Northeast Ohio Regional Library System

Digital Collections Curator, Center for the Art of East Asia - University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

Classified Ad Title:
Digital Collections Curator, Center for the Art of East Asia - University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

Post Date
12/3/2020

Expiration Date
2/18/2021

Details:
Department
HUM Staff: Art History - Center for the Art of East Asia

About the Department
Established in 2003 by the Department of Art History and the Division of the Humanities, the University of Chicago’s Center for the Art of East Asia (CAEA) has become an internationally renowned academic center dedicated to the study of East Asian art and visual culture. The CAEA has created new innovative methods for art historical research using visual technologies for teaching and research. These efforts have resulted in the funding of a larger collaborative initiative, the Dispersed Chinese Art Digitization Project (DCADP), to record, archive, and digitally restore the fragments of Chinese cultural sites and increase global understanding of China’s cultural heritage. In the process of reconstructing these sites, the CAEA will implement conferences, exhibitions, and publications that reconsider the significance of traditional Chinese artistic and cultural sites in contemporary global contexts.

Job Summary
The job performs a variety of professional duties to support library initiatives and priorities, in one or more libraries or subject-specific areas. Uses professional or subject-specific knowledge to develop library collections, support a specialty field, and coordinate library programs. Reporting to the Associate Director of the Center for the Art of East Asia (CAEA) and Faculty Director of the Dispersed Chinese Art Digitization Project (DCADP), the Collections Curator will manage research and data related to the DCADP, which include but are not limited to research papers, photographic images, and digital 3D object models for the dispersed artworks. The Collections Curator will work with collaborators at the Institute for Technological Preservation of Cultural Heritage in the Xi’an Jiaotong University (XJUAD) Art Department, and liaise with other campus partners, including the Visual Resources Center in the Department of Art History, Humanities Computing, Research Computing Center, and the UChicago Library Center for Digital Scholarship and Digital Library Development Center, separately. This is a full-time position with benefits and is grant funded. Provisions will be discussed for remote work during the pandemic.

Responsibilities
1) Establish and maintain a content management system for the DCADP; work with campus partners to implement and maintain metadata standards to enable transnational resource-sharing and discovery.

2) Perform quality-control for digital files; work with Humanities Computing campus unit on web platform content; maintain written and digital project documentation and communication.

3) Train CAEA student employees, faculty, and other staff as needed on technology and metadata standard trends, changes and best practices during the project.

4) Collaborate with the Department of Art History to incorporate the DCADP collection into its annual Suzanne Deal Booth Conservation Seminars.

5) Promote the collection and engage the community-at-large through various outreach initiatives and activities including, but not limited to, the curation of physical and digital exhibitions, speakers, panel discussions, and workshops/seminars; may be done in collaboration with other staff and organizations on and off campus; targeted audiences include K-12 students, undergraduates, graduates, faculty, staff, community researchers, Chinese art history enthusiasts/East Asian art enthusiasts, academic communities, and more.

Competencies
1) Strong communication skills, verbal and written to compose accurate and concise communications suitable for professional discourse.

2) Work independently as well as collaborate with colleagues to solve problems.

3) Learn and integrate new tools and technologies to achieve the goals of the project; stay abreast of new and emerging technologies and standards in the field.

4) Demonstrated or documented success supporting and advocating for diversity, equity, inclusion or accessibility values in professional or personal capacities.

5) Have some form of a remote working space during the pandemic.

Minimum Qualifications
Education:
Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.
Work Experience:
Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Preferred Qualifications
Education
1) Master’s degree in art history or cultural heritage management-related discipline (archives and manuscripts management, museum studies, library and information science, etc).
Experience
1) Experience with content management systems or digital asset management systems, art-related metadata and description standards.
2) Familiarity with archiving standards and best practices for born-digital collections.

Technical Knowledge or Skills
1) Written and verbal fluency in Chinese.

Required Documents
1) Resume/CV
2) Letter of Interest in this position
3) Reference Contact Information (3)
4) APPLICANTS, PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR RESPONSE TO THE STATEMENT WHICH FOLLOWS WITHIN THE RESUME/CV ATTACHMENT PORTION OF THE APPLICATION SYSTEM: Describe your experience with data management projects that have required you to adapt by applying new tools and developing new skills on the job.
When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded under the Resume / Cover Letter section of the application.


Posting Statement
The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Staff Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages a diversity of perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.


Website:
https://uchicago.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/External/job/Hyde-Park-Campus/Collections-Curator_JR08962