Interview scorecard template

Digital Librarian interview scorecard

Evaluate Digital Librarian candidates across 4 weighted areas: execution and reliability, improving the process, judgement and autonomy, and communication. Execution and reliability leads at 35%, so check the collections and systems they have managed, plus metadata standards, cataloguing, and digital preservation practice. Use the rubric to compare role-specific evidence consistently.

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operations administrationarchivesdigital libraryinformation managementmetadata
TL;DR
For execution and reliability, look for evidence the candidate has managed real collections to recognised metadata and preservation standards, in systems you would recognise. For improving the process, look for evidence the candidate has run a migration or taxonomy change that measurably improved retrieval, not just tidied records. Apply the written 1–5 anchors to every answer, record the evidence behind each rating, and use the factor weights to reach a consistent overall assessment.
Complete evaluation framework

What to assess and how to score it

Review the evidence signals before interviewing. Then use the anchored descriptions—not instinct alone—to choose the score that best matches each answer.

01
Evaluation factor

Execution and reliability

35% weight

Check the collections and systems they have managed, plus metadata standards, cataloguing, and digital preservation practice.

Evidence to listen for

  • Describes a workload they owned and how they kept it from slipping
  • Names the tools and systems they ran day to day
  • Can talk about volume: tickets, inboxes, orders, uptime
  • Nothing quietly falls through when they are busy

Five-point scoring guide

1
Poor

Cannot describe their own workload; things slip without them noticing.

2
Needs Improvement

Handles routine volume; drops work under pressure.

3
Satisfactory

Reliable on steady-state work; struggles when volume spikes.

4
Very Good

Consistently reliable at real volume with a system for staying on top.

5
Excellent

Has managed real collections to recognised metadata and preservation standards, in systems you would recognise.

02
Evaluation factor

Improving the process

25% weight

Test whether they improved discovery: taxonomy work, migration, or retrieval that measurably got better.

Evidence to listen for

  • Has changed a process rather than only following one
  • Can name what was slow or error-prone and what they did about it
  • Documents so the improvement survives them
  • Knows when a process is worth automating and when it is not

Five-point scoring guide

1
Poor

Follows instructions only; no sense that process can change.

2
Needs Improvement

Notices problems but escalates rather than solving.

3
Satisfactory

Makes small improvements; impact is local and undocumented.

4
Very Good

Has redesigned a real process with measurable effect.

5
Excellent

Has run a migration or taxonomy change that measurably improved retrieval, not just tidied records.

03
Evaluation factor

Judgement and autonomy

25% weight

Assess how they handle access, copyright, and licensing questions where the correct answer is unclear.

Evidence to listen for

  • Knows what to decide alone and what to escalate
  • Handles an exception without freezing or improvising recklessly
  • Protects confidentiality and access appropriately
  • Asks a clarifying question rather than guessing on something costly

Five-point scoring guide

1
Poor

Either escalates everything or acts recklessly on their own.

2
Needs Improvement

Needs frequent direction; uneasy with exceptions.

3
Satisfactory

Sound judgement on familiar decisions.

4
Very Good

Clear sense of their own authority; handles exceptions well.

5
Excellent

Handles copyright and access ambiguity with a documented, defensible position and knows when to escalate.

04
Evaluation factor

Communication

15% weight

Judge how they help researchers who cannot find something and do not know how to describe what they want.

Evidence to listen for

  • Writes clearly enough that people act without a follow-up
  • Manages expectations before a deadline slips, not after
  • Handles a frustrated colleague or customer calmly
  • Works across time zones or async where the role needs it

Five-point scoring guide

1
Poor

Unclear written communication; goes quiet when things slip.

2
Needs Improvement

Communication needs chasing; raises problems late.

3
Satisfactory

Clear enough day to day; proactive updates are inconsistent.

4
Very Good

Clear, proactive, and calm under pressure.

5
Excellent

Draws out what a researcher actually needs and teaches them to search, rather than just retrieving one item.

Evidence-led prompts

Interview questions for a Digital Librarian

Use these prompts to surface evidence for the weighted factors above and compare candidates against the same role-specific criteria.

  1. 01

    What experience do you have with electronic resource management systems?

  2. 02

    Can you describe your familiarity with metadata standards, and which you have applied?

  3. 03

    How do you approach the task of digitising various forms of media?

  4. 04

    How do you manage digital preservation efforts?

  5. 05

    Describe your experience with digital content licensing and copyright issues.

See the complete Digital Librarian question set
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