"Audio-Moving Image Preservation Librarian"

The Audio-Moving Image Preservation Librarian is responsible for leading and coordinating the preservation, management, and access to the library's audio and moving image collections. This position plays a vital role in ensuring the long-term usability of materials through specialized preservation strategies, digitization, metadata creation, and collaborative outreach. You will work closely with library curatorial, selector, technical services staff, archivists, faculty, students, and external partners to develop best practices for preserving diverse formats and supporting research.

Reporting Structure:
As an important member of Preservation Services which includes conservation, book repair, bindery preparation, preventive care, and digital preservation staff, you will report to the Director of Preservation Services for Physical Collections and have a close working relationship with the Director of Preservation Services for Digital Collections and the Manager of the Digital Conversion Unit. This position requires maintaining strong working relationships with teams involved in preservation, digitization, curation, and media access. Collecting areas are located across the library system, including but not limited to the Special Collections Research Center, Music Library, Art, Architecture, and Engineering Library, Asia Library, International Studies, and the Askwith Media Library.

Supervisory Experience:
You will organize and guide the work of the Audio-Moving Image Digitization Technician; mentor and supervise student assistants and interns.

65% Care of audio-visual materials

• Systematically survey collections in order to assess, plan, and implement preservation and conservation strategies for analog and digital audio-visual collections (film, videotape, audiotape, born-digital video/audio, etc.)
• Stabilize, clean, and evaluate the condition of sound and moving-image media across a wide variety of physical formats.
• Judge whether media can safely be digitized locally or sent to an outside vendor.
• Organize and guide the work of the Audio-Moving Image Digitization Technician; mentor and supervise student assistants and interns.
• Oversee the digitization for preservation program for AMI collections, including reformatting workflows, quality control, and migration of legacy formats in accordance with national and international standards.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive metadata records to enhance discoverability, enable robust access to collections, and document preservation actions.
• Collaborate with library curators and selectors, faculty, and researchers to facilitate access, digital scholarship, and instruction using audio-visual materials.
• Provide expertise in rights management, privacy, and responsible stewardship related to audio-moving image collections.
• Contribute to collection development, policy review, and strategic planning for audio-visual holdings.

20% Project planning and management

• Design and execute prioritized preservation strategies and workflows for various projects, including managing materials designated for future offsite cool and cold storage.
• Contribute to the development of metadata standards and protocols.
• Support the creation of strategies for the delivery and access of digital audio and moving image collections.
• Gather statistics and prepare reports, including projected costs.

15% Departmental responsibilities

• Monitor and stay abreast of evolving technologies, industry standards, and trends in audio-visual preservation.
• Deliver training, workshops, and outreach activities to promote preservation awareness within the campus and broader community.
• Participate in departmental meetings and planning activities, including departmental goal-setting.
• Participate in the broader work of the U-M Library by serving on committees, working groups, and task forces as appropriate.
• Other duties as assigned.

You should submit a resume and a cover letter. Please upload both documents as one file through the U-M Careers website. To ensure full consideration, applications must include the following:

• The cover letter should describe your interest in the position and your experience directly relevant to the work of the position
• A resume / CV
• A list of three professional references, including their names, contact information, and your professional relationship
• If you are selected for an interview, you will be asked to present an overview of relevant experience.

Required Qualifications

• Master's degree in library and information science or equivalent graduate degree with specialization in audio-visual preservation.
• Practical experience with the handling, preservation, and digitization of audio-visual materials.
• Knowledge of relevant digital preservation practice and standards.
• Familiarity with metadata schemas (MARC, Dublin Core, PBCore, PREMIS, METS, XML, etc.)
• Excellent organizational, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Commitment to fostering a welcoming environment by recognizing and incorporating differing viewpoints, backgrounds, and ideas to enrich the organization.
• You will work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment.

Additional Qualifications (Preferred)

• Additional certification or training in audio-visual preservation.
• Experience with archival management software and digital repository platforms.
• Demonstrated success in project management.
• Instructional or outreach experience in an academic or research setting.

The appointment is at the Assistant or Associate Librarian rank. The salary range is $61,000-$68,000 at the Assistant rank and $68,000-$79,000 at the Associate rank. The salary offered will be based on the selected candidate's qualifications and experience.