Digital Conversion Specialist

Full Job Description

This position is locate in the Digital Reformatting Projects Section, Collections Digitization Division, Digital Services Directorate, Discovery and Preservation Services.

The position description number for this position is 011753. The salary range indicated reflects the locality pay adjustments for the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan area.

The incumbent of this position will work a flextime work schedule. This is a non-supervisory, bargaining unit position.

Applicants must have had progressively responsible experience and training sufficient in scope and quality to furnish them with an acceptable level of the following knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the position without more than normal supervision.

Knowledge of digital conversion principles, procedures, and operations.** Ability to utilize computer technology to carry out an organization's program and operations.** Knowledge of visual materials in library collections.** Ability to communicate in writing.

Ability to provide consultation, outreach, and liaison services. Ability to communicate effectively other than in writing. Major Duties:

Using general guidance received from collection specialists, selects collections or items within collections and draft finding aids or framing texts to be associated with the collections as presented to end-users.

Participates, under the direction of a higher grade employee, in selected segments of managing overall workflow for a single issue/similar nature project.

Develops a preliminary draft of specifications in consultation with the custodial division, tracks workflow to and from contractors, and drafts technical requests/reports to the contractor.

Set technical requirements for and review delivered digital images, and, possibly, audio and moving-image files for a variety of factors, including file naming, header data, visual and sound quality, and use of compression algorithms.

Performs quality review under supervision, e.g., ensures that the number of illustrations agrees with the number of illustration images.

Prepares a list of materials reviewed and prepares a status report of findings. Receives training in the technical requirements to adhere to recognized standards.

Uses Markup Language in coding and/or creating coding schemes for texts and finding aids, develop or adhere to SGML Document Type Definitions (DTDs), review encoded text to determine if it has been converted accurately.

Oversee the production of bibliographies, indexes, or other texts associated with collections; review texts in terms of style and consistency of language.

Provide computer technical support, especially for quality review staff, installing and connecting new machines, resolving software problems, and troubleshooting machine malfunctions, as well as maintaining automated tracking systems or software programs (spreadsheets)to track materials in production.

Compiles finding aids; converts materials from one format and/or markup to another; participates in gathering and organizes information to be used in establishing a file naming procedure/convention; participates in assembling and archiving selected digitized materials.