DIGITAL PRESERVATION LIBRARIAN

SCHOLARLY RESOURCES DIVISION
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

The University Library at the University of Michigan (http://www.lib.umich.edu/) has been actively building digital collections for over a decade. Since 1997 the library’s Digital Library Production Service (http://www.lib.umich.edu/lit/dlps/) was a pioneer in developing systems for capture and serving digitized information to the public and now hosts over a million items from the library’s Web site. Michigan in 2002 was among the first research libraries to commit to digitization as a preservation technology, routinely copying brittle books to digital format for both preservation and access. Michigan’s participation in the early Making of America project and recently the library’s partnership with Google to digitize its collection (http://www.lib.umich.edu/mdp/) are transforming how scholars can search and find information, as well as the practice of research and scholarship. The library’s groundbreaking Scholarly Publishing Office (http://spo.umdl.umich.edu/) has joined with academic and other partners to produce and host scholarly electronic resources since 2000. In the span of just two years, the library’s institutional repository, Deep Blue (http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu), has made over 40,000 items available in a wide range of formats. The digital collections receive support from the Library IT Core Services team (http://www.lib.umich.edu/lit/cs/), who design and manage the technical infrastructure to support these collections.

The University Library seeks a Digital Preservation Librarian to provide leadership and coordinate the library’s activities to preserve these growing collections. The Digital Preservation Librarian will report to the head of the Department of Preservation and Conservation in the library’s newly-formed Scholarly Resources division.

The Digital Preservation Librarian will:
· Propose, plan, and develop a digital preservation program for University Library collections of enduring value in digital format: review existing Library practices and analyze needs; establish policies and best practices for the long-term protection and access to digital materials of all types, both created by or acquired by the Library, including text, images, data, audio-visual resources, Web pages, and ephemera. Working closely with staff in Library IT Core Services, Digital Library Production Services, the Scholarly Publishing Office, Deep Blue, Preservation, and other library units, the Digital Preservation Specialist will implement, monitor, and maintain the digital preservation program. The Digital Preservation Librarian will assume a key role in the creation and development of a trustworthy multi-institutional shared repository of digital resources.
· Assist in the ongoing development of requirements and specifications, including formats and metadata, for digital material the library solicits, accepts, or purchases into its collections, and advise both library staff and external content creators on strategies and the practical implementation of those specifications.
· Advise library staff and digital initiatives on all phases of the life cycle of digital content with the aim of long-term retention and access; provide training or orientations. Represent and champion digital preservation interests across the library, the university, and to the community at large.
· Prepare proposals for external funding for digital preservation projects. Prepare specifications for vended services that support the digital preservation program; evaluate responses to proposals for such services and make recommendations for selecting vendors; and act on behalf of the library as a technical liaison on preservation issues to vendors providing digital materials. Represent the University Library in cooperative projects or programs in digital preservation.
· Research and advise the library on contingency plans against threats to the digital collections, such as industry changes to file formats, natural disaster, and security breaches.
· Stay current on developing technologies, standards, and practice in preservation of digital collections; recommend responses to these developments through periodic alerts, summaries, reports, and revisions to policies and procedures. Represent the University Library in forums on digital preservation at the campus, regional, national, or international level.

Further information may be found at www.lib.umich.edu/hr/employment/preservation.html

Qualifications
Required: ALA-accredited masters degree in library or information studies or equivalent combination of a relevant advanced degree and experience. Education in computer or information science desired. Demonstrated knowledge of the lifecycle management of digital material; an understanding of issues related to digital formats, media, and migration is required, along with an aptitude for quickly mastering technical topics. Experience working in research collections (libraries, archives, museums, data centers), with a minimum of 3 years of progressive experience with digital resources. Excellent oral and written communications skills and the ability to work collegially are essential.

Rank, Salary, and Leave:
Rank is anticipated at Associate, Sr. Associate, or full Librarian rank. Final rank and salary are dependent on qualifications and experience. Professional positions receive 24 days of vacation a year & 15 days of sick leave a year with provisions for extended benefits as well as opportunities for professional development and travel.

Retirement: TIAA/CREF or Fidelity Investments

To Apply: Send cover letter and copy of résumé to Library Human Resources; 404 Hatcher Graduate Library North; University of Michigan; Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1205 or by email to: libhumres@umich.edu Contact (734) 764-2546 for further information.

Application Deadline: Review of applications will begin on 3/15/08 and continue until the position is filled.

The University of Michigan is a non-discriminatory, affirmative action employer