Visiting Archivist for African American Collections

Description

Emory Libraries is seeking a Visiting Archivist for African American Collections in the Rose Library to assist in making collections of underrepresented groups and persons more accessible. This position will include the opportunity to learn about all aspects of archives and special collections librarianship, including but not limited to manuscript and archival processing, from professionals throughout the Rose Library and across the Emory Libraries system as well as through professional development activities outside of Emory. We invite applications from recent graduates with master’s degrees in information studies or library/information science. The Visiting Archivist will be appointed to a two-year term position with a desired start date on or before August 1, 2016.

Reporting to the Head of Collection Services, the Visiting Archivist participates in the processing, selection, and outreach activities for the African American Collections in the Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, & Rare Book Library. The Visiting Archivist is responsible for creating descriptive tools for collections including MARC catalog records and Encoded Archival Description (EAD) finding aids, as well as providing reference services to researchers, which may include Emory students and faculty, visiting scholars, and members of the public. The incumbent is expected to provide outreach on behalf of the Rose Library, through engagement, social media, contributions to the Rose Library publications, and/or the creation of exhibits based on the collections. The Visiting Archivist will also work with the Rose Library curators when appropriate. Specific duties include:

•Works with curators on acquisitions, collection development plans and deaccessions; stewardship activities; inventories and the transportation of objects; exhibit research, writing and installation.
•Works with curators to publish materials related to African American collections, including journal and magazine articles, books, brochures, pamphlets, etc.
•Helps in the development of new media platforms (websites, podcasts, blogs) to support the recruitment of broader audiences to the Rose Library.
•Attends one to two national conferences annually to promote African American collections to researchers. Helps organize presentation booths and collaborates on panel presentations.
•Arranges and describes personal and professional papers from the African American collections.
•Develops and implements work plans with proposed arrangement schemes and timelines, and adjusts or modifies as needed.
•Performs basic preservation work such as removing rusty metal hardware, unfolding and flattening documents, and transferring material to new, acid-free folders and boxes.
•Writes finding aids for collections, describing the creator of the records as well as the subject content of the collection. Finding aids also include detailed box and folder inventories.
•Encodes finding aids in XML according to the Encoded Archival Description (EAD) standard; loads and maintains XML records in the EmoryFindingAids database.
•Creates MARC format bibliographic record for collection, which is included in both WorldCat and the library's local catalog.
•Provides reference assistance in person and by phone to Emory students and faculty, visiting scholars, and the public as needed and assigned, including 4-6 hours of weekly reference desk shifts and a rotating 8 hour Saturday shift.
•Oversees reading room security by monitoring use of materials in the reading room as well as working with researchers to explain the rules of care and handling for special collections material.
•Coordinates with the digital curation team regarding the digitization of materials within the collections.
•May collaborate with curatorial and exhibit staff in the planning, curation, and design of exhibitions based on the collections.
•Writes articles and blog posts about manuscript collections, especially upon completion of processing projects.
•Collaborates with research services to plan instruction sessions

Required Qualifications:

•ALA-accredited master’s degree in Library and Information Science or Archival Studies OR equivalent education and experience (relevant subject expertise combined with professional library education and/or experience).
•Knowledge of arranging and describing archives and manuscript collections, preferably in a special collections library in an academic environment.
•Knowledge of issues relating to archives and manuscript collections.
•Knowledge of current national archival and descriptive standards and best practices, including working knowledge of MARC format, EAD, DACS, and other archival descriptive standards.
•Knowledge of conservation and preservation needs of archival collections.
•Ability to lift up to 40-pound boxes and to work in a dusty environment.
•Ability to build and sustain effective interpersonal relationships with library staff, faculty and students, off campus faculty and administrators, campus administrators, etc.
•Ability to work creatively, collaboratively, and effectively both as a team member and independently and to promote teamwork among colleagues.
•Evidence of analytical, organizational, communication, project, and time management skills and demonstrated ability to set priorities, meet deadlines, and complete tasks and projects on time and within budget and in accordance with task/project parameters.
•Commitment to fostering a diverse educational environment and workplace and an ability to work effectively with a diverse faculty and student population.
•Capacity to thrive in an ambiguous, future-oriented environment of a major research institution and to respond effectively to changing needs and priorities.
•Demonstrated knowledge of current trends and issues in academic libraries, higher education, and relevant subject disciplines.
•Evidence of participation in local, state, regional, national, or international professional or scholarly associations.

Preferred Qualifications:

•Educational background and experiences unique to Black African American, immersion in the community and culture of the proposed work, and share a unique relationship with the African American Video Oral History Archive.
•Familiarity with XML schemas and the use of XML editors (such as XMetal or oXygen).
•Familiarity with the use of bibliographic information systems (such as Alma).

Additional Job Details Applications may be submitted online to our Faculty Career site as Word or PDF attachments and must include:

1) Cover letter of application describing qualifications and experience;
2) Current resume/vita detailing education and relevant experience; and
3) On a separate document list the names, email addresses, and telephone numbers of 3 professional references including a current or previous supervisor.