Green Card Librarian Jobs
Librarian green card sponsorship follows the EB-2 or EB-3 employment-based path, requiring PERM labor certification before your employer files an I-140 petition with USCIS. Public libraries, university systems, and special collections institutions sponsor foreign library professionals for permanent residence, though per-country priority-date backlogs can affect your timeline.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
The Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries invites applications and nominations for the position of Metadata Librarian - Electronic Resources. Joining a team of five full-time metadata colleagues, VCU Libraries seeks a service-oriented, innovative Metadata Librarian responsible for coordinating the organization and descriptive metadata of electronic formats across the collections of the VCU Libraries. This position contributes metadata expertise over the full electronic resources lifecycle through original and complex copy cataloging, catalog and database maintenance, and oversight of data integrity for vendor-supplied MARC records, knowledge base records, and KBART files. The candidate will join an exceptionally talented, culturally and academically diverse community.
This position resides in the Resource Acquisition and Metadata Services (RAMS) department and works in close collaboration with the Electronic and Continuing Resources (ECR) department. Together, these departments ensure enduring description, organization, and access throughout the electronic resources lifecycle, including licensing, acquisition, description, authentication, knowledge base integration, and discovery layer optimization (Alma/Primo VE) across VCU Libraries. The electronic collections of the VCU Libraries comprise over 2.9 million active titles. The successful candidate will join a culturally and academically diverse faculty and staff of the highest caliber.
VCU Libraries expects that the Metadata Librarian - Electronic Resources will be a leader in fostering a welcoming atmosphere for all members of the VCU community. The successful candidate will receive support for research, service, and professional development.
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Reporting to the Head of Resource Acquisition and Metadata Services, and recognized as a contributing member of a team of metadata colleagues, the Metadata Librarian is responsible for:
Description
- Collaboration with colleagues in complex metadata workflows and project-based assignments.
- Original and complex copy cataloging of electronic formats, including ebooks, ejournals, databases, streaming media, and electronic theses and dissertations.
- Implementation of inclusive and reparative metadata principles and projects.
- Oversight of data integrity for Alma Community Zone and vendor-supplied MARC records.
- Metadata editing using tools such as MarcEdit, OpenRefine, scripts, and Alma normalization rules.
- Continuously advancing cataloging and metadata education through documentation, hands-on training, interdepartmental guidance and mentorship, and other professional development activities.
Electronic Resource Organization & Maintenance
- Collaboration on electronic resource management (ERM) guidelines to combine best and local practices in electronic resource collections.
- Selection, organization, and maintenance of collections and portfolios.
- Implementation of complex records remediation projects.
- Collaboration with ECR and Library Technology to troubleshoot electronic resource access and discovery problems.
- Resolution of electronic resources problem reports from staff and users in the LibAnswers ticketing system.
- Growth of institutional knowledge of ERM principles and practices through documentation, hands-on training, interdepartmental guidance and mentorship, and other professional development activities.
Scholarship & Service
- Engagement in regional and national communities of practice.
- Engagement in professional inquiry, including integrating evolving metadata or electronic resource standards such as RDA, KBART, and open linked data.
- Contribution to developments in the field.
Faculty with the VCU Libraries are evaluated and promoted on the basis of job performance, scholarship, and service.
SALARY
Salary commensurate with experience, not less than $70,000 annually. This is a 12 month, full-time, non-tenured faculty position. Relocation assistance and professional development allowance provided. Full-time faculty benefits apply, including 24 vacation days annually and choice of retirement and annuity plans. For more information about benefits, see https://hr.vcu.edu/current-employees/benefits/faculty-benefits/.
INTERVIEWS: Initial interviews will be conducted virtually. We anticipate inviting finalists to campus.
QUALIFICATIONS
Required:
- ALA-accredited graduate degree or accredited graduate degree in another appropriate discipline.
- Progressive experience in original and complex cataloging in an academic and/or research library setting that demonstrates problem-solving, flexibility, judgment, and attention to detail.
- Significant knowledge of and ability to apply the following cataloging standards: Resource Description and Access (RDA), Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH), Library of Congress Classification (LCC), and MARC21 formats for bibliographic, holdings, and authority data.
- Demonstrated knowledge of the unique challenges of electronic resources description and access, including the interaction of metadata with discovery layers and management of records in knowledge bases.
Preferred:
- Experience cataloging with OCLC bibliographic utilities, organizing electronic resources in Ex Libris Alma, and facilitating discovery with Ex Libris Primo.
- Experience with contributing to Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC) Programs, such as NACO, BIBCO, or CONSER.
- Demonstrated experience in planning and/or overseeing team-based cataloging projects, vendor-supplied metadata projects, or outsourcing.
Candidates need not meet preferred qualifications to be fully considered. We value individual and unique skills that would strengthen the VCU Libraries and our teams.
SALARY RANGE: Salary commensurate with experience, not less than $70,000 annually.
BENEFITS: All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits package that includes comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave, generous tuition benefits, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more.
FLSA Exemption Status: Exempt
HOURS PER WEEK: 40
RESTRICTED POSITION: No
ORP ELIGIBLE: Yes
FLEXIBLE WORK ARRANGEMENT: Hybrid
UNIVERSITY JOB TITLE: Metadata Librarian (Electronic Resources)
RANK: Open
TENURE: Ineligible
MONTHS: 12 months
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Contact Name: Amanda Echterling
Contact Email: amechterling@vcu.edu
INTRODUCTION
The Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries invites applications and nominations for the position of Metadata Librarian - Electronic Resources. Joining a team of five full-time metadata colleagues, VCU Libraries seeks a service-oriented, innovative Metadata Librarian responsible for coordinating the organization and descriptive metadata of electronic formats across the collections of the VCU Libraries. This position contributes metadata expertise over the full electronic resources lifecycle through original and complex copy cataloging, catalog and database maintenance, and oversight of data integrity for vendor-supplied MARC records, knowledge base records, and KBART files. The candidate will join an exceptionally talented, culturally and academically diverse community.
This position resides in the Resource Acquisition and Metadata Services (RAMS) department and works in close collaboration with the Electronic and Continuing Resources (ECR) department. Together, these departments ensure enduring description, organization, and access throughout the electronic resources lifecycle, including licensing, acquisition, description, authentication, knowledge base integration, and discovery layer optimization (Alma/Primo VE) across VCU Libraries. The electronic collections of the VCU Libraries comprise over 2.9 million active titles. The successful candidate will join a culturally and academically diverse faculty and staff of the highest caliber.
VCU Libraries expects that the Metadata Librarian - Electronic Resources will be a leader in fostering a welcoming atmosphere for all members of the VCU community. The successful candidate will receive support for research, service, and professional development.
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Reporting to the Head of Resource Acquisition and Metadata Services, and recognized as a contributing member of a team of metadata colleagues, the Metadata Librarian is responsible for:
Description
- Collaboration with colleagues in complex metadata workflows and project-based assignments.
- Original and complex copy cataloging of electronic formats, including ebooks, ejournals, databases, streaming media, and electronic theses and dissertations.
- Implementation of inclusive and reparative metadata principles and projects.
- Oversight of data integrity for Alma Community Zone and vendor-supplied MARC records.
- Metadata editing using tools such as MarcEdit, OpenRefine, scripts, and Alma normalization rules.
- Continuously advancing cataloging and metadata education through documentation, hands-on training, interdepartmental guidance and mentorship, and other professional development activities.
Electronic Resource Organization & Maintenance
- Collaboration on electronic resource management (ERM) guidelines to combine best and local practices in electronic resource collections.
- Selection, organization, and maintenance of collections and portfolios.
- Implementation of complex records remediation projects.
- Collaboration with ECR and Library Technology to troubleshoot electronic resource access and discovery problems.
- Resolution of electronic resources problem reports from staff and users in the LibAnswers ticketing system.
- Growth of institutional knowledge of ERM principles and practices through documentation, hands-on training, interdepartmental guidance and mentorship, and other professional development activities.
Scholarship & Service
- Engagement in regional and national communities of practice.
- Engagement in professional inquiry, including integrating evolving metadata or electronic resource standards such as RDA, KBART, and open linked data.
- Contribution to developments in the field.
Faculty with the VCU Libraries are evaluated and promoted on the basis of job performance, scholarship, and service.
SALARY
Salary commensurate with experience, not less than $70,000 annually. This is a 12 month, full-time, non-tenured faculty position. Relocation assistance and professional development allowance provided. Full-time faculty benefits apply, including 24 vacation days annually and choice of retirement and annuity plans. For more information about benefits, see https://hr.vcu.edu/current-employees/benefits/faculty-benefits/.
INTERVIEWS: Initial interviews will be conducted virtually. We anticipate inviting finalists to campus.
QUALIFICATIONS
Required:
- ALA-accredited graduate degree or accredited graduate degree in another appropriate discipline.
- Progressive experience in original and complex cataloging in an academic and/or research library setting that demonstrates problem-solving, flexibility, judgment, and attention to detail.
- Significant knowledge of and ability to apply the following cataloging standards: Resource Description and Access (RDA), Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH), Library of Congress Classification (LCC), and MARC21 formats for bibliographic, holdings, and authority data.
- Demonstrated knowledge of the unique challenges of electronic resources description and access, including the interaction of metadata with discovery layers and management of records in knowledge bases.
Preferred:
- Experience cataloging with OCLC bibliographic utilities, organizing electronic resources in Ex Libris Alma, and facilitating discovery with Ex Libris Primo.
- Experience with contributing to Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC) Programs, such as NACO, BIBCO, or CONSER.
- Demonstrated experience in planning and/or overseeing team-based cataloging projects, vendor-supplied metadata projects, or outsourcing.
Candidates need not meet preferred qualifications to be fully considered. We value individual and unique skills that would strengthen the VCU Libraries and our teams.
SALARY RANGE: Salary commensurate with experience, not less than $70,000 annually.
BENEFITS: All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits package that includes comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave, generous tuition benefits, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more.
FLSA Exemption Status: Exempt
HOURS PER WEEK: 40
RESTRICTED POSITION: No
ORP ELIGIBLE: Yes
FLEXIBLE WORK ARRANGEMENT: Hybrid
UNIVERSITY JOB TITLE: Metadata Librarian (Electronic Resources)
RANK: Open
TENURE: Ineligible
MONTHS: 12 months
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Contact Name: Amanda Echterling
Contact Email: amechterling@vcu.edu
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Green Card Sponsorship in Librarian
Align your credentials with PERM requirements
PERM requires your employer to document that the offered role matches your foreign degree. Have your academic transcripts evaluated by a NACES-approved credential service so DOL reviewers can confirm your library science degree meets the minimum requirements listed in the job description.
Target institutions with established sponsorship pipelines
University libraries, large public library systems, and federal agency libraries sponsor green cards far more reliably than small municipal branches. Research which employers have filed PERM applications for librarian roles using the OFLC Wage Search to identify active sponsors in your target city or state.
Search Migrate Mate for verified green card sponsors
Use Migrate Mate to find U.S. employers with verified employment-based green card sponsorship history for librarian and information science roles, searchable by location and job type, so you're applying where sponsorship is already established practice.
Understand how the prevailing wage shapes your offer
Your employer must pay at least the DOL prevailing wage for your librarian role and location before PERM can be certified. Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up the wage level for your SOC code and metropolitan area, then confirm any job offer meets or exceeds that threshold before accepting.
Secure ALA accreditation documentation before interviews
Most professional librarian positions require a master's degree from an ALA-accredited program. If your degree is from a foreign institution, obtain a credential evaluation that explicitly addresses ALA equivalency, since PERM job descriptions often list this credential as a minimum requirement.
Track your priority date separately from I-140 approval
Your priority date is established when PERM is filed with DOL, not when USCIS approves your I-140. If you change employers after I-140 approval, you can carry your original priority date to the new petition, which matters most if you're from a country with per-country backlog delays.
Green Card Librarian: Frequently Asked Questions
Which green card category covers librarian roles, EB-2 or EB-3?
Most librarian positions qualify under EB-3 professionals, which requires a bachelor's degree, though a master's in library science from an ALA-accredited program can support an EB-2 petition if your employer classifies the role as requiring an advanced degree. Your employer's attorney will assess which category the specific job description supports before filing PERM.
How does green card sponsorship differ from H-1B sponsorship for librarians?
H-1B visa grants temporary status in two-year or three-year increments and requires an LCA filed with DOL. Green card sponsorship through EB-2 or EB-3 leads to permanent residence. The PERM process requires a formal prevailing-wage determination and a documented recruitment test proving no qualified U.S. workers were available, steps that don't apply to H-1B. Priority-date backlogs can also extend the EB-2 or EB-3 timeline significantly for nationals of certain countries.
How do I find employers who sponsor green cards for librarian positions?
Migrate Mate lists U.S. employers with verified employment-based green card sponsorship history, searchable by role and location. University library systems, federal agencies, and large public library consortiums are the most consistent sponsors. Filtering your search to institutions that have already navigated PERM for library science roles saves significant time compared to cold outreach.
What does the PERM recruitment process mean for librarian candidates?
Before filing PERM with DOL, your employer must run a formal recruitment test, advertising the position through specific channels and documenting that no qualified U.S. workers applied or were available. As the foreign candidate, you're not involved in recruiting, but the job description used in those ads must match the role you've been offered, so any changes to duties or requirements after recruitment closes can require restarting the process.
Can I change library employers after my I-140 is approved?
Once your I-485 adjustment-of-status application has been pending for 180 days or more, AC21 portability lets you move to a new employer in the same or a similar occupation without losing your place in the green card queue. Your original priority date, established when PERM was filed, can carry over to a new employer's I-140 petition if your first I-140 was already approved, protecting years of waiting time.