Metropolitan New York Library Council
Metadata Operations Specialist at Columbia University Libraries
Metropolitan New York Library Council, New York, New York, us, 10261
Metadata Operations Specialist at Columbia University Libraries
Reporting to the Department Head, the Metadata Operations Specialist provides operational support in cataloging and metadata management within the Collections Acquisition & Metadata Services department for the grant‑funded Anticaste Archives Project. This role is responsible for creating, processing, and maintaining metadata for digital objects (e.g., documents, images, and videos) to ensure accuracy, consistency, and compliance with metadata standards. The specialist helps ensure that metadata is up‑to‑date, structured, and accessible, facilitating both human and machine‑readable discovery of digital assets.
Responsibilities
Process metadata descriptions received from project partners for ingest into library systems.
Handle descriptions in a variety of formats and languages using tools such as OpenRefine and MARCEdit.
Apply independent judgment to standardize metadata, enhance records, and ensure compliance with international standards (e.g., MARC 21, RDA, MODS, LCSH, FAST).
Conduct quality assurance and metadata remediation, including validation against controlled vocabularies such as the Library of Congress Name Authority File.
Evaluate metadata and workflows continuously and communicate any issues or barriers to project stakeholders, recommending automation solutions when applicable.
Contribute to best practices for metadata creation, transformation, and management.
Collaborate with the Digital Preservation Librarian to support file validation, post‑preservation processing, and metadata consistency across preservation systems.
Add new creator names as needed to the Library of Congress Name Authority file and emerging identity management databases (e.g., ISNI and Wikidata).
Perform other related duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications
BA or equivalent degree and 0–2 years of experience (or relevant coursework).
Relevant work experience in an academic environment.
Working knowledge of metadata tools and systems.
In‑depth knowledge of metadata formats, cataloging, and content standards (RDA, MODS, MARC 21, LCSH, FAST).
Demonstrated aptitude for complex, analytical, and detailed work.
Preferred Qualifications
Coursework in an accredited library school program.
Familiarity with South Asian scripts and languages, especially Marathi, Hindi, and/or Tamil.
Effective verbal and written communication skills.
Excellent organizational and project management skills.
Ability to work across administrative units.
Experience in archival processing.
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Responsibilities
Process metadata descriptions received from project partners for ingest into library systems.
Handle descriptions in a variety of formats and languages using tools such as OpenRefine and MARCEdit.
Apply independent judgment to standardize metadata, enhance records, and ensure compliance with international standards (e.g., MARC 21, RDA, MODS, LCSH, FAST).
Conduct quality assurance and metadata remediation, including validation against controlled vocabularies such as the Library of Congress Name Authority File.
Evaluate metadata and workflows continuously and communicate any issues or barriers to project stakeholders, recommending automation solutions when applicable.
Contribute to best practices for metadata creation, transformation, and management.
Collaborate with the Digital Preservation Librarian to support file validation, post‑preservation processing, and metadata consistency across preservation systems.
Add new creator names as needed to the Library of Congress Name Authority file and emerging identity management databases (e.g., ISNI and Wikidata).
Perform other related duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications
BA or equivalent degree and 0–2 years of experience (or relevant coursework).
Relevant work experience in an academic environment.
Working knowledge of metadata tools and systems.
In‑depth knowledge of metadata formats, cataloging, and content standards (RDA, MODS, MARC 21, LCSH, FAST).
Demonstrated aptitude for complex, analytical, and detailed work.
Preferred Qualifications
Coursework in an accredited library school program.
Familiarity with South Asian scripts and languages, especially Marathi, Hindi, and/or Tamil.
Effective verbal and written communication skills.
Excellent organizational and project management skills.
Ability to work across administrative units.
Experience in archival processing.
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