About Noolaham Foundation
Noolaham Foundation (NF) is a legally registered (GA 2390), non-profit, non-partisan, secular entity, founded to provide enhanced access to information sources and foster knowledge-based development in Sri Lanka. Noolaham Digital Library (noolaham.org) and Noolaham Multimedia Archive (aavanaham.org) maintained by the Noolaham Foundation serve as Learning Centres incorporating local knowledge. The digital library and archive function as a repository for various community institutions and fulfill the information needs of students, researchers, historians, activists and the public.
Project Summary
Sri Lanka’s traditional knowledge, from local history and medicine, to astrology, astronomy, literature, and mathematics, has been historically recorded on palm-leaf manuscripts. These manuscripts are endangered due to various factors and most are already lost. To conserve and share them with society, the Noolaham Foundation collaborated with the British Library’s EAP projects (Endangered Archives Programme). This is the third EAP project to survey, digitize, catalog and provide open access to endangered Tamil and Sanskrit palm-leaf manuscripts of Sri Lanka. This project builds on the manuscripts, methodologies and lessons from the successful EAP1056 and EAP1260 projects and will digitize a further 70,000 palm leaf pages, thus creating a Digital Manuscript Library of over 1,000 Manuscripts and 200,000 pages.
1. POSITION – FIELD RESEARCHER
Job Descriptions
| Job Title | Field Researcher – EAP 1551 PROJECT- 04 positions (Jaffna and Batticaloa) |
| Reports to | Project Manager |
| Profile of Institution | Noolaham Foundation, Sri Lanka |
| Base Location | Jaffna & Batticaloa , Sri Lanka |
| Type | Full Time – 02 and Part time – 02 ( Salaried (Based on Job Grid of NF) |
| Period of Assignment | Two years (Probationary period – Three months, and the possibility of extension based on performance and organizational needs) |
| Date of Duty Assignment | Immediate |
Job Summary
Noolaham Foundation aims to strengthen scholarly research in the Sri Lankan Tamil speaking communities and seeks to build a conscious archival practice that is informed by research. As a part of our vision we are recruiting a Field Researcher who will be instrumental in building this archive. The field researcher will work in close collaboration with the digital preservation , digital library and project team.
Field researchers will be primarily responsible for Identifying Tamil and Sanskrit palm-leaf endangered manuscripts (from the Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka) , Obtaining open access permission for archiving and Digitizing the materials for preservation in accordance with Noolaham’s Digital Preservation Policy and the standards of the British library. Field researchers must be able to search for complete details and references related to the manuscript and present it in the research perspective.
Key Responsibilities for Field Researchers
- Conduct a survey to find potential locations for new archival collections.
- Communicate with the source contributors.
- Conduct audio recordings of oral histories.
- Obtain permissions (for collected documents) for digitization and sharing under open access protocols; complete the digitization of materials for preservation.
- Reports for projects or programs should be prepared, written, and presented in accordance with international library and archival standards.
- Conduct background research for the creation of metadata (English & Tamil ) for the collection.
- Built a healthy relationship between Noolaham foundation and source contributors.
Essential Qualifications:
- MA in the fields of social sciences or humanities, or BA and equivalent research experience
- 3-5 years of experience in independent, academic, or other institutional-based research
- Knowledge in the field of “Olai” manuscripts.
- Demonstrated strong qualitative and quantitative research experience.
- Demonstrated leadership in professional outreach and network building.
- Proficiency with Google Workspace, Microsoft Office, and media technologies.
- Professional-level fluency in both written and spoken English and Tamil.
- Candidates must have a knowledge of Northern and Eastern Regions.
- Knowledge in metadata management.
- Multimedia skills
Additional Qualifications:
- Research interest and focus on the Jaffna and Batticaloa communities and in documenting, archiving, and digitizing knowledge resources and heritage assets
- Ability to travel throughout the country, including to remote regions
- Experience with using photographic and audio equipment is highly desirable, including experience in compiling and editing videos and audio files.
- Experience in collection development and multimedia documentation
- Familiarity with fields or subjects such as library, archival, museum, and/or cultural heritage
- Project management knowledge and experience.
- Experience with media and social media.
2. POSITION – DIGITAL LIBRARY OFFICER- METADATA
Job Descriptions
| Job Title | Digital Library Officer – Metadata – EAP 1551 PROJECT- 02 positions (Jaffna and Batticaloa) |
| Reports to | Digital Library Manager |
| Profile of Institution | Noolaham Foundation, Sri Lanka |
| Base Location | Jaffna & Batticaloa , Sri Lanka |
| Type | Full Time / Salaried (Based on Job Grid of NF) |
| Period of Assignment | Two years (Probationary period – Three months, and the possibility of extension based on performance and organizational needs) |
| Date of Duty Assignment | Immediate |
Job Summary
The Metadata officer will work in close collaboration with the Digital Preservation team and Collections & Metadata team to ensure that the digital resources and their description are according to standards established by Noolaham. Develops descriptive metadata for digital resources. Contributes to the Communications team by providing content to highlight the content and activities of Noolaham Foundation. This role also is responsible for providing reference services, including promptly responding to reference requests via various channels and responsible for rights management research and rights management metadata.
Key responsibilities:
- Create and maintain metadata for all digital resources
- Organize and manage digital collections
- Perform quality control checks on all digital resources
- Develop and implement policies and procedures for the digital library
Essential Qualifications:
- Degree/ Diploma in computer science , library science or a related field is required.
- Excellent metadata management skills and experience of metadata for digital objects, physical formats and research data relating to Special Collections.
- Experience of metadata management tools
- Proven ability to handle digital and physical metadata
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Aptitude and ability in using technology and software to transform metadata
- Excellent digital literacy including competence across Office software applications and expertise with relevant functional software and Library Management Systems
- Project management experience
- Candidates must be based in Jaffna / Batticaloa districts
3. POSITION – DIGITAL PRESERVATION OFFICER
Job Description
| Job Title | Digital Preservation Officer – EAP 1551 PROJECT- 02 positions (Jaffna and Batticaloa) |
| Reports to | Digital Preservation Sector Lead |
| Profile of Institution | Noolaham Foundation, Sri Lanka |
| Base Location | Jaffna & Batticaloa , Sri Lanka |
| Type | Full Time / Salaried (Based on Job Grid of NF) |
| Period Of Assignment | Two years (Probationary period of three months, and possibility of extension based on performance and organizational needs) |
| Date of Duty Assignment | Immediate |
Job Summary
Noolaham Foundation (NF) is a Non-Governmental Organization based in Sri Lanka whose major objective is archiving the documents produced by the Tamil speaking community of Sri Lanka. Noolaham Foundation (NF) is a non-profit organization and mainly depends on donations and receives most of the funding as in-kind donations. Digital Preservation Officer works in close collaboration with Quality Assurance Officer(s), Digital Library team and Collections & Metadata team and is mainly responsible for ensuring that quality digital objects are created according to the Digital Preservation policy and standards of Noolaham Foundation.
Key Responsibilities
- Adherence to and implementation of the Noolaham Foundation’s digital preservation policy
- Upload the documents to the relevant Google Sheets for digitization.
- Preserve documents safely and in the appropriate locations.
- Digitization
- Make the suggested corrections accurately and confirm them.
- preparation of project reports pertinent to the work to be done
- The digital library officer will examine it and note the associated Noolaham number where it belongs. The essential documents should then be scanned, and following that, they should be neatly bound.
- Then deliver and confirm the return document along with a letter of appreciation to the individual who originally recorded the return date in the Google Sheet. Then place the document in the proper location if it has been donated to the Noolaham Foundation.
Essential Qualifications:
- Passed GCE Advanced Level
- Diploma in computer science
- Previous experience with digitization
- Basic Metadata Skills
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Excellent communication skills in both writing and speaking
- Candidates must be based in Jaffna or Batticaloa districts.
How to apply
The application should be submitted or sent with a CV, details of two non-related referees, and a covering letter by email to noolahamfoundation@gmail.com on or before 25.10.2023, with the subject line Attention CEO – Application for relevant positions.