James A. Kalbach
kalbach (at) scils.rutgers.edu
Bellealliancestr. 34
20259 Hamburg
(+49) 40 - 43 18 82 93
Education
- 5/97 - M.L.S., School of Communication, Information and Library Sciences,
Rutgers University
- 5/95 - M.A. in Music Theory and Composition, Graduate School, Rutgers
University
- 5/90 - B.A. in Music and in Communication (double major), Rutgers College,
Rutgers University G.P.A. 3.8, Dean's List, High Honors
Additional Training and Certifications:
- "Controlled Vocabularies" and "Information
Architecture and Organizational Strategy." Workshops given by Peter
Morville of Semantic Studios,
March 2002 (held in conjunction with ASIST SIG IA 2002 conference in Baltimore)
- "Synonyms and Taxonomies." Workshop on thesaurus
design given by Argus Associates, February 2001 (held in conjunction with
ASIST SIG IA 2001 conference in San Francisco)
- "Requirements Management with Use Cases." Three-day
course from Rational (software development company), 22-24 January 2001
- "MS SharePoint" One-day training on MS SharePoint,
29 September 2005
Experience
4/03 - present
Human Factors Engineer, LexisNexis (www.lexisnexis.com)
- Create search interface wireframes and designs
- Define user interaction in detailed specifications
- Perform in-depth user research and user testing; define
and document user groups
- Develop complex online application solutions for an international
market
2/00-3/03
Head of Information Architecture, Razorfish Germany (
www.razorfish.de)
- Managed and trained information architects; Recruited and
hired
- Developed and created tools, techniques and processes for
project delivery
- Created information structures, navigations, prototypes
and specifications
- Performed in-depth user research and user testing
- Consulted large, international clients and act as team
liaison
- Served as project lead and manage product development
- Project highlights: www.audi.com, www.audi.de, www.cocreate.com,
www.ciao.com, www.hypovereinsbank.de, www.rtl.de, www.bayernlb.com, www.mt.com
4/98-1/00
Usability Analyst/Researcher, I-D Media, Hamburg (www.idmedia.com)
- Founded and managed Usability and Research department
- Researched new business leads and prepared pitches
- Performed usability testing; detailed design recommendations
- Designed and created websites with HTML, JavaScript, PHP,
Flash
- Initiated business contacts worldwide
- Project highlights: www.idmedia.com, www.sony-europe.com,
www.FIBA.com
8/94-4/98
Library Associate, Rutgers Music Library
- Provided reference assistance and general public service
- Conducted bibliographic instruction workshops
- Trained and supervised a staff of 16+ student workers
- Catalogued music scores in standard formats (MARC, AACR2)
- Made reserve recordings; maintained library equipment
- Oversaw circulation and maintenance of collections and
archive
6/97-7/97
Reference Assistant, Oberlin Conservatory Music Library
- Provided reference assistance
- Prepared bibliographies and library guides
- Conducted bibliographic instruction sessions
11/95-12/97
Library Consultant, Silver Burdett Ginn Music Archive, Morristown, NJ
- Developed and implemented an electronic catalogue
- Created controlled subject language and classification
scheme
- Performed original cataloging on 6000+ titles
- Developed library guides and trained patrons on use of
catalogue
- Guided collection development
9/93-5/95
Part-Time Lecturer, Music Department, Rutgers University
- Taught Introduction to Music Theory to 35-40 undergraduates
- Prepared and gave all class lectures
- Designed and graded all assignments and exams
- Created course proficiencies and implemented grading policies
Skills
- Fluent in German, written and spoken
- Excellent communication and writing skills
- Experience in human-centered design, user research, information
design
- Strong interest in metadata, categorization, thesauri,
taxonomies, content management
- Technical skills: MS Office, Homesite, Photoshop, Visio,
DreamWeaver, Finale; HTML, JavaScript, CSS, XML, RDF, Use Cases; OCLC, RLIN,
DIALOG, Web searching
Honors and Awards
- Advisory Board for the IA Institute,
2005
- Founder and local representative for the Institut für Informationsarchitektur,
Deutschland
- Founder of the Hamburg Usability Roundtable (profession discussion group)
- Referee for JASIST, the J. of the American Society for Information Science
and Technology
- Chairman of the Graduate Lecture Committee in Music at Rutgers
- Rutgers College Merit Scholarship
- Golden Key National Honor Society
- Seymour Aronoff Honor Award in Mass Communication
- Olga Marsano Burian Honor Award in Music History
Associations
- Information Architecture Institute, USA
- Institut für Informationsarchitektur, Deutschland
- American Society of Information Science and Technology (ASIST)
- Usability Professionals Association, German Chapter (gc-UPA)
(serve as regional organizer for Hamburg)
- Music Information Retrieval (MIR) online discussion group
References Available Upon request
