Please see the job posting here to view the posting and apply for the position, which will be available at the National Library of Education (at the U.S. Department of Education). The NLE will soon undergo a 2-year project to catalog a historical collection.
Inquiries may be made to LAC Group.
"LAC Group is seeking an experienced Special Collection Cataloger for a full-time, short-term project (18-24 months) located in Washington, DC. This project requires supporting a full range of cataloging tasks including:Provide high-quality, original catalog records containing appropriate subject and copy-specific information for historic print books in consultation with NLE cataloging team.- Supplement OCLC records with item-specific information and subject headings and deletes unwanted fields; adds any missing physical description of the work.
- Enhance the NLE catalog record by, for example, adding publication year to call number; adding publisher as a tracing; verifying all name, series, and subject entries; adding link, if any, to Hathi Trust digital record; adding item record; and printing out and affixing spine label.
- Follow guidance provided by the conservation experts, carries out basic conservation measures such as boxing or tying book together in cases where the books are in poor physical condition.
- Advises on initiatives to encourage the use of historical textbooks by a broad scholarly public.
- Trains and maintains quality control of work done by junior cataloger.
- Participates in the development of a digital preservation strategy for the NLE.
- All applicants must have the following qualifications:
- ALA-accredited MLS or formal coursework or training in rare books, special collections librarianship, and original and copy cataloging.
- Minimum 10 years’ experience in special collections or rare books librarianship, including experience in cataloging historic printed books.
- Demonstrated knowledge of current and emerging national cataloging standards, including MARC, AACR2, and historic book cataloging principles.
- Experience using OCLC and Sirsi Dynix or comparable ILS.
- Understanding of preservation and conservation theory and practice.
- Aptitude for complex, analytical work with attention to detail, demonstrated problem-solving skills, flexibility and creativity.
- Ability to work effectively in a team environment."