American Philosophical Society, Library
Head of Digital Scholarship and Technology
Institution Type: | Other |
Location: | Pennsylvania, United States |
Position: | Librarian |
About the Library
The American Philosophical Society (APS) is an internationally recognized center for research in the history of science, early America, Native American linguistics, and anthropology. The Library houses over 13 million manuscripts, 350,000 volumes and bound periodicals, 250,000 images, and thousands of hours of audio material. The Society’s Digital Library holds thousands of images, video files, and audio recordings representing the depth and breadth of the APS collections. We are located in historic Old City Philadelphia, near Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell.
About the Center for Digital Scholarship
The APS Center for Digital Scholarship serves the mission of the APS Library by advancing three fundamental areas: (1) building digital projects that promote and share the library’s holdings; (2) developing new tools to meet contemporary challenges in Library Science; and (3) strategically digitizing Library material. The Center has a growing portfolio of successful projects in each area. Recent additions to this portfolio include a set of visualization apps analyzing a suite of historic prison data, a data-driven recommendation tool for manuscript collections, and a robust digital library presence.
The APS Center for Digital Scholarship is collaborative in nature, and is the home to a vibrant and growing intellectual community that includes library and curatorial staff and fellows, short-term Digital Humanities Fellows, Digital Library Interns, and volunteers. Staff at the Center also maintain the Society’s technology infrastructure and plan for growth.
About the Position
The APS Library seeks a leader in the field of digital scholarship and library technology to continue the success and growth of the Center for Digital Scholarship. The Head of Digital Scholarship and Technology will work with the Director of the Library to establish strategic directions for the future, execute new projects, and forge partnerships with other institutions. On a day-to-day basis, this position will oversee all digitization efforts, work on specialized digital projects, and assist staff, Digital Humanities Fellows, and other researchers with digital initiatives. Additional tasks include managing various IT contractors.
As a leader of a small team, the Head of Digital Scholarship and Technology will take a hands-on approach to all initiatives and have the experience to successfully execute them.
Experience in digital humanities and library technology is expected. A demonstrated interest in a core collection area of the Library is highly preferred.
Required Qualifications
- Minimum three years of experience working in digital humanities and/or library technology, preferably more and with management experience
- MLS from an ALA-accredited institution, MA with ACA certification, or Ph.D. in a field related to APS holdings and with relevant experience
- Demonstrated experience building digital exhibitions, websites, or other online tools
- Knowledge of cataloging and descriptive standards, especially EAD-XML, Dublin Core, MODS, and/or RDF
- Demonstrated experience with digital repositories, digital object cataloging, and/or working in an academic library with a strong digital program
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work successfully in a collaborative team environment
- Strong analytical and problem solving skills and the ability to formulate options and recommend solutions
Preferred Qualifications
- Staff management and experience with working with contractors and consultants
- Experience with digital library software, especially Islandora, Drupal, and/or Fedora
- Experience with data manipulation tools, especially OpenRefine
- Experience with GIS software and tools
- Experience with library reference and/or public service
- Experience with manuscript processing
Pay and Benefits
The Society offers a competitive benefits package, including
- Employer paid health insurance
- TIAA-CREF retirement matching funds
- Dental insurance
- Life and Disability insurance
- Paid Days Off
Compensation will be commensurate with experience and reflect the management responsibilities of the position. For further inquiries, please email ashelton@amphilsoc.org.
To Apply
Submit a resume or CV, cover letter, and contact information for three references to: http://apply.interfolio.com/47662.
The American Philosophical Society is an EOE, and strongly encourages applications from women and minorities.
Deadline to apply: January 15. Interviews will take place via Skype and final round interviews may involve a campus visit. Ideal start date is sometime in the spring of 2018 with some flexibility.
Contact: |
Abigail Shelton |
Website: | https://www.amphilsoc.org/position-opening-head-digital-scholarship-and-technology |
Primary Category: | Library and Information Science |
Secondary Categories: | American History / Studies Anthropology Digital Humanities History of Science, Medicine, and Technology |
Posting Date: | 12/08/2017 |
Closing Date | 01/15/2018 |