Data Discovery and Access Specialist

Company: The Johns Hopkins University
Location: Baltimore
Posted on: April 22, 2025

Job Description:

We are seeking a Data Discovery and Access Specialist who will be responsible for selection, discovery, and access of institutional, open-access, community, and purchased datasets serving Johns Hopkins researchers, faculty, students, and staff. As a member of the Digital Scholarship and Data Services team, the data discovery and access specialist promotes data literacy and the discovery and use of relevant datasets by providing individual consultations and developing and delivering workshops, training programs, and research guides. The data discovery and access specialist supports and collaborates closely with colleagues in Digital Scholarship and Data Services, Academic Liaisons, Hopkins researchers and faculty, the larger academic data services community, and especially the new Data Science and AI Institute at Johns Hopkins University.Specific Duties & Responsibilities

• Conduct consultations and answer patron inquiries related to secondary data, particularly on discovering, accessing, evaluating, and working with datasets.
• In collaboration with Technical Services and the Discovery and Access team, select, describe, and promote discovery and access to datasets provided through Data Services, open-access and community repositories, and purchased from vendors.
• Develop and deliver instructional programming, including workshops and classroom sessions on finding, evaluating, and using secondary data of all types and on tools and methods to effectively work with data.
• Conduct outreach and build relationships with researchers, faculty, and students on their needs around data discovery and access.
• Serve as the Organization Representative to the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR).
• Acquire and license datasets and related resources for the library's collection in coordination with relevant colleagues and stakeholders.
• Define and document policies and implement procedures for managing access to restricted datasets at the Sheridan Libraries.
• Administer the Johns Hopkins Libraries Data Grant data purchase program.
• Serve as liaison to the JHU Sheridan Libraries Social Sciences Collection team.
• Prepare secondary datasets and their metadata for improved access and discovery.
• Create and maintain relevant library guides and other informational resources for users.
• Report to library and university leadership on dataset usage and needs.Special Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
  • Thorough understanding of the tools and methods for finding and assessing datasets relevant to specific research needs, the academic research process, and data literacy in higher education.
  • Experience providing instruction, consultation, and public services in a library or academic setting, preferably including via video conferencing.
  • Ability to work independently and to collaborate with diverse colleagues and patrons.
  • Commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.Minimum Qualifications
    • MLS from an ALA-accredited library school or an advanced related degree.
    • Three years of professional experience managing data set selection, discovery/promotion, and access for research.Preferred Qualifications
      • Strong understanding of the methods and data requirements of research in Artificial Intelligence.
      • Experience with collection development, acquisitions, and licensing of library resources.
      • Experience with medium-to-large data sets (over 1 million rows).
      • Knowledge of programmatic tools and technologies for data access including API use in languages like R and Python, SQL, and some familiarity with data cleaning, normalization, and visualization.
      • Ability to learn and apply new skills and evidence of ongoing self-directed learning.Technical Qualifications or Specialized Certifications
        • Skill in using tools and technologies for data access and extraction via API, including API platforms such as Postman and programming languages such as Python.
        • Skill in using tools and technologies for data cleaning, transformation, normalization, and visualization, including SQL, R, and Python.Classified Title: Librarian IIIJob Posting Title (Working Title): Data Discovery and Access SpecialistRole/Level/Range: ATP/04/PDStarting Salary Range: $62,900 - $110,100 Annually (Commensurate w/exp.)Employee group: Full TimeSchedule: Mon-Fri, 8:30am-5pmFLSA Status: ExemptLocation: RemoteDepartment name: GIS & Data ServicesPersonnel area: Libraries
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Keywords: The Johns Hopkins University, Lower Merion , Data Discovery and Access Specialist, Other , Baltimore, Pennsylvania