Head Librarian, Cataloguing and Metadata, Mona Library

The University of the West Indies (UWI) is a dynamic, international institution serving the countries of the Commonwealth Caribbean. Its faculties and institutes offer a wide range of undergraduate, masters and doctoral programmes in Humanities and Education, Science and Technology, Engineering, Law, Medical Sciences, Sport and the Social Sciences. The institution represents the oldest of its kind within the region and has produced outstanding leaders who have made remarkable contributions to regional development.

Applications are invited from suitably qualified individuals to fill the positions of:

HEAD LIBRARIAN, CATALOGUING AND METADATA

MONA LIBRARY

Reference No. MPN100214 

The UWI (Mona) Library is seeking an innovative and collaborative Cataloguer to Head the Cataloguing and Metadata Unit, provide leadership and vision in all activities related to organizing, describing and providing records for information resources of the Library, ensuring an integrated and coordinated approach to accessing all resources. The Head of Cataloguing and Metadata works closely with the Technical Services team and other Heads of Units and will develop policies and procedures in cataloging and metadata services and leads in researching new strategies and technologies in cataloguing. He/she will also be responsible for planning, supervising, and evaluating staff in the Unit.

The successful candidate will be required to: 

• Provide leadership, guidance, and expertise in Cataloguing

• Advise the Deputy Librarian of Digital Strategies and Collections (DL, D.S.C.) on the articulation of a user-centered, holistic cataloging and metadata vision to meet current and emerging information needs and new models of collection/content building and delivery

• Work with the DL, D.S.C. to develop, coordinate, and implement bibliographic control policies and practices across the discovery and digital repository systems

• Plan, implement, and evaluate operations, establish policies and procedures, and set priorities in cataloguing and metadata services

• Resolve metadata and cataloguing issues to enable authority control and optimal discovery by researchers

• Train, evaluate, and supervise cataloguing staff, and ensure compliance with international standards such as MARC, RDA, AACR2r, LCSH, LCCS, OCLC, LC cataloguing practices, and other appropriate cataloguing and metadata standards

• Search OCLC WorldCat, Library of Congress online, UWI Consortium, Z39.50 and other databases for bibliographic records as well as edit and enhance bibliographic data to reflect local cataloguing and holding practices

• Demonstrate commitment to research and scholarship

• Provide face-to-face, telephone, e-mail and virtual reference service which includes responding to specific reference queries and providing personalized instruction of the strategies used to identify and locate research material

• Work with the Head of Acquisitions and other Heads of Sections to assist with the preparation of grant proposals and other donor support materials as required

• Deliver required information literacy sessions in Foundation Courses

• Conduct graduate theses scrutiny and prepare theses scrutiny documentation 

Qualifications and Experience: 

•  Applicants must possess a Master’s degree in Library and Information Studies (MLIS)

• Applicants must also have five years’ experience working in an Academic Library with at least three years’ experience in cataloguing doing original cataloguing

• A minimum of three years’ experience in a management position, preferably in a library, as well as working knowledge of Resource Description and Access is also required

• Experience or certification in project management and grant proposal writing is an asset  

For further particulars regarding the University of the West Indies and the Mona Library, visit us at https://www.mona.uwi.edu/library/ 

Applicants are required to submit (i) a cover letter, (ii) a completed employment application form, (iii) curriculum vitae giving full particulars of qualifications, experience, the names and addresses of three (3) referees (one of whom should be from your present organization) and (iv) copies of academic qualifications. Application for employment forms including the publication supplement can be found at https://www.mona.uwi.edu/hrd/forms

All applications documents should be sent by electronic mail to hrmd.odes@uwimona.edu.jm addressed to the Campus Registrar for the attention of the Director, Human Resource Management Division, The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Kingston 7, Jamaica. All applications must include the reference number MPN100214 in the subject line of the email. The final date for receipt of applications is October 11, 2024. Applicants are advised to ask their referees to send reports under confidential cover to the above address without waiting to be contacted.

The University thanks all applicants. However, due to the volume of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

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