Preservation Planning and Documentation Project Assistant

Special Instructions to Applicants

This is a limited appointment, 50% time for 12 months.

This position REQUIRES that a RESUME and COVER LETTER be submitted in addition to the application. Please have ALL FILES ready when applying. 

Department Summary

The Modern Endangered Archives Program (MEAP) at the UCLA Library is a granting program that funds projects around the world to document and digitize at risk cultural heritage materials from the 20th and 21st centuries. In the first eight rounds of grantmaking, MEAP has funded more than 200 projects from 68 different countries and published more than 60 distinct collections that provide global open access to newsletters, pamphlets, photographs, manuscripts, correspondence, videos, film, audio, and other materials. Audiovisual materials across current MEAP projects include audio interviews, traditional music performances, radio broadcasts, instructional videos, documentary film, linguistic research materials, and more. MEAP is expanding with new lines of funding specifically for audio visual projects. The Modern Endangered Archives Program (MEAP) is an Arcadia-funded granting program that sits in the Distinctive Collections portfolio at the UCLA Library. The program solicits proposals and awards grants annually to preserve at-risk cultural heritage content and makes these collections widely available through the UCLA digital library repository. MEAP is committed to expanding access to archival materials through post-custodial archiving and centering the voices of our community partners.
Position Summary

Under the direction of the MEAP Program Manager, the Preservation Planning and Documentation Project Assistant will support the planning and documentation of MEAP's digital file management workflows. Recognizing the importance of MEAP's commitment to the long-term preservation and stewardship of digital assets from project teams and collection holders around the world, the incumbent will play a critical role in the creation of meaningful, sustainable, and legible workflows to support responsible and ethical digital preservation activities. In particular, the incumbent will prepare MEAP digital collections content for long-term preservation by creating inventories, organizing files, mapping directories, and producing explanatory documentation. The incumbent will also review, monitor, and weed current short- and medium-term storage spaces including shared project folders in Google Drive and local NetApp storage directories in alignment with good data management practices and principles. Working to meet MEAP's long-term digital preservation commitments, the Preservation Planning and Documentation Project Assistant will assist with the development of sustainable workflows for digital asset management and preservation. The incumbent will be responsible for building documentation that makes MEAP's preservation workflows consistent, legible, and transparent. To meet these objectives, the incumbent will work with MEAP and UCLA Library staff to draft guidelines and recommendations that will support MEAP's post-custodial digital collection development and preservation activities. The workflows developed and documented by this person will support MEAP's long-term program objectives of documenting and preserving at-risk cultural heritage collections while aligning with UCLA Library systems and practices.

Salary & Compensation

*UCLA provides a full pay range. Actual salary offers consider factors, including budget, prior experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business considerations. Salary offers at the top of the range are not common. Visit UC Benefit package to discover benefits that start on day one, and UC Total Compensation Estimator to calculate the total compensation value with benefits.
Qualifications

Professional background or experience working with digital collections or supporting digitization projects. (Required)

Experience managing and organizing complex digital projects with care and attention to detail. (Required)

Familiarity with and experience using the command line / Unix shell. (Required)

Coursework in or professional experience with Digital Preservation or Digital Asset Management. (Preferred)

Familiarity with and experience generating and verifying checksums. (Preferred)

Familiarity with and experience checking file formats using tools like JHOVE or FITS. (Preferred)

Familiarity with and experience manipulating, transcoding, or (re)processing digital files with tools like ImageMagick and FFmpeg. (Preferred)

Familiarity with and experience using common tools for preparing digital preservation packages like BagIt or Bagger. (Preferred)

Familiarity with and experience using Merritt or another digital preservation system. (Preferred)

Experience developing and documenting workflows to support work in libraries or archives. (Preferred)

Previous experience working with digital collections or supporting digitization projects. (Preferred)

Knowledge and understanding of general digital preservation principles, approaches, and frameworks (Required)

Demonstrated organizational, analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills (Required)

Commitment to preserving, stewarding, and making accessible cultural heritage materials from around the world (Required)

Ability to work independently and as part of a team (Required)

Ability to work across operating systems and interfaces (Mac, PC, Unix/Linux) (Required)

Ability to create and execute simple scripts to bulk edit and organize files in batches (Required)

Ability to initiate and maintain cooperative working relationships with co-workers, supervisors, and managers. Ability to work with co-workers, supervisors, and managers harmoniously and cooperatively and as a team player. (Required)

Ability to follow directions from supervisors (Required)

Strong attention to detail and demonstrated capacity for carrying out tasks that require accuracy and efficiency (Required)

Demonstrated project management experience and ability to prioritize work effectively when facing competing priorities (Required)

Excellent written communication skills. Demonstrated ability to prepare workflow documentation, project summaries, and reports. (Required)

Understanding of digital collections and global cultural heritage practices (Preferred)

Education, Licenses, Certifications & Personal Affiliations

Bachelor's Degree Bachelor’s Degree in a related area and/or equivalent experience/training (Required)

Master's Degree Master’s Degree or advanced coursework related to digital asset management, data management, digital preservation, libraries, archives, or cultural heritage preservation (Preferred)

Special Conditions for Employment

Background Check: Continued employment is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory background investigation.

Schedule

M-F, 8am - 5pm
Union/Policy Covered

RP-Research and Public Service PR
Complete Position Description

https://universityofcalifornia.marketpayjobs.com/ShowJob.aspx?EntityID=38&JDName=Project%20and%20Policy%20Analyst%202%20RP%20(TBD_1000525)