The Visual Resources Curator will manage and develop the Visual Resources Center (VRC) and its collection of visual materials related to art, architecture, and visual culture in all formats. They are a member of the Digital Initiatives department within the University Library, report to the Head of Digital Initiatives, and work closely with the Digital Asset Coordinator, the Art History & Visual Resources Librarian, and the faculty, students, fellows, and staff affiliated with Art and Art History and the broader Wesleyan community.

Digital Initiatives manages Wesleyan University’s digital collections, including the digital and analog images in the visual resources collection, which support the teaching and research of the University’s faculty.

The VR Curator provides assistance to Wesleyan faculty and students in all aspects of research, teaching, and learning with visual materials. They implement forward-looking practices in building and providing access to visual materials, including enhancing digital access to the collections and promoting and supporting the use thereof.

Responsibilities include:

 

• Manages all aspects of the Visual Resources digital media and analog slide collections
• Proactively and collaboratively engages in long-range planning and implementation for visual resource collections, facilities, and services
• Curates image collections that reflect current and developing curricular and research needs; seeks to expand collections in ways that build and honor diverse representations of artists, subjects, and materials; regularly evaluates existing collections for currency and alignment with curriculum
• Catalogs and publishes digital objects to library platforms; applies innovative methodologies for efficiency in metadata creation
• Serves as project leader for content transfers and processing from varied acquisitions sources, and communicates regularly with constituents about the status of the work
• Serves as the Artstor/JSTOR Forum administrator and engages with vendors and peer institutions on best practices for those tools
• Recommends platforms, tools, and databases for visual resources that best facilitate teaching and scholarship using the collection
• Assists faculty and students in integrating visual resources in lectures, presentations, course websites
• Provides instruction and research support for faculty and students working with visual materials and interested in the scholarly use of images as related to research, copyright, and visual literacy
• Promotes visual resources services and collections materials
• Stays up-to-date within the field and seeks to apply continuous improvement to VRC and Digital Initiatives workflows and processes
• Performs additional duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in a related field and at least 2 years’ related experience working with image collections OR an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience

Experience creating descriptive metadata

Knowledge of curating image collections

Awareness of of diversity and equity in visual resources and an understanding of how that might be applied to curating representative and well-rounded image collections

Demonstrated ability to manage projects, plan and execute workflows, track progress, and meet deadlines and objectives

Experience with digital asset and content management systems

Self-directed with a proven ability to work effectively both independently and collaboratively

Demonstrated ability to learn and implement new software, technologies, and technical standards

Effective communications skills with the ability to present information and ideas to various audiences

Demonstrated commitment to work within a diverse environment and interact collegially with individuals of different backgrounds

 

Preferred Qualifications

Knowledge of cataloging and metadata schemas for visual culture and art related

materials

Experience working with Artstor/JSTOR Forum and/or Islandora

Working knowledge of image copyright issues

 

Special Instructions to Applicants

The position is open until filled. For full consideration please apply by  October 1, 2022 when first review of applications will begin. 

Apply online here

Submit specified application materials to fbaird@wesleyan.edu.