Digital Archives Librarian

Description

Lilly Library at Wabash College seeks an innovative Digital Archives Librarian.  Reporting to the Library Director, the successful candidate will create and manage the institutional repository and will curate born-digital and electronic collections at Wabash College.  One significant project will be producing a comprehensive digital database documenting Black cultural sites in Indiana.  The Digital Archives Librarian will collaborate with faculty, students, and community stakeholders to promote its growth and utilization.  The Digital Archives Librarian will also team with the faculty to integrate this and other digital collections more fully into the Wabash College curriculum.

Wabash College has begun a strategic transformation to advance the success of its first-generation students, students of color, and students from low-income families.  To support this work, the Lilly Endowment Inc. awarded Wabash a five-year Charting the Future grant titled “Restoring Hope, Restoring Trust.”  Using funds from this grant, Wabash supports an array of programs, partnerships, and strategies ranging from cultural and artistic programming to community engagement to research support for faculty, staff, and students interested in engaging our archival collections, including those on Black contributions to the State of Indiana.

The Digital Archives Librarian is a full-time, 12-month position supported for four years by grant funding.  Librarians are part of the teaching community at Wabash—providing both information literacy instruction as well as occasional teaching in the classroom.  Potential associated faculty status, rank, and salary are dependent upon qualifications and experience.  Strong applicants will have an appreciation for the broad intellectual community of a liberal arts college, a commitment to excellence in undergraduate mentoring and teaching, and enthusiasm for developing close relationships with students, faculty, and staff to support teaching, learning and research at Wabash College.  Candidates with a commitment to working with diverse students are especially invited to apply. 

Primary Responsibilities

• Produce, grow, and promote a database documenting Black cultural sites in Indiana.
• Establish standards and best practices to assure effective organization, access, preservation, and delivery of digital content.
• Develop, manage, and promote an institutional repository of Wabash College born-digital and electronic collections.
• Understand and apply appropriate metadata schema and the standards for expressing and storing these data.
• Formulate strategies, policies, and procedures for digital projects and digital preservation in collaboration with the Archivist.
• Collaborate with faculty to integrate primary sources and information literacy skills into the curriculum.
• Cultivate strong working relationships across the campus to promote digital library and archival resources.
• Serve on campus committees.
• Participate in related professional development activities.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree from an ALA-accredited library program (or near completion).
• Knowledge and experience with digital technologies, content standards, metadata schema, and controlled vocabularies (e.g. DACS, Dublin Core, EAD, METS, MODS, PREMIS).
• At least one year of digital archives experience (may include service as a graduate student or intern).
• Commitment to excellence in the teaching of undergraduate students.
• Outstanding presentation, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency using standard office software and library online tools.
• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a collegial environment.

About Lilly Library

Built in 1959, Lilly Library was renovated and expanded in 1992.  Our collections include 230,000+ print volumes plus access to 1.7+ million ebooks and 125,000 ejournals.   The Robert T. Ramsay Archival Center in Lilly Library serves the Wabash Community by collecting and preserving the history of Wabash College and our local community.  In addition to our archival collections, we also have a substantial special collection of rare volumes. 

Our small staff functions as a team to provide exceptional service to the Wabash community. Our library provides a place for research, learning, and reflection as well as collaboration in a warm and inviting setting.  The library serves as the hub for research, writing, and media services; the place to browse and discover books and media; the online access point for digital resources; and the starting point for partnerships with faculty in teaching information literacy and building the library collection.  As a founding member of PALNI, we enjoy strong collaboration with our peers in two dozen private academic libraries across Indiana.

About Wabash College

Wabash College is a private liberal arts college for men located in Crawfordsville, Indiana.  Founded in 1832, its mission is to “educate men to think critically, act responsibly, lead effectively, and live humanely,” and it accomplishes its mission in a residential community in which faculty are highly engaged with their students, in and out of the classroom.

Wabash College is home to the Malcolm X Institute of Black Studies, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2020. Approximately 30% of our students are federal Pell Grant recipients, one-third of our students are first-generation college students, and 17% of our students identify as domestic students of color.  Wabash is a member of the USC Race and Equity Center’s Liberal Arts Colleges Racial Equity Leadership Alliance, a top-60 Liberal Arts College according to U.S. News, and a member of Colleges That Change Lives.  Many students, staff, and faculty find the close-knit community of the residential college one of the most rewarding aspects of their time here.

 Application Process

To apply, go to www.wabash.edu/employment and click the “Apply Now” button. The application dossier should consist of:

1. Letter of application
2. Curriculum vita
3. Contact information for three references
4. Unofficial undergraduate and graduate transcripts
5. Statement of service and teaching philosophy

Inquiries about the position can be sent to Jeffrey Beck, Library Director at beckj@wabash.edu.  Review of applications will begin on April 1, 2022 and will continue until the position is filled.  This position is available on July 1, 2022, and the start date is negotiable.  We provide generous benefits plus robust research and travel funding for faculty development. 

Wabash College, a liberal arts college for men, seeks faculty and staff who are committed to providing quality engagement with students, high levels of academic challenge and support, and meaningful experiences that prepare students for life and leadership among diverse populations around the globe.  Wabash is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from persons of all backgrounds.

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