Cataloging and Metadata Librarian

Title: Cataloging and Metadata Librarian

Location: Alexandria, VA • LAC Federal

Job Type

Full-time

Description

The Librarian (Cataloging and Metadata) to support a library focused on military and engineering history by managing and enhancing access to historical collections. The Librarian will provide professional cataloging, metadata, collection-development, and digitization-support services for the library’s book, print, historical, and digital collections. The position supports the library’s mission to collect, preserve, interpret, and make accessible historical materials and will work with diverse materials that may include monographs, maps, manuscripts, rare and historical publications, audiovisual materials, and digitized resources. This position requires strong attention to detail, knowledge of metadata standards, and the ability to work within structured federal workflows. This position is primarily remote though travel may be required to locations in Maryland, Washington, DC., Virginia, and Missouri.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Perform original and copy cataloging for print and historical collections in accordance with applicable professional cataloging standards and local practices.
• Catalog materials in a variety of formats, potentially including monographs, audiovisual materials, maps, manuscripts, rare books, historical publications, and other special-format materials.
• Create, review, enhance, and maintain bibliographic and metadata records to improve accuracy, consistency, interoperability, and end-user discoverability.
• Apply and maintain commonly used metadata standards and schemas, including MARC, MODS, Dublin Core, and other standards appropriate to collections and digitization activities.
• Use library automation and cataloging resources such as EOS, OCLC, Library of Congress classification resources, and other Government-designated systems and tools.
• Provide metadata support for the digitization and ingestion of agency publications and historical materials, ensuring metadata supports interoperability, retrieval, and long-term discoverability.
• Identify and correct errors, inconsistencies, incomplete fields, and other quality issues within existing metadata and catalog records.
• Support collection-development activities for book and print collections, including activities associated with maintaining useful and accessible historical research collections.
• Safely handle older, fragile, rare, and historically significant materials while performing cataloging, metadata, digitization-support, and collection activities.
• Coordinate with archivists, historians, digitization personnel, museum professionals, and Government staff to ensure bibliographic and metadata practices support broader historical-research and preservation objectives.
• Perform quality-control reviews of cataloging and metadata products and correct deficiencies before final delivery.
• Maintain appropriate documentation and comply with applicable federal and agency specific privacy, information-security, and collection-handling requirements.

Requirements

• Master's degree in Library Science or Library and Information Science (MLS/MLIS) from a program accredited by the American Library Association (ALA).
• Minimum of two years of professional original and copy cataloging experience covering a variety of formats, including materials such as monographs, audiovisual formats, maps, manuscripts, and rare books.
• Demonstrated expertise in the appropriate handling of older and delicate library or historical materials.
• Knowledge of library automation and cataloging platforms/resources such as EOS, OCLC, and Library of Congress classification.
• Familiarity with commonly used metadata standards, including MARC, MODS, and Dublin Core.
• Ability to support ingestion and digitization of publications by ensuring that metadata meets appropriate standards for interoperability and end-user discoverability.
• At least one year of experience developing and/or maintaining metadata files, including demonstrated ability to identify metadata errors.
• Demonstrated aptitude for complex analytical work and exceptional attention to detail.

Preferred Qualifications

• Three or more years of professional cataloging experience in a federal, academic, research, military, special-collections, archival, or historical library.
• Demonstrated experience cataloging rare books, historical publications, maps, manuscripts, government documents, audiovisual materials, or special collections.
• Experience using OCLC Connexion or comparable professional cataloging tools for original and copy cataloging.
• Strong working knowledge of RDA, MARC 21, LCC, LCSH, LCNAF, authority control, and current national cataloging practices.
• Experience creating, transforming, normalizing, or performing QC on metadata associated with digital collections or digitization programs.
• Experience with metadata crosswalks or interoperability among MARC, MODS, Dublin Core, or related schemas.
• Familiarity with metadata cleanup and batch-processing tools such as MarcEdit, OpenRefine, spreadsheets, or comparable tools.
• Experience working with U.S. Government publications, military history, engineering history, federal historical collections, or institutional repositories.
• Demonstrated experience developing or applying cataloging/metadata SOPs and quality-control procedures.
• Experience collaborating with archivists, historians, preservation specialists, digitization staff, and other cultural-heritage professionals.

Physical Requirements

• Must be able to move from place to place within the work location and lift and carry items weighing up to 20 pounds, such as books, files, stacks of paper, and other materials. 
• Ability to sit for long periods of time and maintain focus on projects such as computer screens or detailed paperwork.

Benefits

• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Retirement Plan (401k, IRA)
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity)
• Short Term & Long-Term Disability
• Training & Development

EEO Statement

The company and its subsidiaries are an equal opportunity employer and celebrate the population of differences and does not discriminate in its hiring/hiring practices, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Nothing in this job specification restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. 

Critical features of this job are described under various headings above. They may be subject to change at any time due to reasonable accommodation or other reasons. The above statements are strictly intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed. They are not intended to be construed as a complete list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of employees in this position.

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) incumbent in this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments. All duties and responsibilities are essential functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. 

To perform this job successfully, the incumbents will possess the skills, aptitudes, and abilities to perform each duty proficiently. 

Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health or safety of themselves or others. The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an “at will” relationship.

Salary Description

$78,000 - $95,000