Cataloger of Special Collections (4-year term)

Grade: 056 Department: Schlesinger Library FLSA Status: Exempt Company Description By working at Harvard University, you join a vibrant community that advances Harvard's world-changing mission in meaningful ways, inspires innovation and collaboration, and builds skills and expertise. We are dedicated to creating a diverse and welcoming environment where everyone can thrive. Why join the Harvard Radcliffe Institute? The Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University, known colloquially as Harvard Radcliffe Institute, is one of the world’s leading centers for interdisciplinary exploration. We bring together students, scholars, artists, and practitioners to pursue curiosity-driven research, expand human understanding, and grapple with questions that demand insight from across disciplines. The Fellowship Program annually supports the work of 50 leading artists and scholars. Academic Ventures fosters collaborative research projects and sponsors lectures and conferences that engage scholars with the public. The Schlesinger Library documents the lives of American women of the past and present for the future, furthering the Institute's commitment to women, gender, and society. The Emerging Leaders Program is a youth leadership development program partnering local high school sophomores with Harvard undergraduates in a mentoring relationship. The Institute’s work is shaped by its history as the former Radcliffe College—a school founded to ensure that the standard of education embodied in Harvard was accessible to women, who were then excluded from the University. But the legacy of Radcliffe College is not simply coeducation at Harvard; it is the recognition that universities will always be greater when they draw wisdom and talent from the widest possible pool. Take a look at this video to get different staff perspectives on working at Harvard Radcliffe Institute !

This is a full-time four-year term limited, benefits eligible position. Reporting to the Head of Technical Services of the Schlesinger Library, the Special Collections Backlog Cataloger works within a newly reimagined technical services unit that unites archival technical services with books and published materials. In an environment that supports a cohesive, integrated program for processing, cataloging, acquisitions, and metadata management across all formats, the incumbent will focus on intensive cataloging and metadata creation for books, serials, and ephemera identified as part of a four-year backlog remediation initiative. The Cataloger will oversee the backlog cataloging project, using project management skills to plan and manage workflow work so that cataloging and description goals are met within the defined project period. The position emphasizes advanced cataloging, original and complex copy cataloging according to current standards and best practices, and the creation, enhancement, and maintenance of high-quality metadata to support discovery and access. The Cataloger will collaborate closely with colleagues responsible for archives and other formats and will help refine workflows and local practices related to special collections cataloging. This position is grounded in a user-centered approach to technical services, recognizing that cataloging and metadata creation are essential to enabling access, discovery, and engagement with special collections.

Job-Specific Responsibilities: Cataloging and Metadata Creation Perform original and complex copy cataloging for rare and special collections materials in a variety of formats, adhering to current national and international standards (e.g., RDA, DCRM(B)/DCRMR, LCNAF, LCSH). Create, enhance, and maintain high-quality bibliographic and authority records in the ILS (Alma) and OCLC Connexion. Create original cataloging in OCLC