Faculty Positions

Position Title / Rank: Assistant or Associate Librarian in Metadata, 18-month Contractually-Limited Appointment

College: Library

Department: Collections & Content

Date Posted: January 7, 2021

Deadline: January 14, 2021
Please reference AD #21-01
Internal Posting Only

Position Description:

The McLaughlin Library at the University of Guelph invites applications for a Metadata Librarian, at the Assistant or Associate Librarian level, to serve on the Collections & Content (C&C) Team.

The Collections & Content Team consists of a Collection Development Team of librarians who are responsible for the content of the collection; an Acquisitions and Resource Management Team who acquire and make content available and discoverable to our users; and an E-learning and Reserves Team that manages course content. In addition, the Team provides expertise to other teams and cross-functional committees as required.

Reporting to the Head, Collections & Content, the Metadata Librarian:

  • Provides leadership and support in cataloguing and metadata activities across the library including the development, implementation, and evaluation of metadata strategies, policies, and procedures in the context of consortial policies and local requirements.
  • Provides support, training and expertise to all library staff engaged in the creation or maintenance of metadata.
  • Provides support and expertise to projects in the creation of linked open data.
  • Engages in and supports evidence-informed decision making of the C&C steering team by providing feedback and technical expertise regarding the quality of third-party metadata.
  • Works with colleagues responsible for collection development and management, acquisitions, e- learning/reserves, discovery, and user experience in order to maximize user access and discovery of collections.
  • Collaborates and consults with colleagues on the C&C team, other Library teams and consortia to effectively manage the lifecycle of our resources.
  • Maintains current awareness of best practices and emerging technologies and services in metadata initiatives among research libraries and the scholarly communication ecosystem within the disciplines.
  • Required Qualifications

  • An ALA-accredited Master’s degree in library and information science or equivalent
  • Minimum one year of experience in metadata and/or cataloguing and/or electronic resources management
  • Knowledge of current cataloguing rules, standards, and controlled vocabularies, e.g. RDA, MARC, LC Classification, LCSH, Linked Open Data
  • Demonstrated proficiency with metadata editing software applications and metadata management systems (e.g. Ex Libris Alma)
  • Awareness of current issues and trends in electronic resource management, metadata management, and technology as it relates to metadata management
  • Demonstrated project management experience and the ability to prioritize work and meet deadlines
  • Strong oral and written communication skills
  • Demonstrated ability to work in a collaborative team environment
  • Creative thinking and problem-solving abilities and a demonstrated ability to analyze and solve technical challenges
  • Proven ability to adjust priorities, take initiative, set goals, and make quick effective decisions in a fast- paced environment
  • Intellectual curiosity/initiative and a commitment to ongoing professional development
  • The University of Guelph is the third-largest employer in Guelph, a city of approximately 130,000 people, located about an hour drive west of Toronto, Ontario. University of Guelph is a top-ranked comprehensive university in Canada with an enrolment of over 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students across more than 40 academic units. The University is known for its commitment to student learning, innovative research, and collaboration with world-class partners. It is a unique place, with transformative research and teaching and a distinctive campus culture. People who learn and work here are shaped and inspired by a shared purpose: To Improve Life. Reflecting that shared purpose in every experience connected to our university positions us to create positive change, here and around the world. Our University community shares a profound sense of social responsibility, a drive for international development, and an obligation to address global issues.

    Application Process

    The position will be filled at the Assistant or Associate Librarian level. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience and a comprehensive benefits package is provided.

    Please submit a curriculum vitae; the names of three professional referees, indicating your relationship to them, and including a current supervisor; and a broad statement of interest in a single PDF file no later than Thursday, January 14, 2021, to the following email address: libhire@uoguelph.ca. References will not be contacted without consent.

    The Librarian works within the terms and conditions of employment as governed by the Collective Agreement between the University of Guelph and the University of Guelph Faculty Association. All Librarians are expected to engage in professional practice; scholarship, which includes research, study, professional development and scholarly and creative activities; and University service and academic or professional service.

    All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

    The University recognizes that applicants may have had obligations outside of work that have negatively impacted their record of achievements (e.g., parental, elder care, and/or medical). You are not required to disclose these obligations in the hiring process. If you choose to do so, the University will ensure that these obligations do not negatively impact the assessment of your qualifications for the position.

    The University of Guelph resides on the ancestral lands of the Attawandaron people and the treaty lands and territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit and we offer our respect to our Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee and Métis neighbours as we strive to strengthen our relationships with them.

    At the University of Guelph, fostering a culture of inclusion (https://uoguel.ph/ox2p9) is an institutional imperative. The University invites and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in employment, who may contribute to further diversification of our Institution.

    If you require a medical accommodation during the recruitment or selection process, please contact Occupational Health and Wellness at 519-824-4120 x52674.