Interested in helping to launch a large-scale digital public library in the United States? Excited about the future of online access to information? Want to collaborate closely with innovative partners in public and research libraries, government, publishing, and elsewhere? Look no further! The Berkman Center seeks a part-time Research Assistant for the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) planning initiative.
The DPLA planning initiative is bringing together representatives from public and research libraries, the educational community, cultural organizations, state and local government, publishers, authors, and private industry in a series of meetings and workshops to examine strategies for improving public access to comprehensive online resources. More information about the initiative can be found at http://dp.la.
Position Responsibilities:
The Research Assistant’s primary responsibilities will be to support the DPLA Secretariat, which includes working with Berkman staff members to conduct research related to digital library users, content, governance, funding, and related issues; staying abreast of developments in the digital library field (including news related to e-publishing, copyright, linked open data, and other areas); blogging regularly on these issues; and contributing to the DPLA wiki and website. The RAs will also assist with preparations for the DPLA plenary meeting in April 2012 and occasional workshops, including opportunities to create related multimedia. This position represents an ideal opportunity for those interested in digital humanities, intellectual property issues, and access to knowledge and information.
Required education, experience, and skills:
* Advanced writing and editing skills, with the ability to quickly draft and contextualize written materials within the suite of the project outputs;
* Excellent critical reading comprehension, with the ability to absorb material quickly;
* Attention to detail;
* Familiarity with common social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube;
* Prior wiki and HTML editing experience or a willingness to learn.
Additional skills/interests helpful for this position:
* Expertise in fields such as digital humanities, library and information science, law, or journalism;
* Media production, including experience recording and/or editing audio and/or video;
* Prior blogging experience;
* Familiarity with WordPress.
The Research Assistant will have the opportunity to:
* Boost his or her research credentials;
* Creatively bridge research and practice;
* Become a key member of the Digital Public Library of America team;
* Participate in the greater Berkman Center community and engage in ongoing dynamic conversations at the forefront of thought on technology and society.
Time Commitment & Payment:
RAs work approximately 8-12 hours per week. Compensation is the standard Harvard RA/intern rate of $11.50/hour. No other benefits are provided. This position is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and remote participation is not possible for this opportunity. The start date is January 2nd, 2012, or as soon as possible.
To apply:
Please send your current CV or resume and a cover letter summarizing your interest and experience to Rebekah Heacock at rheacock at cyber.law.harvard.edu with “Application for DPLA RA” in the subject line.
To view the original post for this position, please visit: http://dp.la/get-involved/intern/
