Context
Sitecore Content Hub is purpose-built to manage high volumes of content across brands, business units, and regions, but without clear ownership of content governance, even the most sophisticated implementation can become fragmented, inconsistent, or non-compliant. To maintain trust in the platform and ensure content remains accurate, brand-aligned, and fit for purpose, organisations should establish a Data Librarian role. This role provides dedicated oversight of all published and in-progress content, acting as a gatekeeper and steward of the entire content lifecycle.
Execution
The Data Librarian ensures content integrity across Sitecore Content Hub by upholding metadata standards, preventing duplication, and enforcing consistent workflows. In complex environments with multiple brands or approval chains, the Librarian aligns teams and ensures scalable governance.
To be effective, the role must be clearly defined. The Librarian serves as the business owner of content quality, accountable for accuracy, compliance, and consistency across all assets.
Core responsibilities:
- Review and approve content before publication
- Manage metadata and taxonomies in partnership with the System Administrator
- Coordinate with content creators to meet standards and deadlines
- Conduct audits to identify outdated, duplicate, or conflicting assets
- Use audit logs and reports to maintain content traceability
Librarians should implement a structured content review process with defined SLAs to avoid bottlenecks and keep workflows efficient. Clear communication across the organisation is essential: the Librarian must be seen not as a gatekeeper, but an enabler of content quality and brand alignment.
Onboarding and internal training should equip Librarians with a deep understanding of metadata policies, workflow steps, brand guidelines, and compliance requirements.
To support this, refer to the example Terms of Reference: Data Librarian which outlines the role in detail, including responsibilities, required skills, and governance boundaries.
Strategic value of the Librarian Role
Introducing a Librarian to Sitecore Content Hub offers significant strategic advantages. In a large, multi-brand or multi-market environment, the Librarian ensures "content hygiene" by actively protecting the platform from duplicate, outdated, or non-compliant assets. This stewardship supports a culture of high-quality content that’s consistently available to the right audiences at the right time.
The Librarian also functions as a brand advocate, working closely with content creators and approvers to uphold style guidelines, legal compliance, and licensing conditions. Their involvement is especially critical in regulated industries or organizations with complex approval chains.
Additionally, they help drive adoption of Sitecore Content Hub by offering training, proactive support, and strategic guidance. They build user confidence and ensure the platform becomes the trusted central source for approved, authoritative assets.
Ultimately, investing in a Librarian is an opinionated best practice: a signal that your organization values governance, brand consistency, and strategic content management. While technically similar to a content manager, the Librarian’s scope is broader, spanning quality control, compliance, and cross-functional collaboration.
Use Cases: Librarian Role based on content setup
Scenario 1: Large Global or Multi-Brand Company
In global enterprises, content creation and reuse span multiple brands, regions, and teams. Without defined governance, this leads to content sprawl, inconsistent tagging, and inefficient reuse. This distributed model supports local control while maintaining central standards.
How the Librarian operates:
- Assigned per brand, region, or business unit
- Administrative rights limited to content-related areas:
- Reviewing and approving content
- Managing metadata and taxonomy fields
- Assigning assets to collections or campaigns
- Does not manage users, schema configurations, or platform-wide settings
Scenario 2: Centralised Content Team
In smaller or centralised organisations, a single team manages content across departments.
How the Librarian operates:
- Responsible for the full content lifecycle within the DAM
- Scope includes:
- Metadata and taxonomy governance
- Periodic audits of existing assets
- Training uploaders and enforcing usage policies
- No access to platform administration (e.g., user provisioning, entity configuration)
- Operates solely within content-focused areas of the platform
Insights
Terms of Reference: Data Librarian
Role Type: Business (Non-Technical)
Platform Context: Sitecore Content Hub
Primary Focus: Content integrity, metadata governance, and lifecycle oversight
1. Purpose
The Data Librarian is responsible for the integrity, consistency, and compliance of all content and metadata within Sitecore Content Hub. Acting as a steward of digital assets, the Librarian ensures that content is valid throughout its lifecycle from ingestion to archival.
This role is essential for organisations seeking to scale content operations without compromising on governance, brand standards, or regulatory compliance.
2. Key Responsibilities
| Area | Responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Content Oversight | - Review and approve content before publication - Ensure all assets meet brand, legal, and licensing standards - Maintain content hygiene by identifying and resolving duplication, outdated assets, or non-compliance |
| Metadata Governance | - Define and maintain taxonomies, controlled vocabularies, and metadata schemas - Collaborate with the System Administrator to introduce new fields or structures as needed and remove redundant ones |
| Workflow Management | - Manage approval workflows for content and assets - Coordinate with content creators and brand teams to ensure timely delivery and review |
| Platform Stewardship | - Map responsibilities to appropriate Content Hub user groups (e.g. M.Builtin.ContentAdministrators, M.Builtin.Approvers, M.Builtin.Editors, M.Builtin.Creators) - Recommend custom user groups where more granular control is required |
| Enablement & Adoption | - Provide guidance and training to users on the Content Hub implementation and content lifecycle processes - Promote best practices and reinforce governance standards - Act as a point of contact for content-related queries and escalations |
3. Skills & Experience
| Category | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Experience | - Background in content management, digital asset management, or brand governance - Familiarity with metadata standards and content lifecycle workflows |
| Skills | - Strong attention to detail - Excellent communication and collaboration skills - Ability to interpret and apply brand and legal guidelines - Comfortable working cross-functionally with technical and non-technical teams |
| Mindset | - Proactive and structured - Brand-aware and compliance-conscious - Committed to quality and continuous improvement |
4. Role Boundaries
- This is a primarily non-technical role. The Librarian does not manage system-level configuration.
- Administrative rights are limited to content and metadata management, not platform-wide settings.
- The Librarian works in close partnership with the System Administrator to align on taxonomy design, permissions, and platform evolution.
5. Strategic Value
The Data Librarian is a critical enabler of scalable, sustainable content operations. By ensuring that Sitecore Content Hub remains a trusted source of truth, the Librarian:
- Reduces risk associated with non-compliant or outdated content
- Enhances brand consistency across markets and channels
- Supports faster, more confident content delivery
- Encourages adoption and trust in the platform