Project Archivist (Extended Temporary)

The University of Arizona Libraries seeks a collaborative and knowledgeable Project Archivist for a two-year period. Under the leadership of the Collections Management Archivist, the Project Archivist will appraise, process, and provide access to analog and born-digital materials in several large collections in University of Arizona Libraries’ Special Collections including the Arizona Architecture collections, Southwest Folklore collections, UArizona Health Science collections and the Bloom Southwest Jewish Archives. They will process archival materials in accordance with best practices and use ArchivesSpace to edit and produce finding aids. This position will collaborate with other staff who are processing materials and may train or supervise students working in this area. The Project Archivist may also provide reference services in Special Collections’ reading room as needed.

This is an Extended Temporary Employment (ETE) position.

Outstanding UA benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; UA/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; state and optional retirement plans; access to UA recreation and cultural activities; and more!

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CHARACTERISTIC DUTIES

• In collaboration with the Collections Management Archivist, processes analog and born-digital archival collections including surveying collections, develops processing proposals, arranges materials and creates finding aids and metadata to enable access to collections.
• Participates in updating policies, procedures, and guidelines for accessioning, arrangement and description of materials.
• Provides training for students on arrangement and description of materials in Special Collections.
• Maintains statistics and documentation on processing collections.
• Provides reference services at the Reading Room desk as needed.
• Participates in other departmental activities, including public service and special projects as assigned.
• The UA Libraries support UArizona’s diversity and inclusiveness strategic initiatives designed to create an inclusive environment for all faculty, staff, and students. The candidate is expected to support diversity and inclusiveness efforts in the department and college.
• Other duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES 

• Understanding and knowledge of processing best practices including arrangement and description, rehousing, and handling and storage of materials.
• Ability to apply and adapt knowledge and skills to a variety of tasks.
• Knowledge of library services platforms and archival inventory applications.
• Knowledge of metadata schema such as MARC, DublinCore, MODs, and EAD.
• Knowledge of encoding formats and guidelines for descriptive and authority-controlled metadata, specifically MARC21 and Encoded Archival Description (EAD).
• Knowledge of controlled vocabularies, particularly the Library of Congress Name Authority File (LCNAF) and LC Subject Headings (LCSH).
• Knowledge of descriptive content standards, such as Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS).
• Ability to create and enter accurate metadata in an integrated library or collections management system.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple complex and time-sensitive projects simultaneously
• Ability to work in a highly collaborative and inclusive environment, one that values and leverages the benefits of diverse perspectives.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Positive attitude and strong demonstration of Our Values: Collaboration, Continuous Learning, Diversity, Innovation, and Integrity.

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent advanced learning attained through professional-level experience.
• 3 years of relevant work experience.

• Master’s degree in a relevant field such as library and information science.
• Experience creating finding aids using archival best practices and current nationally accepted library and archival descriptive and metadata standards.
• Experience using ArchivesSpace or other collection management systems.
• Experience with encoding formats and guidelines for descriptive and authority controlled metadata, specifically MARC21 and Encoded Archival Description (EAD).
• Experience applying controlled vocabularies, particularly the Library of Congress Name Authority File (LCNAF) and LC Subject Headings (LCSH).
• Experience working with culturally sensitive materials.
• Experience providing archival reference.
• Experience training student employees, interns, or staff in processing archival collections.