DPLA Research Assistant, Digital Public Library of America, Boston MA

Posted September 2, 2013

Interested in working with DPLA staff to further its mission of bringing together the riches of America’s libraries, archives, and museums, and make them freely available to all? Excited about the future of online access to information? Want to collaborate closely with innovative partners in public and research libraries, government, publishing, and elsewhere? Then look no further! The DPLA, a growing non-profit organization, seeks a part-time Research Assistant to work on a variety of initiatives.

The RA’s primary responsibilities will be to support DPLA staff in its Boston offices, located in the Boston Public Library in the heart of Copley Square. This position represents an ideal opportunity for those interested in digital libraries, digital humanities, intellectual property issues, and access to knowledge and information.

The RA will collaborate with DPLA staff to:

Blog regularly on issues related to digital library users, content, governance, funding, and related issues, staying abreast of developments in the digital library field (including news related to e-publishing, copyright, linked open data, user experience, community engagement, and other areas); Conduct research in these areas, as needed; Engage with the DPLA community via social media; Assist with preparations for the first annual DPLAfest meeting in Boston on October 24-25, 2013 and occasional workshops, including opportunities to create related multimedia; Contribute to projects as they arise.

The RA will have the opportunity to:

Boost his or her writing and blogging credentials; Creatively bridge research and practice; Work closely as a partner with the DPLA team;
Participate in the greater DPLA community and engage in ongoing dynamic conversations at the forefront of libraries, digital information, and copyright; Required experience and skills:

Advanced writing and editing skills, with the ability to quickly draft and contextualize written materials within the suite of the project outputs;
Excellent critical reading comprehension, with the ability to absorb material quickly; Attention to detail; Familiarity with common social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, Storify, and YouTube; Prior HTML editing experience or a willingness to learn. Additional skills/interests helpful for this position:

Expertise in fields such as digital humanities, library and information science, law, or journalism; Media production, including experience recording and/or editing audio and/or video; Prior blogging experience; Familiarity with WordPress.

Time Commitment and Payment:

RAs will work approximately 10 hours per week. Compensation is $12.00/hour. No other benefits are provided. This position is based in Boston, Massachusetts, and remote participation is not possible for this opportunity. The start date is mid-September 2013 or as soon as possible.

To apply:

Please send your current CV/resume, a cover letter summarizing your interest and experience, and a writing sample or link to any online work (such as a blog post or article) to Kenny Whitebloom, DPLA Project Coordinator, at [email protected] with “Application for DPLA RA” in the subject line. Questions about the position can also be directed to that address.

About the DPLA

The Digital Public Library of America strives to contain the full breadth of human expression, from the written word, to works of art and culture, to records of America’s heritage, to the efforts and data of science. Since launching in April 2013, it has aggregated over 4 million items from over 600 institutions. The DPLA is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. You can find more information about working at the DPLA at http://dp.la/info/about/jobs/.