Catalog Librarian - I Tatti - The Harvard University Center for Italian Renaissance Studies
Location: Florence, Italy
Salary: €40-45,000 gross
Employment Term: Full-time
Employer Contact: Michael Rocke, Nicky Mariano Librarian and Director of the Biblioteca Berenson, libraryinfo@itatti.harvard.edu
The Berenson Library is currently accepting applications for the position of Catalog Librarian. This position reports to the Director of the Berenson Library and works closely with other members of the technical services team in acquisitions, cataloging, continuing resources, and processing.
This is a full-time position, with an Italian contract of indeterminate duration. Salary based on qualifications and experience. Applicants who possess the necessary qualifications to work and reside in the European Union will receive preference.
Applicants should provide a cover letter, a resume, and the names and contact information of least three referees. Applications will be accepted until the end of the day on 30 April, 2025. For additional information, contact Michael Rocke, Director of the Biblioteca Berenson, at libraryinfo[at]itatti.harvard.edu.
Responsibilities
- Provides original and copy cataloging metadata, subject analysis, descriptive metadata, call number classification, and end processing for monographs in all subject areas except music, and for some special collections materials, in multiple formats as needed and according to current standards, including MARC21, RDA, Library of Congress Subject Headings, LC classifications, DCRM, and local practices.
- Runs analytic reports on collection database.
- Carries out database remediation and management projects.
- Keeps abreast of standards development and emerging trends in metadata creation and management.
- In collaboration with other technical services staff, creates or updates procedural guidance and workflow documents.
- May participate in Harvard Library working groups.
- Along with other library staff, provides public service and reference assistance to library patrons (ca. 15-20% of position).
- Acquires new technical skills as needed.
Basic qualifications
- ALA-accredited master’s degree in information or library science or its equivalent.
- Minimum five years post-degree experience with original and adaptive cataloging in a variety of formats (print, non-print, digital) in an academic or research library.
- Experience working with MS Suite, especially Excel.
- Demonstrated fluency in both English and Italian.
Additional Qualifications
- Experience with current standards for bibliographic and authority data (e.g. MARC21, RDA, LCSH, LCC, DCRM).
- Experience with the Alma/Primo integrated library system (or similar) and associated tools, including OCLC Connexion, RDA toolkit and Cataloger’s Desktop programs.
- Reading knowledge of one or more Western European languages in addition to English and Italian.
- Demonstrated knowledge of medieval / early modern subject areas (art, history, literature) and related research material.
- Experience with SQL and/or Access.
- Outstanding team orientation, flexibility, and ability to work both independently and collaboratively.
- Excellent verbal and written communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to learn new tools and technologies.
- Detail oriented with ability to organize and prioritize tasks to meet deadlines.
- Ability to lift 15 kilograms and to reach high and low shelves.
Biblioteca Berenson
Located in Florence, Italy, the Biblioteca Berenson is the library of I Tatti, one of the world's leading institutions for advanced research in all aspects of late-medieval and early modern Italy and its place in the larger world. It is among nearly seventy libraries and collections that make up the Harvard Library. The Berenson Library’s rich collections of over 200,000 books, periodicals, and musical scores, a photo archive of around 350,000 images, and a growing archive of personal and institutional papers offer outstanding resources in all disciplines for the study of Renaissance Italy, its links with the larger early modern world and its resonance in more recent times. The library serves a residential community of several dozen scholars at any one time and welcomes a large number of other local and international researchers.