ABOUT US

The Oregon Historical Society is dedicated to making Oregon’s long, rich history visible and accessible to all. For more than a century, the Oregon Historical Society (OHS) has served as the state’s collective memory, preserving a vast collection of artifacts, photographs, maps, manuscript materials, books, films, and oral histories. Our research library, museum, digital platforms, educational programming, and historical journal make Oregon’s history open and accessible to all. We exist because history is powerful, and because a history as deep and rich as Oregon’s cannot be contained within a single story or point of view.

The OHS Research Library is committed to providing broad access to its collections for teaching, learning, and research, both onsite in our newly renovated downtown Portland library and online through robust digital collections and digital history websites. The library holds the largest collection of archival and published materials relating to the history of Oregon, including the historical regions of the Oregon Country and the Oregon Territory. Our collections serve as a foundation for scholars, teachers, students, and the general public to research and reflect on our state and regional history. The resources and staff of the OHS Research Library play a significant role in fulfilling OHS’s mission to “preserve our state's history and make it accessible to everyone in ways that advance knowledge and inspire curiosity about all the people, places, and events that have shaped Oregon.”

The Oregon Historical Society practices and promotes inclusiveness. We honor the diverse strengths, needs, voices, and backgrounds of all members of our community and are committed to the equitable treatment of all people and the elimination of discrimination in all its forms. We are committed to building a diverse workforce and strongly encourage applications from diverse candidates.

BENEFITS

We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Health insurance (medical, vision, alternative care, prescription)
• Dental insurance
• Generous paid time off
• 4% matching 401(k) retirement plan
• Flexible spending accounts
• Long-term disability insurance
• Life insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Museum admission and lectures, programs and gift shop discounts

SUMMARY

The Digital Collections Librarian is responsible for assuring the quality and efficiency of library digitization projects and overseeing the application of metadata and copyright policy in Digital Collections for the Oregon Historical Society (OHS). This position is a part of the OHS collective bargaining unit.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Creates, reviews, and edits metadata records for digitized and born-digital library collections in accordance with local and national cataloging and metadata standards. Ensures quality control for Digital Collections metadata.

2. Identifies collections for digitization based on research value, access challenges, and preservation needs. Participates in developing and implementing grant-funded and special projects. Prepares work plans for digitization projects. Works with library collections staff to assess and prepare collection materials for digitization.

3. Conducts research and makes determinations regarding copyright and other restrictions relating to digital collections.

4. In collaboration with the Digital Collections Manager, develops training materials; provides instruction and guidance to digital collections assistants, interns, and volunteers on Digital Collections standards and procedures, metadata creation, and copyright; as well as advises other staff on these topics.

JOB DUTIES

• Arranges, describes, catalogs, preserves, digitizes, and provides online public access to the Research Library's collections in accordance with established archival and library procedures and best practices.
• Recommends and implements Library policies regarding digital collections, including metadata and descriptive standards to meet project objectives and stay current with best practices and emerging standards.
• Oversees metadata production, copyright and permissions, and quality control for Digital Collections projects.
• Recommends and implements policies, procedures, workflows, and reporting for digitization projects.
• Remains current on new developments in the field and cultivates relevant skills through reading, training and participation in professional organizations. Shares and applies knowledge on digital library trends.
• Supports OHS marketing and communications by creating promotional materials for OHS Digital Collections including blog and social media posts, content for member emails and other marketing efforts.
• Provides direct research assistance at the library public service desk, responds to reference inquiries, and conducts research in library collections as needed.
• Serves on library, institution-wide and external committees to develop partnerships, policies, programs, and exhibits that benefit digital collections. Represents the Library and OHS at professional conferences and other public venues.
• Is guided by OHS’s mission in daily work and aspires to enact OHS’s values of integrity, invitation, equity and inclusion, cultural humility, accessibility, and learning.
• Adheres to OHS’s policies and professional standards of the American Library Association and Society of American Archivists.
• Reports progress to Digital Collections Manager and Library Director on a monthly and as needed basis.
• Maintains punctual, regular and predictable attendance.
• Works collaboratively in a team environment with a spirit of cooperation.
• Displays excellent communication skills including presentation, persuasion and negotiation skills required in working with coworkers, visitors and volunteers and including the ability to communicate effectively and remain calm and courteous under pressure.
• Respectfully takes direction from supervisor.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Ability to perform essential job duties with or without reasonable accommodation and without posing a direct threat to safety or health of employee or others. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations could be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

Master's degree in library science (or equivalent) from ALA-certified program or a master’s degree in history with archival training or equivalent academic training and/or experience. At least two years of experience working in a special collections library or archive, with digital collections.

• Knowledge of current archival principles and methods, and special collections library procedures.
• Demonstrated experience processing, cataloging, describing, digitizing and preserving archival collections, including visual collections.
• Proven working knowledge of current technologies, platforms, and products, used for working with digital collections, including imaging equipment and software (Adobe Creative Suite, CaptureOne, Silverfast, Excel, ArchivesSpace, or equivalent). Ability to evaluate and troubleshoot.
• Familiarity with national standards for arrangement, description, and preservation of digital collections, including standards established by the Library of Congress and other relevant recognized authorities.
• Working knowledge of MARC format, RDA, Encoded Archival Description (EAD), Describing Archives: a content standard (DACS), Dublin Core, MODS, METS, PREMIS, and XML.
• Knowledge of copyright, donor restrictions, and permissions issues related to processing digitized and born-digital material, and to analog archival materials of all formats.
• Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills in an environment requiring attention to detail and a high level of accuracy.
• Ability to work within deadlines and without close supervision.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public. Ability to understand and apply highly complex policies and procedures.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume. Ability to apply concepts of basic algebra and geometry.

COMPUTER SKILLS

Requires specialized computer skills; including ability to operate digitization equipment and specialized software. Must be adept at using various applications including database, spreadsheet, report writing, project management, graphics, word processing, presentation creation/editing, communicate by e-mail and use scheduling software. Has advanced computer skills including creating presentations, downloading forms, preserving/backup important data, and digitization of library materials. Familiar with online research techniques and resources.

REASONING ABILITY

Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical Instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable Individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, use hands to finger, handle, or feel. The employee frequently is required to reach with hands and arms. The employee is frequently required to talk or hear.

The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, kneel, crouch, or crawl. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, far away vision, color vision, depth perception and the ability to focus. The employee may occasionally be required to lift boxes of up to 25 pounds. This position requires extended periods of working at and/or sitting at a computer with constant keying of data.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of what employees might encounter while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations can be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet. This position occasionally requires the employee to work near moving mechanical parts or exposure to airborne particles such as dust.

This position may require extended work hours at busy times of the year, must be open to work a flexible schedule to meet the demands of the organization.

This position will work as needed between the OHS facility in downtown Portland and the Gresham Support Facility (GSF) as assigned.

Must be able to work in a confined space shared with other workers and/or volunteers.

COVID-19 VACCINATION REQUIREMENT

The OHS has adopted a policy where all employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Employees may request an exception from vaccination because of a disability or sincerely held religious beliefs from the HR Department.