About Our Job
Denver Public Library (DPL) is a growing urban library system that serves the residents of the City & County of Denver. DPL sees more than 4 million visitors every year across its 27 locations, serves Denver’s most vulnerable communities through outreach and mobile services, hosts thousands of programs a year, and manages a collection of more than 1.4 million physical and digital materials. We believe a strong library is vital for a strong community. DPL is committed to serving the evolving needs of Denverites through inspired programming, diverse collections, culturally-representative spaces, and equitable policies & procedures.
The Special Collections and Archives (SCA) subdivision at Denver Public Library comprises two archival repositories: Western History and Genealogy at the Central Library and the African American Research Library at Blair-Caldwell Library. SCA functions in many ways as a smaller microcosm of the library, providing access to specialized materials through intentional acquisition, description, and customer service.
About the Job
DPL is hiring a Special Collections Cataloger who will improve customer experiences by performing original and complex copy cataloging for specialized formats, with a focus on improving physical and intellectual control of monographs and cartographic resources in Special Collections and Archives.
You will work closely with the Cataloging Supervisor to develop practices and workflows that help the department improve public access and discovery for the rich historical resources in our holdings and work collaboratively with others in the library to ensure that our descriptive practices meet the practical needs of customers and staff. Specific work will include:
- Participating as needed in ongoing cataloging and metadata work for formats beyond monographs and cartographic materials; you will cross-train other catalogers in specialties to develop a well-rounded team.
- Actively participating in the DPL’s involvement in the Name Authority Cooperative Program (NACO) by meeting PCC per-cataloger quotas
- Contributing to the library’s critical cataloging work through conversations about inclusive cataloging and active participation in record remediation and enhancement
- Working collaboratively with the cataloging team to review, develop, and cohesively implement cataloging policies and procedures across the subdivision and library
- Maintaining knowledge of current and emerging cataloging and metadata standards, tools, and best practices for working with monographs and cartographic materials
- Cataloging materials in a variety of management systems, including but not limited to Polaris ILS
- Up to 25% of time (10 hours per week) providing customer service to a diverse community on a busy reference desk and via correspondence
Our ideal candidate has:
- Ability to demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills, positive attitude, cultural sensitivity and a sense of humor in working with customers, coworkers, and community members.
- Ability to demonstrate initiative, innovation, and flexibility, including proposing process improvements
- Commitment to collaborative work with internal and external stakeholders. Collegial attitude toward working together with a team toward individual and collective goals.
Finds following workflows satisfying and thrives on attention to detail - Strong writing and communication skills
- Commitment to critical cataloging and inclusive descriptive practices that mitigate harm
- Excellent organizational and problem-solving skills
- Strong project management skills and experience in managing multiple projects at once
- Knowledge of authority management principles and practice; NACO experience and/or training preferred
- Experience with cataloging and metadata practices and standards–including MARC, RDA, and LCSH–required; knowledge of LCCS schedule G and DCRM(C)preferred but not required.
- Ability and interest in adopting and adapting existing and new relevant technology and software to workflow
- Experience with Polaris, OCLC Connexion, and other cataloging software preferred but not required. Willingness to learn new software required.
- A passion for special collections and archives work in a public library setting
We know your time is valuable. Applicants who meet the following minimum requirements will be considered:
- Two (2) years of experience working in libraries, archives, and special collections, one (1) year of which must include experience working with records, processes, maintenance, and preservation of materials
- Master of Library Science from an American Library Association accredited program, or a Master of Arts in Archives and Public History, or other specialized master’s degree.
Please submit a cover letter describing your interest in this position. We value colleagues from all communities and identities. If you’re excited about this position, we encourage you to apply even if your professional experience does not align perfectly with the listed “ideal candidate” expectations. Your cover letter is an opportunity to explain your interest in the role and why you believe you would be a good candidate.