Oral History & Media Archivist

Description

The University of Georgia Libraries is seeking an innovative, forward-thinking archivist to provide leadership, vision and creativity for its oral history program. The Oral History and Media Archivist is responsible to the Director for the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies for developing, managing and contributing to the creation of the oral history program; managing the preservation of oral history and audiovisual materials in a variety of formats; developing Web access to oral history and audiovisual materials; and supervising the Oral History Coordinator and student assistants. This position participates in reading room and reference service to patrons. The Oral History and Media Archivist, also assists the Director in grant writing and other fundraising projects, collaborates with the Arrangement and Description Unit to provide access and identify gaps in holdings for oral history documentation, and collaborates with the Access and Outreach Unit to incorporate oral history and media in public programming. The Oral History and Media Archivist is a member of the University of Georgia Libraries non-tenure track faculty.

The Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies is a department within the University of Georgia Libraries, which reports to the University Librarian and serves as a center for research and study of the modern American political system. Established in 1974, the Library’s original mission was to collect and preserve materials that document the life and career of the late Richard B. Russell, United States Senator from Georgia from 1933 to 1971. With particular emphasis on the role of Georgia and the U. S. Congress, current collection development and programming focus on the dynamic relationship of politics, policy, and culture—generated wherever public interest intersects with government. The breadth and depth of Russell Library’s collections provide an interconnected framework of perspectives and experiences for understanding the increasingly diverse people, events, and ideas shaping Georgia’s political landscape.

The Russell Library pursues alliances and opportunities for collaboration with individuals and organizations that advance its mission. The Russell Library is a founding member of the Association of Centers for the Study of Congress and a primary partner and official repository for the Foot Soldier Project for Civil Rights Studies, a collaborative project dedicated to documenting and chronicling the activity and perceptions of lesser known participants in the civil rights movement in Georgia. For more information about the Russell Library: http://www.libs.uga.edu/russell/

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Develops, manages and contributes to the creation of oral history program and projects, including researching and conducting interviews; collaborates with Director and co-workers to identify gaps in the holdings and prospective interviewees for oral history documentation; produces, negotiates, and maintains oral history gift and release agreements; promotes and maintains donor relations; oversees oral history production, processing, including video and audio transfer, program editing, transcription and video captioning, auditing of transcripts, index creation, and subject analysis.

Manages the preservation of and access to audiovisual materials in all Russell Library collections by processing materials, reformatting materials for preservation and access, selecting and negotiating with vendors for preservation transfer of materials, assessing policies and procedures as needed, and maintaining current archival standards; serves as liaison to appropriate departments within and without the Libraries; and investigates funding resources.

Identifies resources, and participates in grant-writing and other fund-raising and Development activities in concert with the Director; manages multiple projects, creating detailed budgets and planning for equipment and personnel needs.

Collaborates with the Arrangement and Description Unit to create points of access according to archival standards for scholars and students, including accession records, inventories, and finding aids; MARC records; and electronic search tools.

Develops and maintains web access to oral history and audiovisual materials. Manages reproduction and intellectual property issues related to use of oral history and audiovisual materials in collections; processes stock footage requests and reproductions for clients; works to promote use of these materials in the research, teaching, and learning of the University.

Collaborates with the Access and Outreach Unit to develop innovative access to oral history and media holdings and public programming in the Russell Library; helps identify and provides and maintains media for exhibits; provides tours and instruction and performs video services for programming as needed.

Supervises the Oral History Coordinator and one or more student assistants.

Provides reference service for media materials and participates in staffing the department's reference desk as needed and assigned; develops and maintains knowledge of collections within the library.

Participates in general departmental administration by contributing to the planning and developing of special projects, functions and exhibits and participating in activities that also may occur on weekends and in evenings; submits reports; and writes articles and blog postings.

Participates actively in continuing education and professional activities; maintains professional membership and/or accreditation; presents and writes on work-related topics and research for the profession; maintains an awareness of current trends in the archives field especially related to oral history and media and shares knowledge with co-workers; participates in relevant library/university groups and committees and provides service to the libraries and university as needed.

Maintains flexibility and awareness of changes in the department and organization and contributes to the team effort by assuming other similar duties and responsibilities as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Required Qualifications:
ALA-accredited MLIS; or relevant Master's degree (with ACA certification expected in 5 years for continued employment); Combined two to five years of demonstrated experience conducting oral histories and working with archival film, video, audio formats; audio and video hardware; editing software; and developing web access; Proficiency with converting analog audiovisual formats to digital formats in a PC and MAC environment; Familiarity with basic video production, particularly lighting and microphone setup; Knowledge of issues related to audiovisual preservation, digital conversion of archival materials, and intellectual property; Proficiency with Web-authoring tools, digital asset management tools, consumer level delivery tools (i.e. internet, playback software), and office productivity tools in an archives environment; Familiarity with descriptive, structural, and administrative metadata in accordance with standards (XML, EAD, Dublin Core, MARC) for archival material as well as standards related to conducting and describing oral history; Excellent oral, written, organizational, and project management skills; Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated effectiveness in establishing and maintaining successful working relationships with co-workers, donors, and patrons in a diverse academic community; Ability to function independently and as a contributing team member in a production-oriented environment and to collaborate with other departments, as needed; Working knowledge of historical research methodology and resources; Ability to lift and carry 40 lbs and tolerate dust and inactive mold spores.

Preferred Qualifications:
Evidence of active participation in professional organizations and a record of scholarly engagement through presentations and publications, and commitment to professional involvement preferred. Supervisory experience preferred. Experience writing grants or participating in other development activities preferred. Knowledge of modern Southern politics, history, and culture preferred. Certified Archivist preferred.