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Visual Resources Librarian for Islamic Art & Architecture, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

Posted December 16, 2014

Reporting to the Visual Resources Librarian, this position is responsible for research support, outreach, and collaboration, through visual materials in the field of Islamic art and architecture, to faculty, students, and researchers.  Visual materials collections in the Fine Arts Library document all aspects of Islamic art and architecture through formats that include digital images, 35mm and glass lantern slides for teaching as well historic photographs and albums, illustrated publications, postcards, and ephemera.  Additional responsibilities include implementation of appropriate and forward-looking image metadata schemes, digital access, & participation in collection development/management. Works closely with the Bibliographer in the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture and the Photographic Resources Librarian in the Fine Arts Library and the faculty/staff of the Aga Khan Program.

Typical Duties & Responsibilities:

Collection Management, Development, and Access:

  • Acquires, evaluates, and identifies digital resources and other visual formats for the Library’s image teaching and research collection in Islamic art and architecture 
  • In collaboration with the AKPIA Bibliographer and the FAL Photographic Resources Librarian, assists in the assessment and selection of  historic photographs and other visual materials in the Fine Arts Library’s collection for digitization,  preservation, or special projects 
  •  Works with AKPIA and other faculty members, students, fellows, and visiting scholars to set collection priorities based on research and curricular needs 
  • Works with the Visual Resources Librarian, to coordinate and prioritize production of different digital products (scanning, uploading, cataloging); tracks workflows and timely service to users 
  • Provides intellectual control for Islamic visual materials in OLIVIA, ARTstor Shared Shelf, and other catalogues including collaboration with other staff to establish best practices and authority control 
  • Contributes to planning and implementing projects involving the digitization and /or publication of Islamic visual materials 
  • Together with the Visual Resources Librarian, develops long-range objectives for Islamic visual image collections in consultation with AKPIA faculty and staff

Reference and instructional support:

  • Provides research services for visual materials in Islamic art and architectural history for faculty, students, and researchers throughout the University community 
  • Selects and provides images in appropriate formats for teaching and other visual resources for classroom lectures and course websites 
  • Provides individual and group research support including in-class workshops and personalized instruction 
  • Assists faculty and students in integrating visual and presentation technologies in lectures, course websites
  • Prepares online research guides, reference tools, and finding aids for Islamic visual materials  
  • Assists with image research and provides images, as needed, for Muqarnas and other Harvard and MIT AKPIA publications

Collaboration and outreach:

  • Collaborates with diverse Harvard colleagues including the Loeb Design Library, Near Eastern Languages and Civilization, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, and Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Islamic Studies Program 
  • Collaborates with AKPIA Documentation Center at MIT, Archnet, and other external initiatives on the creation and sharing of metadata, content, and services for users of visual materials on Islamic art and architecture such as SAHARA

Collaboration and outreach:

  • Works with other Harvard groups supporting interdisciplinary and digital scholarship, such as academic departments and programs, DASH, CGA, metaLab, and Digital Humanities, to develop content and research/teaching opportunities.  Seeks and collaborates with other stakeholders to develop projects for access to and dissemination of Islamic visual culture. 
  • Serves as needed with the Visual Resources Librarian on University-wide library working groups for image metadata tools and standards.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

  • Supervises year-round student employees and temporary/project staff (as needed) in the creation of level and collection-level metadata and indexing for Islamic visual materials in all formats. 
  • Hires and trains student and project staff in ARTstor Shared Shelf and/or other cataloging and presentation tools. 
  • Assign metadata creation and indexing projects to student and project staff. 
  • Performs quality assurance for Islamic image metadata.

Basic Qualifications:

  • Master’s degree in library and/or information science or equivalent experience 
  • 3-5 years of academic library experience or equivalent required 
  • Graduate study in the history of art and architecture related to the study of the Islamic world, or the equivalent combination of education, experience and/or background.  
  • Familiarity with at least one Middle Eastern language (Arabic, Persian, Turkish)  
  • Expertise in image metadata standards and online data creation and access 
  •  Computer skills including databases, digital image file management, presentation tools, and social media required.  
  • Excellent interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills required

Additional Qualifications:

  • Working knowledge of western European languages, especially French and German 
  • Knowledge of the historic and contemporary fields of Islamic art and architecture and historical study and their constituent disciplines. 
  • Familiarity with other archival collection projects related to visual culture and history of the Middle East

Harvard College Library information:

Founded in 1638, Harvard has a rich legacy of libraries that continues into the 21st century. In total there are over 70 libraries at Harvard that comprise the Harvard library system, with combined holdings of over 16 million items. More than 11  million of those items are part of the collection of a centrally  administered unit within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences that is  referred to as the Harvard College Library (HCL). It is comprised of Widener, Lamont, Birkhoff Mathematical, Cabot Science, Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Fine Arts, Harvard-Yenching, Houghton, Loeb Music, Physics Research, and Tozzer libraries and the Harvard Film Archive, Harvard Map Collection, and the Harvard Theatre Collection.

For more information, please visit:  http://www.hcl.harvard.edu/news/index.cfm

For information on Harvard College Library’s Green Initiatives, please visit:
http://hcl.harvard.edu/news/articles/2011/green_office_wrap_up.cfm

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