Job Title: Research Data Specialist
Organization: Fictional University Libraries
Location: Woodlands Region, Our Great State
Description:
Fictional University Libraries (FUL) seeks an energetic and productive staff member to join the Metadata Services Department. Under the supervision of the Head of Metadata Services, the Research Data Specialist will play a key role in shaping the Library’s involvement in e-science, digital data curation, and supporting cyberscholarship for all disciplines. He or she will have the aptitude to stay abreast of scientific research trends, data documentation tools, and standards important for data exchange, reuse, and interoperability. Utilizing and applying various information technology tools for metadata manipulation and script execution is a key responsibility for this position. The Research Data Specialist will work at the intersection of digital data, technology, and metadata for the libraries. He or she will be responsible for consultation, assessment, and support services to facilitate all aspects of digital data curation. To be successful, close collaboration will be essential in working with library staff devoted to digital libraries, information technologies, public services, as well as the data working group and constituents of the University's life sciences initiative. The successful candidate will perform outreach and facilitate communication between the Libraries and research groups on campus.
Required Qualifications: MLS or equivalent. Ability to work well in a collaborative team-based environment. Strong communication (oral and writing), interpersonal, and presentation skills. Aptitude for and consistency in detailed work. Ability to analyze and to solve problems creatively and flexibly in a complex and rapidly changing environment. Strong service orientation and interest in information users' values and needs. Self-motivated and ability to multi-task.
Desired Qualifications: Knowledge of computational tools and techniques for data management and manipulation. Aptitude for learning digital collection management, electronic resource management, and metadata standards and formats. Familiarity with at least one metadata standard. Familiarity with commonly used repository platforms (e.g. Fedora, DSpace, ePrints). Ability to use various tools for metadata manipulation and scripting. Experience with relational database design, XML/XSLT, Java, Perl, Python, or PHP. Familiarity with Semantic Web specifications and experience in XML DTD and W3C schema creation. Ability to write and obtain grants and to manage grant-funded projects. Prior work experience in an academic or special library.
Background: Fictional University is a comprehensive research university located in the beautiful woodlands region of Our Great State. The town and university offer a unique cosmopolitan and international atmosphere in a beautiful natural setting. The university has approximately 15,000 students enrolled in undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. The Fictional University Library contains nearly 8 million printed volumes, 62,000 current serials, 378,000 networked electronic resources, and rich materials in other formats.
Application Information: Application Procedure: Applications requested by February 29, 2008. To apply for this position go to http://www.lib.fictu.edu/jobs, search under the job category of Librarians. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Salary will be competitive and commensurate with experience. Fictional University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer strongly committed to diversity. We value qualified candidates who can bring to our community a variety of backgrounds and experiences.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Interview Practice
This afternoon I interviewed Elena, one of the other students in the Management class. Our goal was to simulate an interview experience that we might find in the real world, and so we decided that since we didn’t know each other very well, we might be a good match for this assignment.
Elena is interested in working in a library after graduation. Though she now works at the Botany library at UNC and would like to continue with a similar job, she says she has not yet decided whether she would like to be at an academic or public library. While the academic side appeals to her, she also is drawn to the work environment at public libraries, particularly as she had a positive experience working as a high school science teacher in Atlanta and feels that she would like to be involved in a community in a similar way in the future. She brought along a copy of her resume, and I read it over and tried to convincingly play the role of the interviewer, a manager at a University science library. It was helpful to have someone else to talk to about the interviewing and job search process, because writing resumes is not a common activity for either of us, and asking questions like page length and interview strategies helped us both feel better about the process. Not feeling like we are in this alone helped as well. Though we both have a year until we will go on the job market, the job application process can be an anxiety-wrought business. I think we both appreciated the chance to do a few dry runs to have things in order before we actually have to go through the process in the real world.
As an interviewer I tried to draw a balance of questions. I asked her about her long-term goals, the reason she was interested in this position, and what she felt her strengths were. After a few easier questions I tried to ask some less-comfortable questions, the ones I have always felt were the most difficult for me as an interviewee in the past. These include questions like “Describe a situation where you disagreed with a supervisor in the past and how you handled the situation. How would you have handled it differently in hindsight?” Elena seemed very practiced and handled the questions smoothly. I think the fact that she was thinking about applying for a very specific job- one at the library where she now works- helped her focus in a way that made answering all of these questions easier.
When it came time for my interview, I showed Elena a job posting for the kind of position I might be interested in having. It was for a metadata and information systems job at a small University library. I don’t feel that I answered my questions as smoothly as Elena had done, partially because I was not entirely sure about the kind of position I would like to hold when I graduate over a year from now, and partially because I am out of practice with professional interviews. My last interview, for my current job, was held over the phone while I was in a hotel lobby in Mexico City- hardly the most common setting for an interview of that kind. However, even under such strange circumstances my boss, my coworker and I were able to get something of a sense that we would work well together, and indeed things have gone well at my job. I find the prospect of interviewing for a theoretical job very daunting, but when I am trying for a specific position that is well suited to my skills and personality it is far more enjoyable.
Elena is interested in working in a library after graduation. Though she now works at the Botany library at UNC and would like to continue with a similar job, she says she has not yet decided whether she would like to be at an academic or public library. While the academic side appeals to her, she also is drawn to the work environment at public libraries, particularly as she had a positive experience working as a high school science teacher in Atlanta and feels that she would like to be involved in a community in a similar way in the future. She brought along a copy of her resume, and I read it over and tried to convincingly play the role of the interviewer, a manager at a University science library. It was helpful to have someone else to talk to about the interviewing and job search process, because writing resumes is not a common activity for either of us, and asking questions like page length and interview strategies helped us both feel better about the process. Not feeling like we are in this alone helped as well. Though we both have a year until we will go on the job market, the job application process can be an anxiety-wrought business. I think we both appreciated the chance to do a few dry runs to have things in order before we actually have to go through the process in the real world.
As an interviewer I tried to draw a balance of questions. I asked her about her long-term goals, the reason she was interested in this position, and what she felt her strengths were. After a few easier questions I tried to ask some less-comfortable questions, the ones I have always felt were the most difficult for me as an interviewee in the past. These include questions like “Describe a situation where you disagreed with a supervisor in the past and how you handled the situation. How would you have handled it differently in hindsight?” Elena seemed very practiced and handled the questions smoothly. I think the fact that she was thinking about applying for a very specific job- one at the library where she now works- helped her focus in a way that made answering all of these questions easier.
When it came time for my interview, I showed Elena a job posting for the kind of position I might be interested in having. It was for a metadata and information systems job at a small University library. I don’t feel that I answered my questions as smoothly as Elena had done, partially because I was not entirely sure about the kind of position I would like to hold when I graduate over a year from now, and partially because I am out of practice with professional interviews. My last interview, for my current job, was held over the phone while I was in a hotel lobby in Mexico City- hardly the most common setting for an interview of that kind. However, even under such strange circumstances my boss, my coworker and I were able to get something of a sense that we would work well together, and indeed things have gone well at my job. I find the prospect of interviewing for a theoretical job very daunting, but when I am trying for a specific position that is well suited to my skills and personality it is far more enjoyable.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Fictional University
I am the leader of the information technology department at the main library of Fictional University. Fictional University is a fairly large state university of roughly 15,000 students, and is a school with a reputation for having excellent libraries. The group I manage handles various forms of technology work for the library, with services including systems administration, creation and maintenance of the library’s web site and internal databases, as well as managing instructional technology, GIS and digitization work. I am the manager, directly or indirectly, of about 30 people, with five of my employees overseeing other workers in some capacity. That includes one manager each for the systems, web site, databases, instructional technology sections, and a final manager who oversees both GIS and digital collections. My department is one of several at the library, and we serve a large community of students, faculty and staff, both on site and remotely, on a daily basis.
In order to fulfill its role as one of the nation’s premiere academic libraries, Fictional University has led the charge to integrate Web 2.0 technologies into its libraries. This includes the increasing use of social networking sites, blogs and online help to reach a wide spectrum of patrons. Following the shifting roles of modern libraries, our library has sought to draw in undergraduate students through a learning commons that integrates innovative architectural and technological design work to create a vibrant “third space” for the library. We have also recently become involved in cataloguing and hosting the University’s growing collection of instructional videos. Finally, we have sought to integrate new faceted browsing as a method for improving search results for patrons searching our collection.
Because we are involved in such a wide range of activities, and because technology is constantly offering new challenges and opportunities for our library, managing this group is never dull. I try to allow my employees to use their own judgment in performing their jobs when possible, and encourage their input for ways to improve our services. When possible I try to offer a flexible work environment and encourage open discussion about which technologies to use and best practices for our working environment.
In order to fulfill its role as one of the nation’s premiere academic libraries, Fictional University has led the charge to integrate Web 2.0 technologies into its libraries. This includes the increasing use of social networking sites, blogs and online help to reach a wide spectrum of patrons. Following the shifting roles of modern libraries, our library has sought to draw in undergraduate students through a learning commons that integrates innovative architectural and technological design work to create a vibrant “third space” for the library. We have also recently become involved in cataloguing and hosting the University’s growing collection of instructional videos. Finally, we have sought to integrate new faceted browsing as a method for improving search results for patrons searching our collection.
Because we are involved in such a wide range of activities, and because technology is constantly offering new challenges and opportunities for our library, managing this group is never dull. I try to allow my employees to use their own judgment in performing their jobs when possible, and encourage their input for ways to improve our services. When possible I try to offer a flexible work environment and encourage open discussion about which technologies to use and best practices for our working environment.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Welcome!
Welcome to my blog, Management of Information Agencies. It will serve as my blog for a management course at the School of Information and Library Science at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
As you might imagine, "Fictional University" is indeed a fictional university. Any posts that regard this university are not to be taken seriously.
(Thanks to and apologies to Cornell University for the "job post" entry above, which borrows heavily from their excellently-structured and finely-worded post for a similar position. For more information please see: http://www.lisjobs.com/jobs/item.asp?ID=37202. All changes made by Brian Moynihan. And if you are from Cornell, please consider me for the position!)
As you might imagine, "Fictional University" is indeed a fictional university. Any posts that regard this university are not to be taken seriously.
(Thanks to and apologies to Cornell University for the "job post" entry above, which borrows heavily from their excellently-structured and finely-worded post for a similar position. For more information please see: http://www.lisjobs.com/jobs/item.asp?ID=37202. All changes made by Brian Moynihan. And if you are from Cornell, please consider me for the position!)
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