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Congressional Records Archivist, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Posted October 21, 2014

Job Opening ID: 102451
Posting Begin Date: 10/18/2014
Posting End Date: 11/18/2014

*This is a full-time term-limited appointment for 24 months.

The Bentley Historical Library at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor is seeking a Congressional Records Archivist (Archivist) whose primary responsibility will be to lead a team of processors to arrange and describe the Congressional records of two long-standing, influential Congressmen (housed in approximately 2,150 cartons plus digital records). This is a full-time term-limited appointment for two years. The successful candidate will have experience with manuscript collection processing of government, organizational and/or personal papers, demonstrated understanding of archival description and materials, work experience with project management, familiarity with archival standards (DACS, EAD, MARC), experience in team leadership and/or supervision, and strong communication skills.

Responsibilities:

Reporting to the Lead Archivist for Description and Workflow Management (Lead Archivist), the Congressional Records Archivist supervises processing support staff consisting of a full-time Project Archivist and graduate student assistants. The Congressional Records Archivist reviews and evaluates the internal organization of the records, performs appraisal, makes recommendations for and implements the records organization in keeping with the collection provenance. Appraises, preserves and describes digital records according to Bentley guidelines and practices as well as supervises members of the support team in performing these duties. The Archivist establishes workflow and work schedules, trains unit staff, and edits/reviews unit staff work-product, and develops the finding aids and MARC records. The Archivist is expected to participate in library-wide planning and governance, and work effectively in a shared decision-making environment.

Required Qualifications:

  • MLIS from an ALA-accredited institution, or equivalent degree in which coursework has focused on archival science.
  • Demonstrated knowledge and experience of processing and finding aid description of complex governmental and/or organizational papers.
  • Demonstrated ability to apply DACS, MARC, and EAD encoding through completed catalog records and/or published finding aids. Experience in processing and describing digital files.
  • Evidence of effective project planning, management, and completion; demonstrated ability to meet deadlines and ensure regular workflows.
  • Evidence of strong interpersonal and communication skills, initiative and flexibility.
  • Ability to meet a high standard of quality of work independently and expeditiously.
  • Demonstrated ability to work in a team environment.
  • Ability to move carts and book/flatbed trucks loaded up to 100 pounds safely; lift and bend boxes or volumes weighing up to 40 pounds; climb and reach on step stools and rolling ladders; handle dollies and book/flatbed trucks

Desired Qualifications:

  • 3 years of processing archival collections; 1-2 years of training and supervision experience.
  • Experience processing congressional papers and government records.

Benefits and Rank:

The successful candidate will receive 24 days of vacation a year; 15 days of sick leave a year with provisions of extended benefits. TIAA-CREF and Fidelity Investment retirement options available. Further information regarding benefits can be found at http://benefits.umich.edu/benefitgroups/faculty.html

Rank:

This is an open rank position.

Contact information:

For questions about this position please contact Olga Virakhovskaya, Lead Archivist for Description & Workflow Management, by email, [email protected] or by phone, 734-647-2737.

How to Apply:

You must apply for this position on the UM Jobs Career website http://umjobs.org/. The Job Opening ID Number is 102451. A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position.

Additional Information:

The Bentley Historical Library was established in 1935 by the University of Michigan Regents to carry out two functions: to serve as the official archives of the University and to document the history of the state of Michigan and the activities of its people, organizations and voluntary associations. Some six decades after its founding, the library has amassed extensive holdings on the history of the state and the university, including more than 30,000 linear feet of archives and manuscripts, 57,000 printed volumes, 1.5 million photographs and other visual materials, over 10,000 maps, and nearly 20 terabytes of digital content. The library’s holdings are consulted by Michigan’s citizens, the university’s students, faculty, staff, alumni and administrators, scholars from across the nation and around the world, and others interested in the history of the state and the university.

U-M EEO/AA Statement:

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

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