Vacancy for Preservation Audio Engineer at British Library

Digital Preservation Coalition; London; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Part time

Job summary

A national library is seeking a Preservation Audio Engineer to join the Audio Collection Preservation project. Responsibilities include digitising sound recordings on endangered media and creating related metadata. Ideal candidates have strong knowledge of obsolete sound carriers, familiarity with audio technologies, and a degree or equivalent experience in archives. This role is crucial for preserving the nation's audio heritage.

Qualifications

• Strong knowledge of obsolete sound carriers and current digital formats.
• Familiarity with audio recording, playback, and transfer technologies.
• Experience in professional audio archival work including metadata creation.

Responsibilities

• Digitisation of sound recordings on endangered media.
• Creation of metadata related to the transfer process.

Skills

Knowledge of obsolete sound carriers

Familiarity with audio recording technologies

Experience in professional audio archival work

Education

Degree level education or equivalent experience

Job description

Vacancy for Preservation Audio Engineer at British Library

Location: St Pancras

Contract Type: Fixed Term

Join us on the Audio Collection Preservation project to save the nation's audio heritage. This project, part of the British Library’s ambitious Save our Sounds programme, aims to digitally preserve the most at-risk, rare, and unique recordings in the Library's sound collections.

Responsibilities:

• Digitisation of sound recordings on endangered media, especially ¼” open reel tape and cassette
• Creation of metadata related to the transfer process

Requirements:

• Strong knowledge of obsolete sound carriers and current digital formats
• Familiarity with audio recording, playback, and transfer technologies
• Experience in professional audio archival work, including metadata creation for digital audio resources
• Education to degree level or equivalent professional experience in an archive

As one of the world’s great libraries, our duty is to preserve the nation’s intellectual memory for the future and make it accessible for research, inspiration, and enjoyment. We hold over 170 million items in various formats, including manuscripts, maps, newspapers, music scores, and patents. We aim to preserve the national memory and enable knowledge creation now and in the future, accessible to all.