General Information
| Payroll Title | COMPUTER RESC SPEC 2 | Title Code | 004804 | Grade/Step | 101 | Working Title | Visual Resource Specialist II |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department Name | History of Art Dept | Supervisor | Sonja S Sekely-Rowland | Department Head | Jason D Weems |
Payroll Title of those supervised
| Title Code | Description | FTE |
|---|---|---|
| 4921 | STDT 2 | .25 |
Special Requirements and Conditions
| Critical Position |
| Travel |
| Other (provide description - max. 300 characters) |
| Other (description) |
|---|
| Some travel is required to attend professional meetings and conferences. |
Level of Supervision Received
| General Supervision |
Items Used
| Desktop, laptop and tablet computers; film scanners; DSLR cameras and lighting equipment; projection equipment and contemporary office equipment. |
Position Purpose
| The Digital Specialist works under the direction of the Visual Resources Collection's (VRC) Curator to support a wide range of technical and consultative services related to the production, integration, dissemination and preservation of the VRC's analog and digital image collections and unit initiatives. The Digital Specialist has primary responsibility for completeness and accuracy of all digital imaging processes: scanning, photographing, image correction, manipulation and storage in support of instruction, research and publication. The Digital Specialist is responsible for the execution of design, implementation, and ongoing production support of the department of Art History's online image databases and end-user delivery systems. The Digital Specialist advises on the assessment of workflows and web delivery effectiveness for the Visual Resource Center. The position provides ongoing analysis, documentation, and feedback and will inform on improvements in software management for digitization, capture, quality control, derivative creation, metadata extraction, metadata transformation, uploads, and web access workflows. The Digitization Specialist identifies opportunities for improvements, researches alternatives, writes or modifies existing software, and then tests and implements workflow improvements. The Digital Specialist acts as the departments web administrator providing design, development and maintenance of the Art History and VRC websites. The Digital Specialist provides instruction to faculty in technical aspects related to digital instruction. This position provides routine maintenance of hardware, software and is responsible for maintaining cross-platform network systems as appropriate. The Digital Specialist performs other duties related to the operation of the VRC as specified by the Curator. The ideal candidate will be self-motivated, analytical, and capable of providing excellent customer service. The position requires that the candidate possess a wide understanding of a variety of technologies related to digitization, digital libraries, and digital asset management, and be able to effectively communicate and resolve a broad range of technical issues. The ideal candidate should be comfortable working independently and in a collaborative setting. Excellent organizational skills and the ability to balance multiple priorities while achieving long-term goals is essential to the position. |
Essential Functions
| Essential Function | % Time |
|---|---|
| Database Development and Maintenance | 30 |
| Provide ongoing development and maintenance of image and cataloging databases. Database population, cross walking, and migration of data as needed. Troubleshoot, resolve issues, ensure integrity, and maintain health of databases. Maintain backup systems and maintain/test disaster recovery protocol for all assets. Consult and collaborate with department personnel on issues related to workflow, data migration, accessibility/usability, and distribution of assets to constituents. |
|
| Hardware/Software Maintenance | 30 |
| Responsible for the support and maintenance of all computer related activity in the VRC including maintenance of the departmental cross-platform LAN. Provide technical support to insure that all hardware and software operate correctly. Research and provide technical expertise/recommendations for hardware and software solutions as required to keep systems kept up-to-date. Act as liaison with other campus departments, including campus IT, to assist with diagnosing and solving technical problems. Provide support, as needed, for classroom technology. |
|
| Website Management | 20 |
| Liaison directly with Webmaster, department faculty and staff to coordinate additions and changes to the Art History departmental website, the Visual Resource Collection website, and ImageCloud website. Liaison with department faculty to design and produce websites as needed related to scholarship and research. Provide web administrator services ensuring web servers, hardware and software are operating correctly, website design, generation and revision of web pages and examination of traffic through the site. Regulation and management of access rights for different users of departmental websites and content management systems. |
|
| Image Production | 10 |
| Provide expert-level capture of digital images utilizing flatbed scanners, slide scanners, DSLR cameras, copystand photography, and related current and future technology. Provide expert-level image manipulation to achieve color-correct images. Provide other expert-level means of image creation and manipulation to support a wide range of pedagogical and research needs. Provide expert-level image manipulation to produce high quality images for print and electronic publication. |
|
| Technical Instruction/Support for Digital Humanities | 10 |
| Provide individualized technical instruction to faculty, students and staff in the use of various technologies as relates to pedagogy and research within Digital Art History and the Digital Humanities. Develop group learning workshops in the use of technology as relates to image production, visual literacy, best practices for presentation of images, presentation tools, and other subjects as needed or requested by the community. Provide training and support with A/V recording of classroom presentations and lectures as needed. |
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Minimum Requirements
| Minimum Requirement | Display Ranking |
|---|---|
| No information record yet | |
Preferred Qualifications
| Preferred Qualification | Display Ranking |
|---|---|
| No information record yet | |
| Posted Position Purpose |
|---|
| The Digital Specialist works under the direction of the VRC's Curator to support a wide range of technical and consultative services related to the production, integration, dissemination and preservation of the VRC's analog and digital image collections and unit initiatives. The Digital Specialist has primary responsibility for completeness and accuracy of all digital imaging processes: scanning, photographing, image correction, manipulation and storage in support of instruction, research and publication. The Digital Specialist is responsible for the execution of design, implementation, and ongoing production support of the department of Art History's online image databases and end-user delivery systems. The Digital Specialist advises on the assessment of workflows and web delivery effectiveness for the Visual Resource Center. The position provides ongoing analysis, documentation, and feedback and will inform on improvements in software management for digitization, capture, quality control, derivative creation, metadata extraction, metadata transformation, uploads, and web access workflows. The Digitization Specialist identifies opportunities for improvements, researches alternatives, writes or modifies existing software, and then tests and implements workflow improvements. The Digital Specialist acts as the departments web administrator providing design, development and maintenance of the Art History and VRC websites. The Digital Specialist provides instruction to faculty in technical aspects related to digital instruction. This position provides routine maintenance of hardware, software and is responsible for maintaining cross-platform network systems as appropriate. The Digital Specialist performs other duties related to the operation of the VRC as specified by the Curator.
The ideal candidate will be self-motivated, analytical, and capable of providing excellent customer service. The position requires that the candidate possess a wide understanding of a variety of technologies related to digitization, digital libraries, and digital asset management, and be able to effectively communicate and resolve a broad range of technical issues. The ideal candidate should be comfortable working independently and in a collaborative setting. Excellent organizational skills and the ability to balance multiple priorities while achieving long-term goals is essential to the position. |
| Posted Minimum Requirements |
| 1. 3-5 years of related experience working with digital images and/or digital collections in an academic setting, museum or library setting, publishing, or corporate environment. 2. Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain databases and other related software to support image collections, content management systems, and asset distribution. 3. Demonstrated ability to manage most, or all, aspects of web operations. 4. Demonstrated ability to work with image editing software to produce high quality color-correct images for print and electronic publication. 5. Fluency in all facets of Adobe Creative Suite products, MS Office products, FileMaker Pro, WordPress, and all aspects of digital file parameters. 6. General knowledge of scripting including HTML, JavaScript, PHP and Apache. 7. Understanding of metadata, metadata schemas and embedded metadata. 8. Excellent interpersonal skills required to work with a diverse community of students, staff and faculty including strong verbal, written and listening skills. 9. Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to accuracy while managing multiple priorities. 10. Ability to work independently and collaboratively while maintaining a genial workplace. |
| Posted Preferred Qualifications |
| 1. Background in visual arts; BFA or BA or equivalent subject area expertise in art, art history, architectural history, or library and information science. 2. Advanced knowledge of HTML, XML, JavaScript, PHP and Apache. 3. Experience working with Extensis Portfolio and ARTstor. 4. Working knowledge of VRA Core 4.0; CCO, controlled vocabularies such as LCSH, AAT, ULAN and TGN. 5. Experience with digital research methodologies in support of Arts and Humanities faculty. 6. Familiarity with the Semantic Web, RDF, OWL and the movement towards an LOD model. 7. A strong desire to create innovative intersections of technology, visual resources and digital humanities. 8. Problem solving and analytical skills to work with a complex image collection. 9. Experience with graphic design. |