New Metadata Librarian at UH Libraries
Anne Gaynor is the metadata librarian at UH Libraries.
The University of Houston Libraries welcomes Anne Gaynor, the new metadata librarian in the Metadata and Digitization department.
Please describe your role at UH Libraries and talk about some of your professional goals and/or research areas.
My primary role is to manage metadata creation and maintenance for the UH Digital Library. I’ll also be working with the Digital Asset Management System (DAMS) Implementation Team on the development and deployment of the new digital repository. I also would like to become involved with outward facing work, consulting with students and faculty on how to use metadata for their projects and research data. My overall goal as a metadata librarian is to increase visibility, discoverability, and accessibility for information through quality metadata. To that end, I am especially interested in emerging technologies, such as linked data, that have the potential to more broadly expose and connect resources. I also seek to take a user-centered approach to developing digital library metadata and repository services.
Please share a bit about your background and interests. How do these inspire and shape your approach as a librarian?
I studied anthropology as an undergraduate and received a Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies and my MLIS with a concentration in information organization from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. I focused on metadata, the semantic web, and linked data; and these areas are where my interests remain today. I worked as a digital collection project coordinator at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries and a metadata librarian at the University of Virginia Library where I gained experience in metadata creation and strategy. In these positions I learned the value of thinking about metadata strategically and holistically across collections and systems, which is key to information access and sharing. I also was able to explore my interests in linked data. One benefit of linked data technologies is that they allow you to combine data across libraries, archives, museums, and other knowledge bases to create new discovery experiences for users. I hope to help guide metadata strategies at UH Libraries to adhere to standards that will allow us to share our content more broadly and leverage emerging technologies.
Please describe your first impressions of the University of Houston.
The University and the UH Libraries have an energy about them that’s very motivating. The library is a supportive environment that values and supports both student and employee success. It’s also clear that UH and the Libraries value diversity and that is very important to me. I appreciate the collaborative environment and look forward to working with my new colleagues on projects and committees.
What are some of your other interests?
I love the arts! I’m really looking forward to visiting the art museums on campus and in Houston, and attending various live performances.