commonwealth repository.
• Other related or equivalent duties as assigned.

Competencies

• Broad knowledge of Library policies, practices, and procedures.
• Willingness to assume responsibility and carry out assignments independently.
• Good oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to work well with staff and public.
• Initiative, dependability, good judgment, tact and courtesy.
• Working knowledge of archival appraisal and arrangement best practices.
• Thorough knowledge of file naming best practices.
• Ability to coordinate complex project tasks amongst a wide variety of staff and project partners.
• Knowledge of basic preservation and handling techniques for rare and fragile items.
• Careful and meticulous attention to detail.

Education

• A bachelor’s degree from a recognized college or university and a master’s degree in library and information science from an accredited library school.  Courses in archival management, metadata, and digital projects at an accredited library school.  In exceptional instances specialized education, training and/or experience may be substituted for all or part of the educational requirements.

Experience

• Two years of pertinent professional experience or any equivalent combination of education, experience, and training sufficient to indicate ability to do the work. 
• Knowledge of digitization projects involving complex imaging and metadata production tasks from a wide variety of source collections and institutions including library, archives and/or museum materials, with at least 2 year of processing and preservation work and basic Adobe Photoshop image editing tools.

Requirements:

• Residency – Must be a resident of the City of Boston upon the first day of hire.
• CORI – Must successfully clear a Criminal Offenders Record Information check with the City of Boston.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to travel throughout Massachusetts and New England.

Terms:
Union/Salary Plan/Grade: PSA/P-2
Hours per week: 35