Prepared by: Emily Monroe, Jeanne Oden, Daniel Pewewardy, and Mark Raymond November 30, 2009 LIS

5033 Dr. John T. Snead Fall 2009

Our group divided the work of defining and explaining the role of Metadata Librarianship within the information profession in the following manner. Emily Monroe prepared a generic job description and a description of the environments in which metadata librarian responsibilities exist. Jeanne Oden prepared a section describing the characteristics of the metadata librarian position that make it an information profession and prepared a general profile of the type of professional employed in such a position. She also obtained signed consent to conduct an interview of a metadata librarian to provide additional information for the report.

Daniel Pewewardy described the career opportunities available to metadata librarians including opportunities for advancement, salary, and long-term earning potential. All the material for the report was submitted to Mark Raymond who served as the group leader and editor of the report documents. He organized the submitted materials and created the final PowerPoint presentation with the accompanying documents. All team members communicated via email and on the D2L discussion board. All team members participated in reviewing and editing the final documents.

Metadata librarians are responsible for creation and management of metadata, which is structured information or data that describes, explains, and locates information resources, thereby enabling easier retrieval, use, and management of information (Chapman 2007; NISO
2004).

Metadata librarians know how to acquire and organize information into systems and structures and to enhance the accessibility and quality of information (Calhoun 2007,
185).

Metadata librarians are responsible for the development and documentation of standards, the production of metadata, and the use and collaboration of digital tools
(Beacom 2005; Chapman 2007).

Metadata librarians require a knowledge of the following:

Basic Computer Skills and Electronic Resources (databases, digital collections, online resources, etc.) Integrated library systems such as:
Automated library systems Horizon VOYAGER ALEPH OPAC-Online Public Access Catalogue Innovative Interfaces Unicorn

Knowledge of Cataloging standards such as: AACR-Anglo American Cataloging Rules DDC-Dewey Decimal Classification System LCC-Library of Congress Classification LCSH-Library of Congress Subject Headings LCRI-Library of Congress Rule Interpretations MESH-Medical Subject Headings CONSER-Cooperative Online Serials AACR-Anglo

Knowledge of Metadata standards such as: MARC-Machine Readable Cataloging Dublin Core EAD-Encoded Archival Description MODS-Metadata Object Description Schema METS-Metadata Encoding and Transmission Standards VRA-Visual Resources Association TEI-Text Encoding Initiative PREMIS-Preservation Metadata: Implementation Strategies OAIS-Open Archival Information System

Knowledge of Mark-up languages and technical competencies in: SGML-Standard Generalized Mark-up Language XML-Extensible Mark-up Language RDF-Resource Description Framework HTML-Hypertext Mark-up Language DOI-Digital Object Identifier CSS-Cascading Style Sheets XSL-Extensible Stylesheet Language OPEN URL(Uniform Resource Locator)

Knowledge of Bibliographic utilities such as: OCLC-Online Computer Library Center RLIN-Research Library Information Network CONNEXION Knowledge of authority control such as: Authority Records Authority Files Name Authority NACO-Name Authority Cooperative program SACO-Subject Authority Cooperative program Other skills needed as a metadata librarian include: collaboration, research, education, and development (Chapman 2007).

 Metadata Librarian Metadata/Cataloging Librarian Digital Resources Metadata Librarian Serials Metadata Librarian Emerging Technology & Metadata Librarian Metadata Archivist GIS Metadata Librarian Music Cataloger/Metadata Librarian

Head of Cataloging and Metadata Services E-Resources Cataloger Digital Project Metadata Librarian Head of Digital Resources Metadata Section Head of Metadata and Content Management Metadata Analyst Metadata/Database Management Specialist Web/Metadata Librarian

Public libraries

Special Libraries
Information centers or libraries maintained by:

School Libraries
Academic Libraries

Government agencies Corporations Law firms Advertising agencies Museums Professional associations Unions Medical centers Hospitals Religious organizations Research laboratories Any organization which requires digital organization of information

Metadata librarians reflect the ALAs Core Competencies of Librarianship (2009) including: Foundations of the profession Information resources Organization of recorded knowledge Technological knowledge and skills Reference and user skills Research Continuing education and lifelong learning Administration and management

Cataloging Librarians are morphing to become Metadata Librarians

The Internet and Web made information organization an important element in many fields, while cataloging and classification remained something germane solely to the library community (Rupp and Burke 2004, 225). Cataloging jobs are shifting to become metadata librarian jobs, which include integration of both system networks and vendor products, as well as management of resources, metadata creation for multiple media types, computer and Web applications as well as interoperability and preservation considerations (Han and Hswe 2009, Calhoun 2007).

Metadata librarians embrace the traditional skills and tools of catalogers , as well as managers, educators and technologists
(Park et al. 2009).

Advancement of technology has affected every aspect of the cataloging profession ( Park et al. 2009, 854). Metadata librarians must focus on the needs that catalog librarians meet, rather than on the methods they use
(Calhoun 2007).

A metadata librarian has four roles:

Collaboration Research Education Development

These roles, with multi-disciplinary focus both within and outside the library, incorporate both technical and political challenges, creating some unique pressures and tensions (Chapman 2007, 280).

Collaboration

Within and between departments, institutions, organizations, the public and nations A champion for goals where responsible parties may be in different departments or have different leadership, including system administrators, interface designers, Web materials, and other technology-intensive positions (Chapman 2007, 282). Consultancy, helping to design solutions that meet various interests as well as information-seeking behaviors Creation and implementation of information policies, workflows and best practices Goals: Facilitate information access to all users Support interoperability and preservation

Research

Keep up with new developments for professional growth and to speed development of new initiatives (Chapman 2000, 281).
Share understanding with colleagues to facilitate collaboration and creation/adoption of best practices Facilitate overall knowledge management as well as staff/colleague training Learn and understand new technologies in the context of the dynamic information environment, and apply this knowledge to empower information seekers and (enable) a sustainable strategic advantage that libraries can and should embrace (Calhoun 2007).

Education

Support implementation of changes in procedure and workflow through both colleague and user training (Chapman 2007). Effectively communicate benefits of changes to various constituencies to ensure cooperation and consistency and to overcome resistance to change (Chapman 2007). Professional development to stay abreast of the dynamic information landscape and user expectations Roles and responsibilities (are) constantly evolving
(Chapman 2007).

Development

Goal: Create digital resources that are easy to use, manage and share (Beacom 2005). Integrate data from disparate digitization projects to support discovery and preservation (Chapman 2007, 282). Integrate search across collections Planning and exploration to ensure migration and conversion is efficient (Chapman 2007).

Technical documentation that includes the structures, processes, and schema (Chapman 2007).

Age

Any

Education

Predominantly hold an MLIS degree (Han and Hswe 2009) Knowledge or familiarity with foreign language(s) Affinity for continued learning, for professional development and problem-solving XML knowledge very important (Han and Hswe 2009)

Abilities/Experience

Understanding of bibliographic utilities, authority control and cataloging standards (Park et al. 2009, 851) Knowledge of systems and metadata schema to facilitate access and integration (Han and Hswe 2009) Analysis and attention to detail (Han and Hswe 2009) Technological expertise to handle electronic information (Park et al.
2009, 849)

Flexibility with technological change (both systems and standards) Communications skills (oral/written); team player Management abilities -- staff, resources and digital projects (inc. training, problem-solving and mediation) (Park et al. 2009) Especially, they have user focus and willingness to learn (Martin
2009)

In general job outlook for those going into the field of librarianship is favorable. The Bureau of Labor statistics reported a 4 percent increase in library job availability between 2006 and 2016 (US Department of Labor 2009). This growth compared to other fields is low due to factors such as government funding restraints and technological advances reducing the need for traditional librarians (US Department of Labor 2009). However this trend might not be the case for metadata librarians, a report from the United States Department of Labor states, Jobs for librarians outside traditional settings will grow the fastest over the decade. Nontraditional librarian jobs include working as information brokers and working for private corporations, nonprofit organizations, and consulting firms.
(2009, 3)

A search conducted recently on two primaries Library job posting sites (ALA Joblist and LISJobs) returned four open metadata librarian positions nationwide. Two of those were in an academic setting. One was in a non-profit setting, and one was working within a government setting. All four positions were full time. Of the two academic positions, one was a posting for a Cataloging/Metadata Librarian at the University of Scranton and the other was described as a Metadata Librarian at Yale University (Yale University Library 2009). The position at Scranton was tenure track. The Yale position was a temporary appointment of two years and was non renewable.

Out of the four job openings currently available only one position posted salary information. According to a posting from The State of North Carolina a metadata librarian working for this entity could expect to make between $32,965 and $78,736 annually, with a hiring range between $32,956 and $43,655 based on candidate skills and work experience (American Library Association 2009). This information seems to fall in line with median incomes for librarians in all library fields. The median annual income in 2006 for Librarians was $39,250-$80,600 (US Deparment of Labor 2009).

A 2006 survey by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that median annual incomes for librarians in all fields varied in different industries as seen in the table below. These salaries seem to fall in line with median incomes for librarians in all fields.
Junior colleges Colleges, universities, and professional schools Elementary and secondary schools Local government Other information services $52,030 51,160 50,710 44,960 44,170

A 2005 salary study shows that salary increases for the first half of the 21st century have dropped considerably compared to the previous two decades. Between 2003 and 2004 a Library director on average received a salary increase of 1.28 percent compared to 1993-94 when the same position yielded a salary increase of 4.24 percent and an increase of 12.84 percent annually was reported 1982-84
(Davis 2005).

Of six various positions surveyed in 2004, only beginning librarians seemed to show an increase compared to the previous year
(Davis 2005).

Along with base salaries, according to various job listings metadata library positions may include the following benefits : Tenure track if position is in an academic setting Retirement plans through TIAA-CREF and also workplace programs. Health benefits Relocation assistance (various job listings)

In general, librarians may find their skills being used in various industries such as: Archivists Curators Museum technicians Computer information scientists

Outside of position postings for metadata librarianship, a search on both LISJobs and the ALA Joblist provided the following job titles that require skills that trained metadata librarians might possess. These titles include: Database Librarian Head of Cataloging Head Librarian of Technical Services and Systems Digital Initiatives and Scholarly Communications Librarian

Barbara Gilles, Senior Editor, Access Systems

Job description: provides metadata infrastructure for libraries of many different customers; taxonomy/thesaurus creation and development, abstracting and indexing, development of thesaurusbased rules for automated indexing and selection of humanselected terms; proposals (Gilles 2009). Other Titles: Taxonomist, Indexer, Abstractor/Indexer (Gilles 2009)

Barbara Gilles, Senior Editor, Access Systems

Background and Prior Skills: Masters in Music History, proficient at editorial skills (Gilles 2009) Recommended Skills needed for future Metadata Librarians: Masters degree, computer skills, knowledge of metadata standards and platforms, and knowledge of XML (Gilles 2009).

Metadata Librarianship is a compelling combination of exploration, guardianship, research, and application and continuing education (oneself, colleagues and information seekers.) Metadata librarians work in teams to achieve cross-disciplinary goals, as well as alone when creating content or researching future needs and opportunities. As libraries continue to create electronic resources, metadata will act as a digital Sherpa to a new generation of information seekers. Metadata librarians will be required to not only understand the metadata standards already used by libraries such as MARC and Dublin-Core, but also possess an abundance of new skills and be competent in such digital tools as XML, HTML, and DOI.

Finally, today's MLIS graduates will see a great deal of change in

information organization during the next 10-20 years, and metadata librarians will be key to working through technology, access and preservation issues. Metadata infrastructure is increasingly important to different types of libraries while metadata librarians must collaborate with other information professionals including archivists and catalogers. As the role of libraries change and older generations of traditional librarians retire, positions for younger more digitally savvy librarians will be created and will likely be filled by metadata librarians.

Final Thought:

"Metadata specialists are well positioned to make worthwhile contributions to the ... communities they serve, provided they seize opportunities to contribute their expertise to the larger information network processes ... that of transforming mere information into knowledge, insight, and action" (Calhoun 2007, 185).