Youth Services Librarian Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Youth Services Librarian roles at public library systems and academic institutions can qualify for H-1B visa sponsorship as a specialty occupation requiring a Master of Library Science degree. Some positions also support TN visa status for Canadian and Mexican nationals, and permanent residence through the EB-3 category via PERM labor certification.
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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
See all 124+ Youth Services Librarian Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Youth Services Librarian Jobs
Verify your MLS meets specialty occupation requirements
USCIS requires your degree to directly relate to the role. A Master of Library Science from a program accredited by the American Library Association strengthens your specialty occupation argument because it ties your credential to a defined professional standard.
Target library systems with H-1B filing history
Large urban public library systems and research university libraries file H-1B petitions far more often than small municipal branches. Search Migrate Mate to find employers with verified LCA filing history for librarian and library services roles.
Confirm prevailing wage before accepting an offer
Your employer must pay at least the prevailing wage certified on the Labor Condition Application. Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up the wage level for your specific county before you negotiate, so you can flag any gap before the LCA is filed.
Ask about PERM timelines for permanent residence
Many library employers sponsor green cards through the EB-3 skilled worker category after you establish yourself in the role. PERM labor certification requires a formal recruitment process by the employer, so ask HR whether the institution has a policy on sponsoring permanent residence and how long it typically takes them to initiate.
Check TN eligibility if you hold Canadian or Mexican citizenship
Librarian is not listed as a qualifying profession on the USMCA TN list, so TN status is not available for this role. If you're a Canadian or Mexican national, you'll need to pursue H-1B or another qualifying category instead.
Align your O*NET profile with your job duties
Youth Services Librarian duties that emphasize program development, collection curation, and educational outreach map more cleanly to specialty occupation than purely administrative tasks. Review O*NET for the librarian occupation and make sure your offer letter and resume reflect the degree-requiring functions listed there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Youth Services Librarian role qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B purposes?
Yes, in most cases. USCIS treats librarian positions as specialty occupations when the employer requires a Master of Library Science or equivalent graduate degree. Youth services roles that emphasize programming, collection development, and community outreach support that argument. Roles where a bachelor's degree in any field is accepted risk an RFE, so the job posting language matters.
Which visa categories can a Youth Services Librarian use to work in the United States?
H-1B is the most common path for employer-sponsored work. If your employer is a university or nonprofit research institution, cap-exempt H-1B petitions are possible without the annual lottery. J-1 visa exchange visitor status is an option if you're placed through a designated sponsor program. TN status does not apply to librarian roles since the profession is not on the USMCA list.
How do I find library employers who sponsor H-1B visas for this role?
Browse Migrate Mate to find U.S. employers with verified H-1B LCA filing history for librarian and library services positions. Large urban public library systems, academic libraries at research universities, and state library agencies are the most active sponsors. Smaller municipal branches rarely have the HR infrastructure to manage H-1B petitions.
Can a Youth Services Librarian qualify for a green card, and how does that process work?
Yes. Most library employers sponsor permanent residence through the EB-3 skilled worker category, which requires PERM labor certification from DOL. The employer must conduct a formal U.S. worker recruitment process and demonstrate no qualified U.S. applicants were available. Processing timelines vary significantly based on your country of birth and the current priority date backlog published by USCIS.
Does my overseas library or information science degree qualify for H-1B sponsorship?
A foreign library science degree qualifies if it's evaluated as equivalent to a U.S. Master of Library Science by a credential evaluation agency. The American Library Association accreditation standard is the benchmark USCIS looks to, so your degree's coursework and level should align with that framework. Some employers request the evaluation before filing the LCA to avoid complications.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Youth Services Librarian jobs?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.