Digital Lifecycle Archivist

The Hoover Institution Library & Archives is seeking enthusiastic, innovative, service-oriented candidates for the new full-time, career track position of Digital Lifecycle Archivist. 

Please submit a cover letter and resume along with your online application. 

About Stanford University’s Hoover Institution:  The Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace is a public policy research center devoted to the advanced study of economics, politics, history, and political economy—both domestic and foreign—as well as international affairs. 

Founded in 1919 by Herbert Hoover before he became the thirty-first president of the United States, the Institution began as a repository of historical material gathered at the end of World War I.  The library and archives have grown to be among the largest private repositories of documents on twentieth-century political and economic history.  Over time the Institution expanded its mission from collecting archival material to conducting advanced research on contemporary history and economics and applying this scholarship to current public policy challenges. 

With its eminent scholars and world-renowned library and archives, the Hoover Institution seeks to improve the human condition by advancing ideas that promote economic opportunity and prosperity while securing and safeguarding peace for America and all humanity.

JOB PURPOSE:

The Hoover Institution Library & Archives (HILA) is seeking a Digital Lifecycle Archivist to support the migration, organization, and maintenance of HILA’s digital assets for the long-term preservation of and enduring access to these collection materials. These collections include a mix of distinctive and archival collections, formats, languages, and content types. 

The successful candidate possesses a working knowledge of archival arrangement, description, and digital asset management principles and has substantial technical expertise in the areas of digitization, digital preservation, and FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable) data. The candidate is detail-oriented and demonstrates strong interpersonal and communication skills to execute assigned projects across teams.  This position reports to the Head of Digital Services & Systems. 

CORE DUTIES:

• Coordinate the ingestion of digitized objects into the repository using standard and specialized software.
• Contribute to the organization, description, and dissemination of digital assets.
• Develop and support secure, sustainable practices for the digital curation lifecycle.
• Prioritize, catalog, and perform quality control checks of digitized materials and bulk upload of digital assets into the digital repository.
• Independently analyze problems and recommend solutions, displaying a high degree of initiative, originality, and judgment.
• Establish schedules and methodology for auditing the integrity of digital files and administering workflows necessary to ensure the persistence of digital objects and associated metadata.
• Assess the quality of OCR, speech-to-text, and other machine-learning text recognition output (either created internally or received from vendors), correct errors, and provide input on policy decisions about which objects receive data enhancement treatments.
• Validate migrated data for completeness and decommission legacy data storage.
• Troubleshoot software errors and liaise with support staff.
• Collaborate with description, research, outreach, and curatorial teams to prepare objects for ingest and communicate project outputs to researchers.
• Provide technical guidance and training; may manage other staff.
• Research, recommend, and implement hardware and software purchases and configurations to meet client needs and ensure compatibility with university systems and architecture.

* The job duties listed are typical examples of work performed by positions in this job classification and are not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, tasks, and responsibilities.  Specific duties and responsibilities may vary depending on department or program needs without changing the general nature and scope of the job or level of responsibility.  Employees may also perform other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

Education & Experience:

Advanced Degree in Library Science or a relevant academic discipline with demonstrated understanding of academic libraries and two or more years of relevant experience in a relevant library setting or a combination of education and relevant experience.

One to two years’ experience with digital repository management, digital reformatting for preservation and access, digital collection development, data migration, and/or digital preservation and access strongly preferred. 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Demonstrated experience cataloging, converting, migrating, and bulk uploading digital assets such as still images, sound recording, moving images, and born digitals.
• Broad knowledge of digital repository functions, services, and requirements.
• Knowledge with or ability to learn the following applications/platforms: Samvera digital repository framework, Libsafe, OpenAccess, ArchivesSpace, LIMB Processing, TMS.
• Experience creating, editing, and executing scripted data transformations in XML and JSON. Knowledge of EAD, CSV, and MARC preferred.
• Experience with command-line tools and basic Python and bash scripting.
• Demonstrated experience in running quarantine checks, checksum, and format validation with expertise with digital preservation packaging schemes and versioning conventions (e.g. BagIt, OCFL, etc.)
• Demonstrated experience with data migration, ingestion, curation, and mapping.
• Familiarity with various digital file formats, digitization, and digital reformatting practices.
• Working knowledge of digital preservation standards, web content management systems and Library & Archives community standards such as Premis schema.
• Excellent written, verbal, analytical, organizational, and interpersonal skills are required.
• Attention to detail.
• Ability to learn, analyze, and utilize existing and emerging metadata standards and practices associated with linked data.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment with the flexibility to adjust to changes and reprioritizations.
• Effective at meeting deadlines, adjusting priorities, and working on multiple projects simultaneously.

Desired/Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Experience with relevant aspects of library operations including an understanding of contemporary library practices, trends, and emerging technologies.
• Demonstrated understanding of the broad scope of library operations with the ability to understand how their role interacts with the rest of the organization.
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment and negotiate issues with people from different parts of the library.

Certifications and Licenses:

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS*:

• Constantly sit, perform desk-based computer tasks.
• Frequently twist/bend/stoop/squat, grasps lightly/fine manipulation, grasp forcefully, sort/file paperwork or parts, lift/carry/push/pull objects that weigh up to 10 pounds.
• Occasionally stand/walk, reach/work above shoulders, writing by hand, kneel/crawl, climb (ladders, scaffolds, or other).
• Rarely use a telephone, operate hand controls.
• Must be able to push and maneuver a fully-loaded cart weighing up to 650 pounds that requires an initial push force up to 50 pounds.

*Consistent with its obligations under the law, the University will provide reasonable accommodation to any employee with a disability who requires accommodation to perform the essential functions of the job.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• May work in confined spaces and at heights 4–10 feet; be exposed to dust and mold.
• May require some evening and weekend work across multiple time zones in support of projects.
• Opportunities for a hybrid work schedule may be negotiable.

WORK STANDARDS:

• Interpersonal Skills: Demonstrates the ability to work well with Stanford colleagues and clients as well as with external organizations.
• Promote Culture of Safety: Demonstrates commitment to personal responsibility and value for safety; communicates safety concerns; uses and promotes safe behaviors based on training and lessons learned.
• Subject to and expected to comply with all applicable University policies and procedures, including but not limited to the personnel policies and other policies found in the University’s Administrative Guide, http://adminguide.stanford.edu .

The Hoover Institution at Stanford University is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.