[LIBJOBS] Open Position: Special Collections Cataloging Librarian, Penn State University Libraries, University Park, Pennsylvania USA

Special Collections Cataloging Librarian

Cataloging & Metadata Services Department
Penn State University Libraries

The Pennsylvania State University Libraries seeks applications for the position of Special Collections Cataloging Librarian. This position will have responsibility for cataloging rare and unique materials in all formats and subjects and for providing metadata support for digital projects. The person appointed to this tenure track faculty position will report to the Head of Cataloging and Metadata Services and serve as a member of the Special Collections Cataloging Team. The position works closely with curators and staff in the Eberly Family Special Collections Library to set priorities and to create efficient workflows.    

The Cataloging and Metadata Services Department participates in all the initiatives of the Library of Congress Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC)—BIBCO, NACO, SACO, and CONSER—in the OCLC Enhance Program, and the Library of Congress's ECIP program.  The faculty in the department have been engaged in standards development at the national level and have been active members of appropriate professional organizations.  Currently the department consists of thirty people and is responsible for cataloging materials for most of Penn State's campuses and branch libraries. The Special Collections Cataloging Team plays a key role in supporting the Library's number one programmatic goal in the library's Strategic Plan: to describe and digitize our distinctive and unique collections.

The Special Collections Library consists of over 225,000 rare book volumes, with strengths in English and American literature; art and architectural history; emblem books; the history of photography; works of Joseph Priestley; African-Americana and the African Diaspora; art education; utopian literature; and German literature in English translation. Literary manuscript collections include the papers of John O'Hara, Chip Kidd, and Kenneth Burke. Historical collections and labor archives document Pennsylvania social, political, and economic history with special emphasis devoted to labor, business, and the evolution of nineteenth and twentieth century industrial society. The University Archives contains documents from the University's 160+ year history and coordinates the University's Records Management Program (paper and electronic).

Position Responsibilities:

• Performs original cataloging and classification of monographs in all formats located in Special Collections using Resource Description & Access (RDA) and the Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Materials (DCRM) suite. Catalogs archival collections according to Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) in consultation with collection managers generating finding aids.
• Coordinates cataloging efforts of newly acquired rare books, graphic materials, and single item manuscripts, as well as distinctive materials from our existing hidden collections, with the Special Collections Cataloging Team
• Serves as liaison with curators and staff in the Eberly Family Special Collections Library to set priorities and to create efficient workflows for cataloging rare and unique materials, and for supplying metadata for digital projects and exhibitions.
• Monitors national discussions related to description and access for special collections materials, including metadata practices for manuscripts in digital scholarship; serves as a resource for the Special Collections Cataloging Team.
• Contributes headings to the national authority file through NACO; participate in BIBCO by contributing full level PCC records to OCLC.
• Provides metadata support for Special Collections materials for inclusion in aggregate cultural heritage object collections, including the Digital Public Library of America.

Preferred Qualifications:

• MLS from an ALA-accredited program (or equivalent)
• 3-5 years of original and complex copy cataloging experience within a bibliographic utility including substantial rare book cataloging or archival description
• Knowledge of appropriate cataloging standards, including RDA, the DCRM suite, and/or relevant archival descriptive standards such as DACS
• Familiarity with authority work and the programs of the PCC
• Familiarity with digital metadata schemas including Dublin Core, MODS, or equivalent standards
• Bibliographic knowledge of a foreign language; familiarity with deciphering handwriting and working with manuscripts especially desired
• Excellent oral and written communication skills; ability to work cooperatively
• Capacity for leadership within the profession; ability to achieve tenure or to be appointed with tenure
• Must be flexible and work well in a team environment

Environment:
Penn State, a land-grant institution, is a member of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC), a consortium of the Big Ten universities plus the University of Chicago. Based on current Association for Research Libraries investment rankings, The Pennsylvania State University Libraries are ranked among the top ten research libraries in North America.  A student survey completed in 2014 found overall student satisfaction with the University Libraries to be at the top of its category.  The University Libraries hold membership in ARL, CRL, CLIR, and DLF. Collections exceed 5.8 million volumes and include more than 102,000 current serial subscriptions.  The University Libraries are located at University Park and 22 other locations throughout Pennsylvania, and they serve approximately 6,000 faculty and 44,000 students at University Park, and more than 92,000 students system-wide.

The University Park campus is set in State College, a university town located in central Pennsylvania. State College offers a vibrant community with outstanding recreational facilities, a low crime rate, and excellent public schools. The campus is within a half-day drive to Washington D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, or Pittsburgh. The University Park Airport is served by three major carriers with flights to Washington, Philadelphia, and Detroit. For more information, please visit http://www.libraries.psu.edu and http://www.cbicc.org.

Compensation and Benefits: Salary and rank are dependent upon qualifications.  Fringe benefits include liberal vacation, excellent insurance and health care coverage, State or TIAA-CREF retirement options, and educational privileges.  In addition, faculty in the University Libraries are afforded funds for professional development travel annually.  Faculty may be asked to travel as official representatives of the Libraries to certain events and those trips are reimbursed at full cost within limits established by the University.

Applications and all supporting materials must be submitted online.  To apply, please visit https://www.libraries.psu.edu/about/jobs/special-collections-cataloging-librarian.   To be considered for the position, interested candidates should upload a letter of application, resume or C.V., and the names and contact information of three professional references (including email addresses).   Review of applications will begin February 8, 2016 and continue until position is filled.  Questions may be addressed to Lindsey Harter, Faculty Search Coordinator, at lap225@psu.edu.

Employment will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.  

Penn State is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, and is committed to providing employment opportunities to minorities, women, veterans, disabled individuals, and other protected groups.

CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS:  For more about safety at Penn State, and to review the Annual Security Report which contains information about crime statistics and other safety and security matters, please go to www.police.psu.edu/clery/, which will also provide you with detail on how to request a hard copy of the Annual Security Report.