Digital Archivist

Description

The Lupton Library seeks a motivated, technology‐savvy, creative and user‐focused professional to fill our new Digital Archivist position at the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga (UTC).    

Department Description  
Special Collections and University Archives houses, preserves, and provides access to historical items and collections, particularly those that relate to the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, the state of Tennessee and the South, and supports the teaching and research programs of the campus community.

The Department team consists of a one full‐time librarian and one staff member working in an environment that stresses a progressive, collaborative and customer‐focused approach to information services.  Special Collections consists of four main areas: 1) Manuscripts, Personal Papers, and Local History, 2) Rare Books, 3) University Archives, and 4) the Fellowship of Southern Writers and the Arlie Herron Collection.

Responsibilities of the Position 
Reporting to the Head of Special Collections and University Archives, the Digital Archivist plays a leadership role in the development, planning, promotion, delivery, and evaluation of digital initiatives involving Special Collections materials and services.

Specific responsibilities include:

• Arrange, process, catalog, preserve, and make accessible to the public born and/or converted digital archives and special collections materials though the acquisition, appraisal, description, management, and preservation of such records with historical, evidential, research, or administrative value to the University.
• Plan, schedule, implement, and document standards, policies and best practices related to digital collections, metadata and schema, workflow, and oversee the quality control of digital work.
• Participates in the creation of documentation, finding aids, and web guides for print and digital collections.
• Participate in the active management and preservation of a wide array of types of collections, including but not limited to university records and websites, manuscripts and personal papers, faculty research datasets, and scholarly publications.  
• Participate in the development of the University’s institutional repository.
• Promote Special Collections and University Archives materials and services to the campus community through online finding aids, exhibits, special events, and outreach activities, and providing collection access to a global community.
• Participate in other duties in Special Collections such as guiding interns and student assistants, assisting with donors, and monitoring the Special Collections Reading Room.

In addition, this position will collaborate with other library departments on digital projects, has responsibility for regular reference desk work (approximately 1‐2 hours per week), collection development in assigned subject areas, outreach activities, committee assignments and other library‐wide efforts.

Required Qualifications  

• Master's degree from an ALA‐accredited program.
• Knowledge of archival and digital theory and practice in managing, preserving, and providing access to digital objects in an academic library setting.
• Knowledge of preservation planning for print and electronic materials, including the creation of preservation policies, procedures, and a disaster recovery plan.
• Knowledge of emerging trends in digital technologies as they relate to archival and preservation practices, and the ability to effectively use current technologies, acquire new technological skills, and resolve problems in a resourceful and timely manner.
• Knowledge of web archiving, working with born digital personal papers or university records, and issues related to working with large and complex research data sets and related collections.
• Knowledge of digital content standards, cataloging and metadata standards and schema such as MARC, XML, EAD, Dublin Core, METS, MODS, LCSH, MeSH, TGM I, NAF, AAT, as well as authority records, AACR2 and RDA; and classification schema such as LCC and NLMC.  
• Proven experience in managing digital collections, digital scanning, image editing, and/or webpage design, and managing format conversion.
• Proven experience using a digital asset management system (e.g. Content Pro, CONTENTdm, DSpace).
• Ability to promote the use of the department's collections to university faculty, students, other members of the scholarly community, and the general public and experience incorporating primary source research in the curriculum and outreach.
• Demonstrated experience as a successful project manager and the ability to organize, prioritize work and manage time.
• Possess a positive attitude and the ability to be flexible, future‐oriented in a dynamic team‐oriented environment.
• Strong writing and oral communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills evidenced by the ability to work cooperatively and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues, faculty, staff and students.
• Possess strong customer focus, a passion for the profession, and a deep commitment to service and outreach in an academic community.
• Preparation and commitment to conduct independent scholarship consistent with a tenure‐track faculty appointment.  
• Commitment to engage in continuing professional development.

UTC Librarians are expected to participate in library‐wide and system‐wide planning, University
governance and service, and to be professionally active.

Desirable Qualifications                      

• Experience in collection development, instruction, and reference desk experience for an academic library.
• Demonstrated experience with repository platforms (e.g., Fedora, DSpace).
• Knowledge of copyright, intellectual property and privacy laws as they relate to published and unpublished materials.
• Archives experience in an academic setting.