Careers at UMass Amherst

About UMass Amherst

The flagship of the Commonwealth, the University of Massachusetts Amherst is a nationally ranked public land-grant research university that seeks to expand educational access, fuel innovation and creativity, and share and use its knowledge for the common good. Founded in 1863, UMass Amherst sits on nearly 1,450-acres in scenic Western Massachusetts and boasts state-of-the-art facilities for teaching, research, scholarship, and creative activity. The institution advances a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community where everyone feels connected and valued—and thrives, and offers a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees across 10 schools and colleges, and 100 undergraduate majors. We believe every member of our university community can contribute to our ongoing success by striving for the highest level of excellence as we seek breakthrough solutions to mounting environmental, social, economic, and technological challenges in our world.

Job Description

The Metadata Librarian will actively catalog materials in a variety of formats using rules and national standards and best practices. They will participate in discussions relating to discovery, access, retrieval, and management of objects in the Library Services Platform and discovery. Advice on the application of appropriate current and emerging cataloging/metadata schema to facilitate access to digital resources and physical collections. Train others on cataloging/metadata creation and management and work closely with staff throughout the Libraries to provide access to the Libraries’ collections.

Essential Functions

• Create and maintain metadata for description, discovery, access, administration, and preservation in line with national standards and best practices.
• Assist with metadata quality and authority control, cleanup, editing, enhancement, migration, mapping and transformations.
• Collaborate with other library staff in developing strategies for providing discovery and access to the full range of scholarly materials for which the Libraries are responsible.
• Train others on metadata creation and management and work closely with staff throughout the Libraries to provide access to the Libraries’ collections.
• Contribute to the development, documentation and communication of departmental and Five College metadata workflows, policies, guidelines and procedures.
• Engage in outreach with local, regional, national, and international communities, as representatives of the university and the Libraries.
• Stay up-to-date with cataloging best practices and procedures, adhering to appropriate standards and guidelines.
• Participate in library service and professional development activities as assigned or required to meet departmental goals and objectives.
• Demonstrate, foster, and cultivate a positive, proactive internal and external customer service culture amongst staff and student staff.
• Perform other related duties as assigned in support of the mission and goals of the department, the Libraries, and the university.

Other Functions

• Performs other duties as assigned.

Organizational Values

• Commitment to support justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) within the Libraries and across the institution.
• Ability to build and sustain effective working relationships and work collaboratively in a diverse and fast-paced environment.
• Purposefully promote a One Library environment for all that encourages inclusion, personal growth, respect, self-reflection, curiosity, and continuous learning.
• Understands responsibilities with respect to conflicts of interest and behaves in ways consistent with both law and with university policy.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

• Master's degree in library science or equivalent degree from a program accredited by the American Library Association or its equivalent in librarianship from another country, or appropriate equivalent experience by date of hire.
• Knowledge of metadata standards, authorities, and best practices.
• Familiarity with integrated library systems or library services platforms, discovery systems, digital repositories, or OCLC cataloging tools.
• Ability to work cooperatively within teams and maintain positive and constructive working relationships.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and presentation skills.
• A demonstrated commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with metadata editing and transformation tools and techniques.
• Experience with authority control and in applying metadata schemes and standards.
• Experience with the FOLIO system and community or with similar open-source projects related to resource management and discovery.
• Familiarity with developments in reparative and inclusive cataloging.
• Experience with original and complex copy cataloging for continuing resources including holdings management.
• Experience with original and complex copy cataloging for government documents according to national Federal Depository guidelines and policies.
• Working knowledge of at least one language in addition to English.

Additional Information

• Works under the supervision of the Head of Metadata.
• The regular working schedule for this position is Monday - Friday, day hours.
• The incumbent of the position is expected to work on a flexible schedule, which includes some evening, weekend, and holiday hours.

Salary Information

Librarian I or II. Salary commensurate with experience.

• Librarian I salary floor: $63,250
• Librarian II salary floor: $70,725

Benefits

University benefits may differ based on collective bargaining agreements (unions). Please see below for the potential benefits MSP Librarians can be entitled to obtain: benefits for the Massachusetts Society of Professors (MSP) members and benefits for MSP Librarians positions:

• Human Resources: Faculty & Staff General Benefits
• Massachusetts Society of Professors (MSP) Benefits
• MSP Librarian Positions Benefits

Promotion

MSP Librarian positions are eligible for promotion, defined as a change in rank as a librarian from one rank to the next higher rank. The bargaining unit member who gets a promotion shall receive the base salary increase in line with the MSP collective bargaining agreement. You can view the MSP Collective Bargaining Agreement, particularly, article 20, to learn more about MSP Librarian Personnel Actions, including promotion, appointment, reappointment, and continuing appointment.

Application Instructions

Along with the application, please submit a resume, cover letter and contact information for three (3) professional references. The search will remain open until filled.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst welcomes all qualified applicants and complies with all state and federal anti-discrimination laws.