Details
1091322
University of Edinburgh
24/02/2025
6 Months
10.5 hours per week, to be worked between 9am-5pm, Monday-Friday
Not Applicable
Pay
£12.67
£2.29
Description
Role
The University of Edinburgh is currently offering a part-time opportunity for a student to join the Digital Library team as a Digital Collections Assistant. The Digital Library team is responsible for the Library’s Cultural Heritage Digitisation Service, as well as the development and maintenance of the Library’s digital systems infrastructure, including the library catalogue and digital preservation. Within this role you will support the management of digitised heritage collections, working with physical collections and creating archival descriptions of 19th century photographs. You will also assist with the migration of the digitised heritage collections from end-of-life systems to a new digital collections platform (Archipelago).
This is an exciting opportunity for you to gain experience working in the heritage sector and with archival materials, whilst receiving training in a number of digital collections platforms including ArchivesSpace, LUNA, and Archipelago.
You can expect to start work on the week commencing the 24th February and work until the 31st July, working 10.5 hours per week on-campus in the Main Library. During this position you will be paid £12.67 per hour, plus £2.29 per hour holiday pay. Payment is one month in arrears, meaning your first payment date (should this position start when expected) will be the 28th March.
Duties and responsibilities
- Working with physical collections and creating archival descriptions of 19th-century photographs using Excel to support the management of digitised heritage collections;
- Assisting with the migration of digitised heritage collections from end-of-life systems to a new digital collections platform (Archipelago), including:
- Checking the accuracy of metadata;
- Assessing images;
- Collecting statistics;
- Conducting user testing of the new digital collections platform.
Skills and experience
Essential Criteria:
- A current University of Edinburgh undergraduate or postgraduate taught student (this post is designated for UoE student employment; therefore, you must be a matriculated student for the duration of your employment). Please note that we cannot accept applications from postgraduate research students due to the working hours of this role. You also must not hold the position of 'Resident Assistant';
- Based in the UK for the duration of the work, able to work on campus when required (we cannot accommodate individuals working overseas due to tax and legal implications), and able to attend a Right to Work Check in person if needed;
- Evidence of strong attention to detail with high levels of accuracy in work;
- Proven ability to work towards set deadlines and targets;
- Experience of organising digital information in spreadsheets (e.g. Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets);
- Demonstrable experience of learning to use new digital tools and software packages.
Desirable Criteria:
- Proven interest in working in a library or heritage environment;
- Evidence of a strong understanding of different image file formats (e.g. jpeg, tiff, png, giff);
- Experience of handing fragile material, such as through previous work experience or volunteering.
Location
On-campus, based in the Main Library (30 George Square, EH8 9LJ)
Benefits
- Being part of a welcoming community of over 150 ISG Student Workers with opportunities to network, whilst working in a supportive and nurturing environment with a strong emphasis on work/life balance;
- Pay rate and holiday entitlement equivalent to that of UE03 permanent staff, access to NEST pension scheme if applicable;
- As a staff member, you can join the University's Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion groups (Staff Networks). For more information, please click the following link: University of Edinburgh's Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Groups;
- Access to a range of excellent staff training content and resources from the Digital Skills Team.
Additional information
To apply for this role, please upload a CV and covering letter, clearly stating how you meet the criteria for the role. Please ensure you've read the top bullet points in the criteria: you must be a University of Edinburgh Undergraduate or Postgraduate Taught Student, and you must not hold the position of 'Resident Assistant' (Res Life) during your employment. If you encounter any issues when applying, please e-mail unitemps@ed.ac.uk well in advance of the deadline, as we will only respond within office hours (9-5, Monday to Friday). Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.
We recommend reading our short application tips document for guidance on creating a strong cover letter and CV.
Interviews will take place on the week commencing the 10th February 2025.
The University of Edinburgh is committed to providing a positive employment experience for all students. To support students in combining work with studies, we strongly advise you do not exceed the University’s recommended number of working hours per week:
- 15 hours for undergraduate students (up to 35 hours during vacation).
- 15 hours for postgraduate taught students (all year round).
- 9 hours for postgraduate research students (all year round).
PLEASE NOTE: This advert may close early if sufficient applications are received prior to the closing date which is 23:59pm on the 22nd January 2025. Apply for job