Reporting to the Director, the Digital Archivist is responsible for the accessioning, preservation, and maintenance of born-digital and digitized special collections and Institute records comprised of material in all formats, including more than 600 institutional video recordings per year. The Digital Archivist manages content delivery and digital archiving, ensuring application of best practices related to long-term digital preservation, accessibility, copyright, and emerging methods of scholarly communication.

The Arthur Friedheim Library houses one of the largest and oldest music collections in the country, and serves the faculty, staff, and students of the two divisions of the Peabody Institute (the Conservatory and the Preparatory) and the broader Johns Hopkins University community, as well as the general public. Holdings include over 180,000 books, scores, periodicals, and manuscripts; 60,000 sound recordings in all formats; 4,000 DVDs and videos; microform; and over 6,000 linear feet of archival and special collections. The Arthur Friedheim Library also houses the Filby Rare Book Room and the Archives, which documents the Institute’s history as well as the cultural development of Baltimore and the State of Maryland from the mid-nineteenth century to the present.

The Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University advances a dynamic, 21st-century model of performing arts training in pursuit of its mission: to elevate the human experience through leadership at the intersection of art and education. Through its Conservatory for undergraduate and graduate studies and the Preparatory, Baltimore’s largest community performing arts school, Peabody empowers musicians and dancers from diverse backgrounds.

Specific Duties & Responsibilities

Digital Collection Management and Processing

• Manages the lifecycle of born-digital and digitized Institute records and personal papers by creating, documenting, and implementing workflows for accessioning, describing, processing, preserving, and providing access to these materials that accord with best practices and professional standards.
• Provides guidance to Director, Archivist, and donors on the preservation and transfer of born-digital and digitized personal papers.
• Manages digital assets in systems such as Aviary, CONTENTdm, and Preservica. Works with service providers to integrate systems and resolve technical problems.

• Manages the deposit, description, access, and preservation for theses, dissertations, portfolios, and capstones.

• Establishes procedures for digitization projects, in collaboration with the Archivist, and processes all digitally reformatted assets for preservation and access.

• Assists in development and management of grants and other fundraising activities related to born-digital materials or digitization projects.

• Establishes processing priorities based on collection value, preservation concerns, and available resources.

• Contributes to the field and pursues appropriate professional development activities to stay informed of best practices, new trends, and innovative technologies.

• Collaborates with Peabody IT and vendors to identify opportunities for cross-platform integration and workflow improvements.

• Trains and coaches graduate student workers.

• Processes born-digital institutional recordings for preservation and timely online access. Gathers assets from local sources, describes content in ArchivesSpace, and adds files to Preservica and Aviary according to local best practices.

• Arranges and processes born-digital and digitized degree documents in Preservica.

• Describes and ingests digitized materials such as institutional recordings.

• Sets appropriate permission levels for all digital collections in accordance with copyright law and institutional policies.

• Coordinates with Resource Description Librarian to develop discovery strategies for online catalog and OCLC/WorldCat.

Reference and Outreach

• Responds to user requests for assistance in accessing digital collections. Shares digital assets with authorized users as needed.
• Assists Institute Archivist in digital reformatting of analog sound and video recordings upon user request.
• With the Director and Engagement and Instruction Librarian, collaborates to support curricular projects involving digital collections and to develop programs to support access of digital media projects.
• Monitors digital collection use and collects statistics for reporting and evaluation of staffing and services.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Special Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of relevant standards for archival description including DACS and EAD, familiarity with other metadata standards such as Dublin Core or MODS, and knowledge of XML.
• Knowledge of audio recording equipment, history, and formats.
• Awareness of current and emerging trends, best practices, and technologies in the preservation of born digital and digitized collections.
• Understanding of copyright issues as related to sound recordings, archival materials, and digitization.
• Familiarity with Western music history.

• Master’s Degree in Library Science, Archival Studies, or related field required.
• Two years professional experience.

• Experience with XSLT, Xpath, Xquery, and one or more general scripting languages such as Python.

• Experience digitizing analog media such as audiocassettes and VHS tapes.

• Experience with computer hardware and software used for editing and reformatting audio and video, such as Pro Tools, Final Cut Pro, or Audacity.

• Experience working with preservation and access of digital media collections.

• Experience with platforms for digital collections such as Preservica, Avalon, Aviary, or CONTENTdm.

• Archival certification, formal archival education, or coursework in archival studies.

Classified Title: Archivist 
Job Posting Title (Working Title): Digital Archivist   
Role/Level/Range: ATP/04/PC  
Starting Salary Range: $53,800 - $94,400 Annually ($74,100 targeted; Commensurate with experience) 
Employee group: Full Time 
Schedule: 37.5 hours per week 
Exempt Status: Exempt 
Location: Peabody Institute 
Department name: ​​​​​​​Library & Archives  
Personnel area: Peabody