Digital Preservation Librarian, Dartmouth College, Hanover NH
Posted July 2, 2013
Title: Digital Preservation Librarian
Department: Preservation Services
Reports to: Head, Preservation Services
The Digital Preservation Librarian plays a key role in preserving Dartmouth College Library’s
collections by enhancing the Library’s capacity to preserve and provide access to all our digital
materials both commercially acquired and locally produced. Working closely with the head of
Preservation Services and Library staff involved in the acquisition, creation, description,
security, and management of information resources, the Digital Preservation Librarian explores,
adapts, implements, and manages emerging digital preservation policies and strategies in support
of Library digital collections and publishing initiatives.
Key Accountabilities:
Program Planning and Development
• Create and manage a robust digital preservation program for Dartmouth College Library’s digital collections, both those acquired for and created by the Library.
• Assume a key role in the creation and development of a trustworthy repository of digital
resources for the Dartmouth College Library.
• Establish and maintain policies, workflows, and procedures that support long-term
preservation and access to digital materials.
• Collaboratively define requirements and specifications, including file formats and
standard preservation metadata, for digital materials the library creates or acquires.
Repository Management
• As part of the digital preservation program implementation, provide ongoing preservation planning and administration for the Library’s digital repository.
• Coordinate repository workflows including ingest, archival storage, data management, administration, and access.
• Develop an overall migration strategy to ensure that material in standard and nonstandard or obsolete digital formats will be reformatted and/or refreshed regularly.
Collaboration and Outreach
• Maintain working relationships with departments that are engaged in preservation, curation, and access to digitized content, including Access Services, Acquisitions Services, Cataloging and Metadata Services, Digital Library Technologies Group, the Digital Program, the Digital Resources Program, Jones Media Center, Records Management, Special Collections, affiliated libraries at Dartmouth, and Computing services.
Professional Development
• Maintain current knowledge of developing technologies, standards, and practices in the preservation of digital collections; recommend responses to these developments through periodic alerts, summaries, reports, and revisions to policies and procedures.
• Represent Dartmouth College Library in forums on digital preservation at the campus, regional, national, or international level.
Perform other duties as needed.
Position Requirements:
Skills & Knowledge
• Demonstrated knowledge of current technologies, standards, and practices in preservation of digital
collections including PREMIS, OAIS, and TDR.
• Knowledge of current research on contingency plans against threats to the digital collections, such as
industry changes to file formats, natural disaster, and security breaches.
• Working knowledge of intellectual property and licensing issues as related to electronic resources and
digital archives.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and communication skills, and the ability to work effectively in and to lead
teams and small groups.
• Commitment to diversity and to serving the needs of a diverse population.
• Ability to work independently, show leadership, prioritize and manage projects.
Experience
• Strong computing background.
• Prior experience with format validation and conversion methods
• Some experience with data integrity techniques & technologies.
• Experience with long term storage planning.
• Experience with digital asset management such as ContentDm, Fedora, or other system.
Education
• Master’s degree in Library Science from an ALA accredited
program desired.
• Advanced certificate in preservation, digital resource management or the equivalent in experience preferred.
Please contact [email protected] for more information.