Archivist for Collections Management

Description

The Pennsylvania State University Libraries seek applications and nominations for the position of Archivist for Collection Management. The person appointed to this tenure-track, faculty position will manage the arrangement and description of the Eberly Family Special Collections Library’s manuscript and archival collections using national and local standards. In addition, this position administers the Library’s installation of the Archivist’s Toolkit and its archival finding aid discovery system.

Responsibilities:

Management of archival processing

• Oversees accessioning, arrangement, description and encoding for all archival and manuscript collections.
• Establishes local processing standards according to best national practice.
• Works with curators and the University Archivist to establish priorities and deadlines for processing projects.
• Delivers training on standards and processes such as DACS and EAD to move collections from ingest to accessibility.
• Develops arrangement and description plans that balance the realities of budgets and staffing with patron access needs.
• Work with the Special Collections Cataloging Team to provide/update collection level information in the University Libraries’ catalog.
• Performs regular reporting of metrics for processing projects.
• Provides advice and support for archival processing conducted at other Penn State campuses.
• Management of Special Collections archival discovery systems
• Manages and improves finding aid usability, including:
• Work with IT staff on platform evaluation, installation, and troubleshooting.
• Working with IT staff, manages and delivers training for EAD authoring tools.
• Oversees finding aids maintenance (additions, updates, linking to catalog records and digital collections)

Supervision

• Directly supervises the Collections Management Specialist, who accessions new materials in the Archivist’s Toolkit, assigns locations, and edits holdings information in catalog records.
• Supervises and/or coordinates full-time and part-time staff, student assistants, and interns engaged in collections processing.
• May also supervise other staff, including project archivists, students, and interns.

General Duties

• Provides reference service to faculty, students, and other researchers on a rotating basis, including occasional weekend duty.
• Completes other special projects as assigned/directed.
• Participates in local, regional, or national professional organizations; enrich professional expertise by attending conferences and continuing education opportunities.
• Represents the Special Collections Library on library committees, task forces, etc., as needed and appropriate.

Qualifications:

Required:

• Minimum qualifications are a MLS/MLIS from an ALA-accredited program (or equivalent), or a Masters in Information Science, Archival Science, or related field.
• Experience with arrangement and description of archival and manuscript collections.
• Working knowledge of archival and descriptive standards, including DACS, EAD, MARC, LCSH, and Dublin Core.
• Knowledge of basic preservation standards for archival and manuscript collections.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and organizational skills.
• Excellent technical skills, including experience with Microsoft Office, cataloging systems, and EAD authoring tools
• Ability to work effectively, both independently and collaboratively, in a collegial environment.
• Ability to maintain an active national presence and contribute to scholarly activity and research.  Visit http://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/policies/ulhrg07.html to learn more about the University Libraries Promotion and Tenure Guidelines.

Desirable:

• Project management experience.
• Experience using and managing an installation of the Archvist's Toolkit
• Experience supervising staff working on multiple projects
• Knowledge of XSLT and EAD stylesheet authoring
• Experience managing archival holdings in integrated library systems such as Sirsi Symphony

Environment: Penn State, a land-grant institution, is a member of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC), a consortium of the Big Ten universities plus the University of Chicago. Based on current Association for Research Libraries investment rankings, The Pennsylvania State University Libraries are ranked among the top ten research libraries in North America.  A student survey completed in 2010 found overall student satisfaction with the University Libraries to be at the top of its category.  Collections exceed 5.8 million volumes and include more than 102,000 current serial subscriptions. The University Libraries are located at University Park and 22 other locations throughout Pennsylvania, and they serve approximately 6,000 faculty and 44,000 students at University Park, and more than 92,000 students system-wide.

The Eberly Family Special Collections Library at University Park holds more than 200,000 printed volumes, over 25 million archival records and manuscripts, and another million photographs, maps, prints, and audio-visual items. More information about all special collections in the University Libraries is available online at http://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/speccolls.html.

The University Park campus is set in the State College metropolitan area, a university town located in central Pennsylvania. State College offers a vibrant community with outstanding recreational facilities, a low crime rate, and excellent public schools. The campus is within a half-day drive to Washington D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, or Pittsburgh. The University Park Airport is served by three major carriers with flights to Washington, Philadelphia, and Detroit. For more information, please visit http://www.libraries.psu.edu and http://www.cbicc.org.

Compensation: Salary and rank commensurate with experience. Excellent fringe benefits include liberal vacation, excellent insurance, state or TIAA/CREF retirement options, and educational privileges.

To Apply: Send a letter of application or nomination, resumé, and the names and contact information of three professional references to Search Committee, The Pennsylvania State University, Box ACM-SAA, 511 Paterno Library, University Park, PA 16802. Applications and nominations may also be sent to lap225@psu.edu.  Please reference Box ACM-SAA in the email subject line.  Review of candidates will begin on January 28, 2013 and continue until the position is filled.  Employment will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.

Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity and diversity of its workforce.