Project Manager (Archivist)

Description

The David C. Driskell Center for the Study of the Visual Arts and Culture of African Americans and the African Diaspora seeks an Archivist to plan, organize, and implement systems and procedures for creating a collection of items donated by Prof. David C. Driskell with the goal of preserving and improving access to this collection. The Driskell Archive contains about 50,000 items, including rare books, journals, newspapers, exhibition catalogues, personal papers, and others. This position is supported by a two-year grant-funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation's Council on Library and Information Resources [CLIR].

The project's goals include, a) documenting Professor Driskell's one-of-a-kind archive; b) increasing accessibility to the collection through the Center's on-line presence; c) updating procedures for managing the still growing archive; d) increasing the knowledge and skills of current staff and professionals to further strengthen African American museums; and e) providing educational work experience for graduate students who are interested in professional careers in museums of African American art and culture. This project is a continuation of a two-year grant awarded to the Center by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

The Archivist will oversee the methodology and integration of archival practices into an ever-growing corpus of materials used by scholars and students and will update the current (draft) procedures manual for archivists in museum environments. The Archivist should have a broad understanding of archival and digital technology as related to an academic research library setting as well as knowledge of emerging trends in digital technologies and archival practices. Candidates should have demonstrated organizational skills in planning, prioritizing, and achieving goals. Additionally, they must possess knowledge of archival and records management principles and practices and the data structure standards relevant to the archival control of digital collection materials. They should also have demonstrated the ability to work with databases, develop functional requirements and workflows for programmers building new content management applications. The Archivist will provide overall coordination for the project, supervise graduate students, and oversee the IT aspects ?including on-line presence- of the project to improve overall collection management and accessibility. The project includes creating a new digital collection with item descriptions and establishing authority control over the Driskell archive catalog records. The archivist processes archival materials to include accessioning, arranging, and describing; appraising and preserving, as needed; plan, organize, and implement systems and procedures for maintaining the digital collection with the goal of improving accessibility. The archivist will follow the recommendations of a hired consultant archivist and report to the Driskell Center's Acting and Interim Executive Directors.

SALARY AND BENEFITS: Commensurate with experience. This position is supported by a two-year grant funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation's Council on Library and Information Resources [CLIR], ending on December 2014. This is an Exempt, full-time, grant supported position, (Monday-Friday, 40 hours per week); for 12 months, renewed for the remaining months in 2014, until Dec. 31, 2014.

This position requires a graduate degree (MLS or MIM) in library science, information science, archival administration, or a related field; at least two years of relevant professional experience, including database management and project management in a research or academic library, including at least one year of experience in special collections or archives at a paraprofessional or professional level; in-depth knowledge of library/archives systems, procedures, and standards. Demonstrated knowledge of archival appraisal, preservation, arrangement, description, and access theories and procedures. Excellent organizational, problem-solving, and communication skills; oral and written fluency in English. Supervisory experience; experience in project planning, management, and completion. Experience with Microsoft Access, PastPerfect, and open source software (specifically CollectiveAccess and Archivists' Toolkit).