Digitization Associate, Publications

JOB TITLE: Digitization Associate, Publications

LOCATION: History Center - 345 W Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55102

COMPENSATION: Typical starting range $51,854.40 - $55,848.00 annually 

STATUS & HOURS: Full-time, project (approximately 2080 annual hours) position through June 30, 2025. The position will be extended beyond the end date if funding is available.

BENEFITS:  Eligible to participate in State Employee Group Insurance Program and a retirement program with employer contribution.  Generous vacation and sick time accruals with additional paid holidays.

DESIGNATION:  Bargaining Unit AFSCME Local 3173 

POSTING DATE: January 22, 2025

DEADLINE DATE: February 4, 2025

TO APPLY: Interested applicants must apply online at the Minnesota Historical Society’s career center at www.mnhs.org/jobs and include a resume and cover letter by the application deadline date.  

DESCRIPTION:  This position exists to support the preservation of and online access to the publications collections, primarily newspapers and serials, through project coordination and digitization activities.

SUMMARY OF WORK:  1) Lead the project coordination for publications digitization; 2) Provide technical direction for digitization specifications and standards, metadata, file management, and quality; 3) Coordinate and administer the digital publications online access system; 4) Assist with the coordination of special projects, grant applications, content documentation, and collection development; and 5) Provide general support for the Collections Digitization unit.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent plus 3 years digitization experience in a professional setting OR advanced degree in library, archival studies, or history plus 2 years professional experience with digitization or equivalent. 

• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to respond productively to unanticipated changes and assignments. 

• Strong verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.

• Ability to communicate and establish positive relations with other staff, organizations, and vendors. 

• Experience in project planning, scheduling, and tracking metrics.

• Experience with digitization equipment, software, standards and best practices.

• Knowledge of digital content and metadata standards (e.g. XML, METS/MODS, Dublin Core), best practices, and quality control procedures.

• Experience with publications, including newspapers and serials, and microfilm, and ability to assess complex relationships between titles.

• Physical ability to lift, maneuver, and carry storage containers weighing 40 pounds as well as oversize materials.

• Physical tolerance to dust, mold and other airborne materials.

• Ability to sit, kneel, crouch, reach, bend, and to push loaded carts.

• Ability to use a keyboard and work at a computer for extended periods of time.

• Valid driver’s license and willingness and ability to travel on occasion.

DEMONSTRATED SKILLS IN OR KNOWLEDGE OF:

• Attention to detail.

• Multitasking, working effectively under pressure to meet deadlines, prioritizing and adapting to changing priorities.

• Working independently and taking individual initiative while also being able to collaborate effectively and contribute positively in a team environment.

• Computer skills, specifically Google Apps including Drive, Docs, and Sheets; Microsoft Access and Excel.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Project management and facilitation skills. 

• Experience working on a National Digitization Newspaper Program (NDNP) compliant project.

• Experience with grant applications.

• Experience tracking, compiling, and reporting on productivity metrics. 

• Experience creating and maintaining technical documentation.

• Knowledge of cataloging rules and metadata encoding standards.

• Knowledge of copyright law as related to libraries and archives. 

• Experience with unique, old, and fragile materials. 

Should you have questions with the application process, email humanresources@mnhs.org or call MNHS Job Line at 651-259-3181.   

At MNHS, we don’t just accept difference — we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on diversity for the benefit of our employees, our products and services, and our community. The Minnesota Historical Society believes that an inclusive culture among our team members is critical to our success as a historical society and museum, and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. The Minnesota Historical Society is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and employer.