Metadata Analytics Librarian

Department/Organization

219101 - University Libraries

Rank

Assistant/Associate Professor

Position Summary

The University of Alabama Libraries is seeking a collaborative, innovative, and highly motivated, service-oriented professional for the position of Metadata Analytics Librarian at the Assistant or Associate Professor rank. Reporting to the Head of Metadata and Archival Processing within the Resource Acquisition & Discovery unit, the Metadata Analytics Librarian provides strategic direction in the creation, management, analysis, and development of metadata that supports discovery, access, preservation, and stewardship of the University Libraries collections and scholarly resources. Working collaboratively with library faculty and staff working in various areas of University Libraries, the Metadata Analytics Librarian contributes to the development and implementation of metadata workflows and best practices that support evolving local and national standards for bibliographic control and resource discovery.

Detailed Position Information

The successful candidate will provide expertise in descriptive metadata, authority control, metadata normalization, and large-scale metadata remediation. The position supports the management of metadata across multiple library platforms, including FOLIO, the discovery layer, the institutional repository, archival management systems, digital collections platforms, and library storage solutions.

The Metadata Analytics Librarian contributes to metadata-related aspects of the FOLIO implementation and development lifecycle, including testing, workflow analysis, data migration, metadata analysis, and long-term metadata strategy. The University Libraries currently utilizes FOLIO as its library services platform and EBSCO Discovery Service as its primary discovery layer.

The successful candidate must be willing to continually learn, develop, and apply additional expertise through work-related experiences and professional development opportunities. The candidate will pursue grant-writing opportunities and submit projects relevant to the mission of University Libraries and The University of Alabama. The candidate must also possess the ability to navigate change and ambiguity as they successfully solve the types of complex problems encountered in research settings.

Responsibilities of the position evolve as the library environment continues to change.

SALARY/BENEFITS: 12-month tenure earning faculty appointment at the Assistant or Associate Professor rank, depending on qualifications and experience. Salary range is $80,000.00 - $100,000.00, commensurate with qualifications, experience, and advanced degrees. Strong benefits, including professional development support, tuition fee waiver, and matching retirement contributions.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master's degree in Library and Information Science from an ALA-accredited program or doctoral degree in a quantitative field.
• Experience in metadata creation, cataloging, metadata management, or related technical services work in an academic library, research library, archives, or comparable cultural heritage organization.
• Demonstrated experience creating and managing metadata using MARC21 and established descriptive standards and vocabularies including RDA, LC Classification, Library of Congress Subject Headings, and authority files.
• Demonstrated knowledge of metadata schemas and standards including MARC21, Dublin Core, MODS, and related frameworks.
• Experience performing original and complex cataloging or metadata creation for diverse formats and resource types.
• Experience using OCLC Connexion and integrated library systems.
• Demonstrated knowledge of metadata quality control, authority control, and metadata remediation practices.
• Knowledge of archival description and metadata standards, including familiarity with DACS, EAD, archival processing principles, and More Product, Less Process (MPLP).
• Experience evaluating and improving workflows to support efficient metadata creation and management.
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and priorities while exercising sound professional judgment.
• Knowledge of professional standards, trends, and emerging technologies in metadata, cataloging, archives, and resource discovery.
• Commitment to fostering a collaborative and user-centered environment.
• Ability to solve problems independently or collaboratively, using sound judgment in decision-making.
• Proficiency in exploring and integrating new technologies to enhance services and improve task efficiency with a strong ability to quickly adapt to evolving standards and innovations.
• Commitment to conduct research and scholarship consistent with the requirements of a tenure-track faculty appointment.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a complex and changing environment; proven ability to work both independently and collaboratively and complete tasks according to an established timeframe, manage multiple priorities, and meet deadlines.

Preferred Qualifications

• Three to five years of professional experience in metadata services, cataloging, or technical services within a large academic or research library depending on educational background or other related factors.
• Experience participating in library services platform migrations or implementations, including FOLIO, Alma, Voyager, Sierra, or similar systems.
• Experience with metadata management for institutional repositories, digital collections, and Electronic Theses and Dissertations.
• Experience with library metadata management systems supporting archival and digital collections such as ArchivesSpace, ContentDM, DSpace, CAIAsoft, etc.
• Experience using MarcEdit, OpenRefine, Python, R, SQL, Excel, or related tools for metadata transformation, analysis, and remediation.
• Demonstrated knowledge of linked data principles and technologies, including LRM, RDF, RDFa, BIBFRAME, Wikidata, and related semantic web initiatives.
• Experience with batch loading, normalization, and large-scale metadata maintenance projects.
• Experience with metadata assessment initiatives.
• Knowledge of metadata interoperability among library, archival, repository, and digital asset management systems.
• Working knowledge of one or more non-English languages.
• Experience supervising, mentoring, or coordinating the work of faculty, staff, graduate assistants, or student employees.
• Knowledge of EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS).
• Experience designing, documenting, and assessing metadata workflows and operational processes.
• Experience preparing annual or monthly reports for external stakeholders regarding cataloging and/or processing progress.
• Knowledge of managing or working in a ticketing queue, like Jira.
• Experience submitting grant proposals.
• Evidence of an active published research portfolio.

Instructions and Required Materials for Application

TO APPLY: Applications are accepted online only at https://facultyjobs.ua.edu. Click Search Positions. University Libraries in Organization drop down box. Please include your application, Curriculum Vitae, cover letter, and names, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of three references, including one current supervisor. Position open until filled. Applications received by September 15, 2026 are assured of receiving full consideration. The University of Alabama is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and is strongly committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff. Applicants from a broad spectrum of people, including women, members of ethnic minorities and disabled persons, are especially encouraged to apply. For questions regarding the search, contact Michael Arthur, Senior Associate Dean, at maarthur@ua.edu.

About the Division/College/School

The University of Alabama Libraries, a system of seven separate discipline-related libraries, is proud to support the research enterprise at the University of Alabama via a comprehensive and integrated network of resources, services, and technologies designed to meet the academic and research needs of students, faculty, and staff. We take pride in serving as a hub for innovation, knowledge creation and dissemination, research assistance, and collaborative learning. As a U.S. Government Documents Regional Depository since 1860, University Libraries also serves the public and our local community.

The University of Alabama Libraries maintains memberships in the Association of Research Libraries, the Center for Research Libraries, the Greater Western Library Alliance (GWLA), the Coalition of Networked Information, centerNET, LYRASIS, HathiTrust, the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries, LOCKSS, the Network of Alabama Academic Libraries, and the Alabama Digital Preservation Network.

University Libraries provides strong mentorship for faculty and staff, with ongoing collaborative opportunities, and administrative support for innovative services and ideas. We promote and administer a robust professional development environment that supports faculty research and conference travel, and we are invested in academic freedom with teaching and research. We are heavily invested in performing the same high value research that our stakeholders produce, and that assists in our data-driven strategic planning for the future. Our staff routinely update and maintain cutting edge programs of service in support of our stakeholders. Our faculty librarians have developed a record-breaking instruction program, including a series of research data services and workshops, that consistently perform at the top of the SEC.

UA is located in Tuscaloosa, a metropolitan area of over 250,000, with a vibrant economy, a moderate climate, and reputation across the South as an innovative, progressive community with an excellent quality of life. If working with a talented group of professionals who value service, innovation, and high achievement, earning a nationally competitive starting salary, in a thriving college town, with a low cost of living, close to Birmingham, Atlanta, Nashville, New Orleans, and the Gulf Coast sounds interesting to you, start your application process with us to learn more!

Prior to employment the successful candidate must pass a pre-employment background investigation.

About the University

The University of Alabama is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, named one of Travel + Leisure’s 25 Best College Towns and Cities in the U.S. As one of the nation’s premier universities, UA offers bachelor’s, master's and doctoral degrees in nearly 200 fields of study. With more than 1,400 acres of tree-lined academic core campus and over 300 state-of-the art facilities, UA has been ranked among the most beautiful and most impressive college campuses in the South, in the state of Alabama and in the nation.

In Fall 2023, the Capstone set a new enrollment record with more than 39,000 students, including more than 8,200 in the freshman class. The current enrollment includes students from every county in Alabama, every state in the nation and 92 countries around the world. More than 1,100 National Merit Scholars are currently enrolled, making UA one of the largest enrolling institutions of the scholars in the country.

UA was recently recognized as a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. students for the seventh time in nine years, as well as a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. Scholars for the first time. UA is one of only 12 universities in the nation to receive both honors.

For reasons like this, the University made Forbes list of America’s Top Colleges for 2023 and Time magazine’s list of Top 50 Best Colleges for Future Leaders. It also made Princeton Review’s list of Top Value Colleges.

UA is also designated among the top doctoral research universities in the United States in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. One of the fastest growing major research institutions in the nation, UA saw a 21% increase in sponsored awards in the 2023 fiscal year.

Since 2015, UA has invested over $1.1 billion in the physical campus, adding more than 2.55 million gross square feet of space, over 150 new research-intensive faculty, signature research areas (e.g., “The Alabama Research Institutes”), and a growing number of partnerships with industry and with state and federal agencies.

The University employs nearly 2,100 faculty and over 4,500 staff, with 52 UA researchers included in the National Academy of Inventors. An additional 40 current faculty have received the NSF CAREER Award, the nation’s most prestigious recognition of top performing young scientists in disciplines ranging from nanoscience and engineering to biological sciences.

Background Investigation and EEO Statement

Background Investigation Statement: Prior to hiring, the final candidate(s) must successfully pass a pre-employment background investigation and information obtained from social media and other internet sources. A prior conviction reported as a result of the background investigation DOES NOT automatically disqualify a candidate from consideration for this position. A candidate with a prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags will receive an individualized review of the prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags before a hiring decision is made.

Equal Employment Opportunity: The University of Alabama is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment or volunteer status without regard to any legally protected basis and will not be discriminated against because of their protected status. Applicants and employees of this institution are protected under Federal law from discrimination on several bases. More information is available in the EEOC’s Know Your Rights: Workplace (https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights6.12ScreenRdr.pdf) discrimination is illegal poster.

The University of Alabama affirms its longstanding commitment to institutional neutrality, free speech, and academic freedom.

Advertised: 04 Aug 2026 Central Daylight Time
Applications close: 31 Dec 2026 Central Standard Time