Fast‑Facts Dashboard
*Salary data are from BLS OEWS May 2024 and OES percentile tables; employment and outlook use 25‑4022 umbrella coding. The original 25‑9011 code has been retired. O*NET OnLine
A Day in the Collection Vault & Digital Stack
- 7 a.m. – Run the overnight checksum report: 6 PB of ProRes video on LTO‑9 tape passed integrity; one 1994 DAT tape flagged for bit rot.
- 8 a.m. – Supervise vault staff re‑boxing 16 mm outtakes; log new humidity levels (43 %) in preservation database.
- 9 a.m. – Train journalism students on Adobe Premiere ingest presets; demonstrate how to generate sidecar XML metadata for Omeka‑S repository.
- 11 a.m. – Virtual meeting with streaming‑rights lawyer to clear a 1978 concert film for classroom use under Section 110(1).
- 12 p.m. – Lunch while scripting an ffmpeg batch to convert 400 QuickTime files to mezzanine-quality MP4/H.265.
- 1 p.m. – Scan ¾‑inch U‑matic cassette with RF monitor and A‑to‑D converter; capture into 10‑bit lossless FFV1 wrapper.
- 3 p.m. – Catalog new deposit from local hip‑hop label: assign Library of Congress authority headings, write a 150‑word abstract, embed ISRC codes.
- 4 p.m. – Troubleshoot VR exhibit kiosk; replace GPU driver, confirm Unity build links correctly to asset‑bundle manifest.
- 5 p.m. – Upload digitized reel to AWS Glacier Deep Archive; update PREMIS preservation metadata; generate DOI via DataCite for public discovery.
Every week alternates between white‑glove artifact handling, server‑room scripting, user‑training workshops, and occasional donor schmoozing at gala screenings.
Tool‑Kit & Tech Stack
Emerging: AI-powered speech‑to‑text for auto‑captioning historic dialects and computer‑vision scene detection that writes shot‑lists in seconds.
Core Skills & Personal DNA
- Digital‑preservation literacy (OAIS model, PREMIS events, fixity checks)
- Multimedia production know‑how (codecs, bitrates, color‑space management)
- Metadata taxonomies (LCNAF, Getty AAT, PBCore) and linked‑data principles
- Scripting & automation (Python, bash, ffmpeg, APIs)
- User‑experience empathy, designing intuitive streaming portals for students & scholars
- Rights‑management savvy, navigating fair‑use, public‑domain, and donor restrictions
- Project‑management chops, grant proposals, vendor RFPs, digitization schedules
A MAPP Assessment strong in Investigative (problem‑solving), Conventional (detail‑rich standards), and Artistic (storytelling through media) often signals top fit.
Work Environment & Lifestyle
- Settings range from climate‑controlled vaults and dim server rooms to bright digital labs and public screening auditoriums.
- Typical schedule: M‑F, 9‑6, but evening exhibit openings and ingestion jobs may require after‑hours shifts.
- Union presence: strong in academic libraries (AFSCME, SEIU), moderate in cultural‑heritage nonprofits.
- Physical demands: moving 50‑lb film canisters, sitting long hours at color‑calibrated monitors, meticulous fine‑motor work splicing tape.
Education & Credential Pathways
Many employers substitute MLIS with proven media‑engineering + metadata experience, especially in corporate or studio archives.
Career Ladder & Earnings
Many specialists augment salary with freelance digitization, rights‑clearance consulting, or teaching workshops—adding $5k – $25k per year.
Wage Percentiles (OEWS May 2024 – Librarians & Media Collections Specialists)
Sector & Technology Trends
- Streaming services launching in‑house archives drive corporate demand for DAM‑savvy AV specialists.
- AI captioning & text‑to‑speech tools slash description time but require human quality control.
- Cloud‑native preservation (AWS Glacier Deep Archive, Google Archive) replaces on‑site LTO at budget‑strapped institutions.
- DEI cataloging initiatives push inclusive metadata, requiring retraining on anti‑bias description.
- XR/VR growth means preserving Unity builds and 360° assets—new standards still evolving.
- Retirement wave: 30 % of legacy film‑archive specialists turn 65+ by 2030, opening leadership posts.
- Federal grants (NHPRC, NEH) prioritize projects rescuing at‑risk magnetic media before 2030 binder‑hydrolysis cliff.
Pros and Cons
Are You Ready to Curate the World’s Moving Images?
- Do checksum failures and tape squeal sound like solvable puzzles, not nightmares?
- Can you bounce between Python scripts and public‑screening introductions—sometimes in the same hour?
- Will you champion inclusive metadata and ADA captions as fiercely as 4K color fidelity?
- Does rescuing a 1968 civil‑rights broadcast from vinegar‑syndrome oblivion give you chills?
If so, and your MAPP Career Assessment highlights Investigative, Conventional, and Artistic drivers, audio‑visual collections work may be your perfect narrative.
Is this career path right for you? Find out Free.
- Take the MAPP Career Assessment (100% free).
- See your top career matches, including five free custom matches showing whether AV preservation aligns with your strengths.
- Get a personalized compatibility score and step‑by‑step guidance toward MLIS programs, certificates, and in‑demand technical skills.
Start the FREE MAPP Career Assessment and begin preserving history’s sights and sounds today.
