Pennsylvania State University - State College, PA
posted 4 months ago
This tenure-line Digital Preservation Librarian will lead the development of a cohesive digital preservation program and the ongoing implementation of strategies and policies for the long-term preservation of and access to digital collections at the Penn State University Libraries, for both digitized and born-digital materials. The position collaborates with librarians and staff across the University Libraries on digital initiatives as well as with University Information Technology Services and other library, campus, and university units. The position reports to the Head of the Preservation, Conservation and Digitization Department in the Distinctive Collections and Digital Strategies division of the Libraries. The successful candidate will lead a cohesive digital preservation program including the development of an effective and achievable strategy to ensure the long-term viability of university digital assets regardless of format. They will design, implement, and manage policies and workflows, audits, and quality control processes for the long-term protection of and access to digital materials of all types, both created and acquired by the University Libraries. Additionally, the candidate will assist in the ongoing development of requirements and specifications for digital preservation, including formats and metadata, and advise both library faculty and staff and external content creators on digital content lifecycle issues and strategies for digital content preservation. The role also involves participating in the development of services to support curation and preservation of research data, serving as a liaison to the Penn State community for digital preservation projects and initiatives related to digital collections and data, preparing proposals for external funding of digital preservation projects, and preparing specifications for vended services that support the digital preservation program. Staying current on developing technologies, standards, and practices in preservation of digital collections and data curation is essential, as is representing the university in matters concerning digital preservation at the local, national, and international level. Moreover, the successful candidate is expected to be an active participant in consortial efforts such as Academic Preservation Trust (APTrust), the Software Preservation Network, and the Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) Digital Preservation stakeholders' group. Supervision of digital preservation staff and engagement in research, scholarly publication, and professional service activities in areas related to core responsibilities are also key aspects of this position.