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Harvard University

Librarian for Cartographic Collections and Learning

The Harvard Map Collection is the oldest map collection in America, having grown to include ca. 400,000 maps, more than 6,000 atlases, and several thousand reference books. Topographic maps, city plans, nautical charts, and thematic maps comprise this excellent research collection representing all chronological periods and significant mapmakers. The Harvard Map Collection also has a strong commitment to digital resources and manages the collections of the Harvard Geospatial Library. The Librarian for Cartographic Collections and Learning reports to the Head of Geospatial Resources within the Harvard Map Collection.

In the current landscape of digital scholarship using data in research with the humanities, arts, and social sciences, more students and researchers are engaging with our map collection. Increasingly our users are seeking cartographic resources, geographic analysis, creation of interactive maps, and visualizations for their research, teaching and learning. The Harvard Map Collection provides assistance and training in accomplishing these activities and is strategically partnered with colleagues for Multimedia authoring, Data, Government Information and Environmental Research.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Harvard Map Collection seeks a creative and proactive information professional to serve as Librarian for Cartographic Collections and Learning. Under the direction of the Head of Geospatial Resources, this position is responsible for:

• a leadership role in curating and building the cartographic collections and map-based resources that promote the mission and goals of the Harvard Library;
• leading outreach efforts to faculty for advancing the research, teaching and learning program in the FAS Libraries with respect to cartographic and geospatial material;
• close collaboration with colleagues in the Research, Teaching and Learning program of the Harvard Library, in coordinating instruction sessions utilizing the Map Collection and designing instructional tools, resources and programs that promote cartographic and geospatial literacy.
• overseeing and coordinating efforts to catalog and preserve the physical collection
• planning and implementing exhibits from resources in the Map Collection that promote our collection and educate our community.

These responsibilities are carried out in close collaboration with the HMC Cartographic Reference Librarian, the Weissman Preservation Center, the Harvard Library Information and Technical Services, and the Online Learning Librarian of the Harvard Library. The successful candidate will need a solid understanding of metadata and cataloging principles for maps in overseeing and coordinating work with Harvard Library's Information and Technical Services catalogers. An in-depth knowledge of the map trade is essential for purchasing materials that fill gaps in our holdings, selecting materials that address needs of the Harvard curriculum, and anticipating new trends in map scholarship.

The individual in this position is also expected to participate in the library-wide governance structure through work on standing committees, councils and working groups. Participates in MMDGI All Staff meetings to share information and coordinate cross-unit work, planning and strategy in accomplishing the larger goals of the Harvard Library. Active participation in professional organizations related to maps, cartography and geospatial information are expected. The individual in this position is expected to be proactive in building and maintaining relationships with other programs, organizations and institutions including other map libraries and associations of map collectors (including the Boston Map Society).

Basic Qualifications:

• MLS or equivalent experience
• Demonstrated knowledge of the history of cartography
• Minimum of 5 years of experience with map collections.
• Demonstrated project management skills
• Experience with unique collections, their stewardship and implications for creating discovery and access to collections
• Knowledge of metadata and cataloging concepts for planning and designing projects with cataloging staff

Additional Qualifications:

• Advanced subject degree
• Demonstrated aptitude for teaching and developing instructional materials
• Demonstrated knowledge of cartographic and geospatial resources in both analog and digital forms
• Knowledge of a foreign language with preference for a Romance or Germanic language
• Knowledge of Geographic Information Systems software and data formats
• Excellent communication skills and aptitude for building working relationships across units and departments
• Excellent presentation skills
• Excellent analytical, organizational, problem solving and interpersonal skills
• Knowledge of History and Geography
• Successful grant and proposal writing
• Understanding of common web based and open source technologies for map making and cartographic data visualization

Additional Information:

Please note: This is a term position