OCLC seeks a Curator of Cultural Heritage

This may well be the most unusual -- in a very good way -- corporate archives job out there.  Many corporate archivists devote a lot of effort justifying their existence to their employers, but OCLC serves the library and archival communities, and just about every OCLC professional I've encountered has a graduate degree in library/information science.  The person who takes this job will probably be able to spend less time explaining the fundamentals of archives and demonstrating how his or her program supports OCLC's mission and a little more time actively accessioning, describing, and providing access to archival materials.

This posting is a little light on the electronic records/digital preservation stuff, but the position description indicates that the successful candidate will work with "digital assets" and the "OCLC [Digital?] Archive".  Moreover, any employer that has built its own trusted digital repository almost certainly has tons of born-digital records -- and lots of employees who are focused on digital preservation.

If you're an early- to mid-career archivist who finds the thought of working for the world's largest library/archival service provider appealing, OCLC just might have a job for you.  OCLC is located just outside of Columbus, a city that, in its pleasant Midwestern way, is a little cooler than one might expect.  (OCLC's offices are also a stone's throw away from one of the oddest art installations I've ever seen, but that's a story for another day.)

Overview

Online Computer Library Center, Inc. is a nonprofit, membership, computer library service and research organization dedicated to the public purposes of furthering access to the world's information and reducing information costs. Tens of thousands of libraries around the world use OCLC services to locate, acquire, catalog, lend and preserve library materials. We are currently seeking candidates for a Curator, Corporate Heritage position at our Corporate Headquarters in Dublin (Columbus), Ohio.

Responsibilities

• Develop, execute and evaluate the strategic vision and priorities for collecting materials of permanent value to OCLC.
• Develop written policy statements and procedural guidelines for the collection, including access to and use of both public and confidential materials. Monitor and provide reports on the use of collection.
• Assure access to records in compliance with ISO 9001.
• Create metadata to provide access to items and collections and prepare document descriptions and finding aids for use of collections.
• Coordinate corporate records retention policies with other areas (e.g., Finance, Legal, Human Resources, and Marketing).
• Promote the use and understanding of the collections and communicate the value of corporate heritage for public relations and pro bono activities of OCLC.
• Coordinate access to OCLC’s digital assets through the top level of the OCLC intranet, the OCLC Library web site, and the OCLC Archive.
• Back up the Electronic Resources Librarian.

Qualifications

• MLS from an ALA-accredited institution or other Master’s degree. Concentration in archives preferred.
• Three years’ experience in archives
• Knowledge of OCLC and its role in the history of librarianship
• Ability to create original bibliographic records in WorldCat
• Ability and desire to work in a team-based environment
• Excellent verbal, written and analytic communication skills with all levels of users
• Strong organizational skills and ability to plan and manage long-term projects
• Familiarity with integrated library systems, content management software and CONTENTdm desirable

The position description says nothing about salary, but information about employee benefits and  career development opportunities and detailed application instructions are available online.