Vacancy for Digital Collections Management Coordinator at the British Library

Digital Preservation Coalition; Boston Spa; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading library organization is seeking a Digital Collections Management Coordinator to support the management of digital assets. The ideal candidate will have a degree related to Library or Information Science, excellent managerial experience, and a keen interest in digital preservation. This role offers potential for growth and includes flexible work arrangements in London or Boston Spa, along with opportunities for occasional travel.

Qualifications

• Several years of experience in a managerial capacity.
• Operational experience of digital library systems and technologies.
• Sound understanding of digital lifecycle management.

Responsibilities

• Support the development of a holistic approach to managing Digital Collections.
• Manage local services like the Digital Media Capture Unit.
• Ensure preservation of digital collections stored on portable media.

Skills

Knowledge of digital collections

People skills

Attention to detail

Writing skills

Information management

Education

Degree in Library, Archives, or Information Science

Tools

Digital library systems

Job description

Vacancy for Digital Collections Management Coordinator at the British Library

10 December 2023

Full-Time

The British Library's Digital Collections are a unique treasure trove, including everything from digitised manuscripts and books to eBooks and eJournals, the UK Web Archive, born-digital personal archives, sound collections, electoral registers, and much more. In total, the collection comprises many millions of collection items, and millions more individual files, all comprising several petabytes of data. All of these items require efficient management if they are to persist over time and remain reliably available into the future.

The post of Digital Collections Management Coordinator represents an opportunity to join the British Library's Digital Collections Management and Preservation team in order to support the development a new, holistic approach to managing the Library's Digital Collections. The successful candidate will work with the Head of Digital Collection Management, the Digital Preservation Research and Services Lead, and others on the implementation of the digital elements of the Library's Collection Management Strategy, working with curatorial colleagues from across the organisation to make sure that our approach is inclusive of all collections and covers all stages of content lifecycles. Working with colleagues from Digital Preservation, the post holder will also take responsibility for managing local services like the Digital Media Capture Unit, ensuring that digital collections stored on portable media are appropriately processed and can be preserved for the long-term.

This is an exciting role with excellent potential for growth. Candidates should be able to demonstrate a keen interest in and knowledge of the Library's Digital Collections, to have several years of experience of working in a managerial capacity, as well as having operational experience of digital library systems and technologies. Possessing a degree in Library, Archives, or Information Science, or a related discipline, candidates should be able to demonstrate a sound understanding of concepts relating to digital lifecycle management, including issues and concepts relating to long term digital preservation and curation, and have an aptitude for the development of policies. Excellent people skills are a must, alongside a proven ability to work independently with a keen eye for detail. With strong writing, desktop computing and information management skills, the ideal candidate will be a confident self starter, able to work and communicate with colleagues from a range of different disciplines and backgrounds.

The role can be based in either London or Boston Spa, Yorkshire, though in line with Library policy there will also be flexibility to work part of the week from home. There will be an opportunity for occasional travel to other Library sites, and for the right candidate, the possibility of international travel to engage with digital collection management initiatives being developed elsewhere.