Temporary Project Music Librarian
Job Title: Temporary Project Music Librarian, Great American Songbook Foundation
Reports to: Lisa Lobdell, Archivist
Summary:
The Great American Songbook Foundation in Carmel, Indiana invites applications for a 24-month grant-funded Music Librarian position beginning January 2021. GASF consists of a small museum, archives, and library that reaches both local and national audiences through its multi-disciplinary programming including access to its extensive collections, creating public exhibitions, and offering music-based programs for various audiences.
The mission of the Great American Songbook Foundation (GASF) is to inspire and educate by celebrating the Great American Songbook—the canon of the most important and influential American popular songs and jazz standards from the early 20th century that remain timeless.
The purpose of this position is to select and catalog a portion of the Bethards-Massey Collection of radio show orchestrations to 1) serve as a pilot project for processing the entire collection, 2) build GASF’s capacity in collections management, and 3) deepen user engagement with the collection.
This position must embrace and maintain the core values of the organization.
Primary Responsibilities:
- De-select duplicate or out-of-scope materials from a collection of music arrangements.
- Provide original and complex copy cataloging and classification for music materials in several formats.
- Remain current on:
- RDA, LC-PCC policy statements on RDA, LCSH / LCGFT practices
- MLA best practices for music cataloging
- MARC formats
- OCLC Connexion & Symphony or other music notation software procedures and tagging conventions
- Other local and national standards for the cataloging of music materials.
- Rehouse materials for preservation purposes as needed.
- Regularly advise on project status, recommend solutions to any issues that arise, and provide information regarding the project and collections as required for outreach and reporting purposes.
- Assist in devising, analyzing, documenting, and coordinating cataloging / processing workflows.
- Direct volunteers and interns to meet preapproved timeline
- High attention to detail with demonstrated enthusiasm for cataloging processes.
- Must understand collection development practices.
- Must have reading knowledge of at least one major Western European language.
Competencies Required:
- Problem Solving/Analysis
- Project Management
- Communication Proficiency
- Technical Capacity
- Organization
- Collaboration
- Training
- Leadership
Required Education and Experience:
- MLS/MLIS degree with specialization in music librarianship from an ALA-accredited graduate school is required and
- Bachelor's degree in music, or equivalent demonstrated subject knowledge of music history and theory
- Experience working with library industry and other bibliographic databases, and ability to deftly enter and manipulate data within them.
- Experience with music notation software (e.g. Sibelius, Finale).
Additional Eligibility Qualifications:
- Knowledge of bibliographic metadata standards (e.g. RDA, MARC, LCSH)
- Reading knowledge of at least one major Western European language
- Knowledge of music reference and primary source research tools
- Knowledge of and interest in 20th-century American popular music
- Knowledge of Microsoft Office products
Position Type and Expected Hours of Work:
This is a full-time position that requires weekday (Monday through Friday) attendance with some scheduling flexibility available around core working hours.
Physical Demands
To be successful in this role, the following physical demands are required:
- Ability to lift/move 30 lbs. (approximately) overhead
- Ability to bend to low files and to reach, retrieve or file in high file cabinets
- Ability to climb ladders
- Ability to use handheld tools such as pliers and wire cutters
- Ability to sit 80% of the time.
- Regularly communicate with others
Please email cover letter, resume, and salary requirements to careers@thecenterpresents.org
We are an EEO Employer.
