Amherst? I could live in Amherst.
Head, Image Collection Library (Librarian II or III), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts
Qualifications:
1. Master’s degree in library sciences from an American Library Association-accredited library and information studies program.
Pending.
2. Minimum of 2 years of experience in progressively more responsible public services positions in an academic or research library, including project management and information management expertise.
I have two years of project management experience, but not in a library. (But it was with a library services vendor. That’s got to count, sort of.)
3. Working knowledge of French and/or German language.
B.A. in French literature. Working knowledge of German, including familiarity with Fraktur script. (Not that I like German, but I seem to be unable to escape from it.)
4. Experience managing collections of digital and slide images, preferably in an academic environment.
Check (but not in an academic environment).
5. Thorough knowledge of AACR2 2nd ed. rev., Library of Congress Subject Headings, MARC 21 format, and the OCLC cataloging system.
Check, check, check and check. (And I even have a year to go as a cataloger).
6. Experience with one or more of the following metadata standards: Dublin Core, VRA Core, METS/MODS, OpenURL, OAI-PMH, EAD, XML, TEI, or others.
DC, OAI-PMH, XML and TEI, check. Plus that one we invented for our document modeling class. (Thank you, document modeling! Oh, and thank you metadata class, for forcing me to learn about OAI-PMH, even if I whined the entire time.) Also, I can probably learn another metadata standard in my digital libraries class this fall.
. . .
9. Knowledge of digital asset management systems, such as Dspace, CONTENTdm, etc.
CONTENTdm, check.
10. Current experience and working technical knowledge of image management and presentation tools such as LUNA/Insight, and computer software such as Photoshop, Powerpoint, Microsoft Office applications, and other common productivity tools.
Photoshop and Microsoft Office, yes. (I suppose at some point I may actually have to learn PowerPoint. But not today.)
11-17. Organization skills, team player, communication skills, etc.
Check.
18. Desirable qualifications include a Masters degree in Art History; supervisory experience; and a record of service to the profession.
No M.A. in Art History, but I do have supervisory experience. (I’m not sure what “a record of service to the profession” means, but I can probably arrange to get one. I know a guy.)
Good points:
I really do love Massachusetts. I love the architecture, the scenery and especially the accent! (It remains to be seen if I could love a New England winter, but I figure a couple of Illinois winters should toughen me up.) Part of me would rather live closer to Boston, but Amherst is only a couple of hours away, which is close enough for day trips but far enough away to avoid the problems of crime, congestion and a high cost of living. Also, the fact that it’s a college town means there will likely be a good bookstore nearby, which is a very important thing.
The LDS population in Western Massachusetts is understandably small, but Western Massachusetts is actually not that far from Eastern Massachusetts, which is well known for its large supply of wicked smart single Mormon folk. (Granted, some of them might be really snobby, but some of them might not be.)
Oh, and just for fun I looked to see if there were any good yarn shops in the area. After a bit of research, I discovered that WEBS is about 30 minutes away, in Northampton.
If you’re not a knitter, you probably don’t know why that’s a big deal. You know what Powell’s Books is to independent bookstores? That’s what WEBS is to local yarn shops. It’s . . . Mecca. Who else provides grocery shopping carts to hold all your yarn? Even The Yarn Harlot was overwhelmed when she visited. (And that woman knows from local yarn shops.) So . . . that would be a nice perk. (Or a horrible temptation.)
Bad points:
It seems like this place would be royally inconvenient to fly out of. Either I’d have to drive 2-3 hours to Logan and park or drive to Springfield, take the train to South Station, then take the silver line to the airport. Or I could fly out of Albany, which is closer, but smaller. (Albany’s a depressing city, by the way. Have I ever mentioned that?) Maybe I’m just spoiled from having lived an hour outside of Salt Lake all of these years. (There may not be a lot of direct flights, but where else can you get a door-to-door shuttle for under $30?)
As always, I’m a year away from graduation and not planning on shortening that timeframe. But it’s nice to know that these kinds of jobs are out there. I can always dream, right?
3 Comments:
I think WEBS alone makes it worthwhile.
Ooooh. Sounds nice.
I like that part of the country. That's where my grandparents lived and my dad grew up, in Wilbraham (about 40 minutes south of Amherst). And yes, flying there is a pain. It's a big hole in the coverage of airports.
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