Data Analyst, North/Nord

Data Analyst, North: the Canadian Shared Print Network/ Nord: Réseau canadien de conservation partagée des documents imprimés

Council of Prairie & Pacific University Libraries Limited Term Contract

Hours & Pay rate: $37.50/hr for 21 hours per week for 26 weeks (approximately 6 months) with a possibility of extension.

Location: Fully Remote

Scope of Work 

The Data Analyst for the Shared Print Program will play a central role in supporting collaborative collection management across participating libraries. This position focuses on collecting, cleaning, analyzing, and reporting on bibliographic, holdings, and usage data to inform retention decisions, identify collection gaps, and assess program outcomes. Under the supervision of the North/Nord Network Coordinator, the Data Analyst will:

Data Cleaning & Quality Control

• Aggregate, normalize, analyze and compare library holdings across participating North/Nord institutions; de-duplicate records and clean up mismatched data;
• Investigate discrepancies in title lists through catalogue searches and related metadata research;

Data Analysis

• Perform gap analysis to identify unique, scarcely held, or underrepresented titles within the shared print network;
• Analyze overlap across participating libraries to support retention of materials;
• Generate title lists and summary reports for decision-making bodies;
• Collaborate with staff across participating institutions where necessary;   
• Support a variety of ongoing projects  

Tool Development & Process Optimization

• Develop repeatable workflows for ongoing data ingest, analysis, and reporting.
  Explore and implement automation where feasible (e.g., KNIME, OpenRefine, AI-assisted tools).
• Recommend tools and approaches to enhance program efficiency and accuracy.

Collaboration & Communication

• Work closely with Network Coordinator, participating library staff & metadata specialists, and members of various North/Nord working groups.
• Contribute to program documentation, training materials, and presentations.

Required Skills & Qualifications

Technical Skills

• Advanced skills in data manipulation using spreadsheet software such as Excel
• Preferred experience with data cleaning tools such as OpenRefine and scripting languages (ie. Python) for data analysis.

Analytical & Problem-Solving Skills

• Strong quantitative and qualitative data analysis skills.
• Ability to identify issues and find creative ways to resolve them.
• Capacity to identify trends, anomalies, and gaps in complex datasets.

Collaboration & Communication

• Well organized with exceptional attention to detail
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to distill technical findings for broad audiences.
• Ability to manage multiple projects, set priorities, and meet deadlines in a collaborative environment.
• Demonstrated ability to work in small teams
• Demonstrated ability to develop positive working relationships

Preferred Qualifications

• We will consider candidates with various qualifications including, but not limited to a computing degree, library technician diploma or master’s degree in information science, among others.
• Familiarity with cataloguing and MARC metadata, library ILS/LSP systems, and bibliographic standards.  
• Familiarity with library collections management.
• Experience working with distributed teams.
• Experience working professionally in academic libraries.

Context

North/Nord is a national shared print network that coordinates the activities of existing regional shared print initiatives and provides a path to participation for other interested libraries not yet in a shared print program. Read more to find out What is Shared Print? The primary focus for the data analyst will be supporting completion of the CUP project, which will ensure that print monographs published by Canadian University Presses will be retained by libraries participating in the project. We will aim to have one preservation copy confirmed within the holdings of Library and Archives Canada’s collection, and two circulating copies in the holdings of other participating libraries. If gaps in LAC holdings are identified, participating libraries may be asked to transfer copies of specific titles to LAC to complete the preservation record being maintained. This is a terrific opportunity to gain practical experience working on a technical project which supports multiple academic libraries. 

COPPUL is the regional academic library consortium for Western Canada (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia) and serves as the administrative host for North/Nord.

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility

COPPUL is committed to equity and diversity and seeks to foster the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, ability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as an Indigenous person.