Special Collections Processing Archivist, Riverside Library, University of California, Riverside, CA

Posted November 13, 2017

Rank and Salary Scale
Assistant/Associate Librarian – Potential Career
$60,843 – $65,942

Organizational Unit
Special Collections and University Archives

Position Overview
The University of California, Riverside Library seeks a dynamic, innovative and service-oriented Special Collections Processing Archivist to oversee the accessioning, arrangement, description, preservation and provision of access to manuscript and archival holdings in the Department of Special Collections and University Archives.

Located an hour’s drive to the east of Los Angeles, an hour west of Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley, an hour east of ocean beaches, ninety minutes north of San Diego, and an hour south of mountain ski resorts, UCR is located in an area of dramatic landscapes and rich cultural traditions. The University is a dynamic, aggressively-developing land grant research institution dedicated to preparing its diverse student body to be successful competitors in the world marketplace of ideas. UCR boasts the first new School of Medicine to open on the West Coast in 43 years; a new School of Public Policy; and the Bourns College of Engineering, ranked 10th in the world according to an international ranking organization.

The UCR Library is a critical partner in preparing UCR’s students to be globally competitive while simultaneously preparing them for careers in the Inland Empire and beyond. The mission of the UCR Library is no less than to bring the world’s information resources to the UCR community and to ensure that UCR students, faculty, and staff have the skills to fully exploit those resources to change the world for the better.

The UCR Library is a team of intensely collaborative, forward-thinking colleagues dedicated to providing excellent services to our students, faculty, and community members in a rapidly evolving information environment. The successful candidate will be technologically sophisticated; committed to problem-solving in local, regional, national, and international arenas; and able to develop innovative solutions to complex problems; and a dynamic and effective leader.

The UCR Library is comprised of three facilities housing more than 3,800,000 volumes, 940,000 electronic books, 97,000 print and electronic journals, and 2,300,000 microforms. The Library provides services to more than 22,000 students and nearly 2,000 faculty and other academics in an institutional environment planning for and experiencing extensive growth. The successful candidate will join an enthusiastic staff of 131 FTE librarians, support personnel (including student FTE) in building a research library of excellence within a dynamic and diverse university ranked among the top 50 in the nation. The UCR Library is a member of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL). Among the unique collections of the UCR Library is the Eaton Collection of Science Fiction and Fantasy, the Water Resources Collections & Archives, the Rupert Costo Library of the American Indian, the Paul Chou Collection of Chinese history and culture, the George Brown Papers, the Tomás Rivera Papers, and the Inland Empire Memories Initiative. Information about the UCR Libraries is available at http://library.ucr.edu.

The UCR Library is an integral part of the University of California library system. With collections totaling 30 million volumes, UC’s more than 100 libraries are surpassed in size on the American continent only by the Library of Congress collection. In addition, UC’s California Digital Library (CDL) provides the core of the University’s digital collections. CDL also assists UC to share resources and holdings more effectively, and provides leadership in applying technology to the development of library collections and services. Organizationally situated within the UC Office of the President, the CDL operates in close collaboration with all UC campuses and their libraries.

UC professional librarians are academic appointees and are represented by an exclusive bargaining unit; The University Council-American Federation of Teachers (UC-AFT). This position is in the bargaining unit.

Specific Responsibilities Include:

Reporting to the Director of Distinctive Collections, the Processing Archivist is responsible for overseeing the accessioning, arrangement, description, preservation and provision of access to manuscript and archival holdings in the Department of Special Collections & University Archives (SCUA), and in collaboration with colleagues in SCUA and Collection Strategies, will contribute to the selection, appraisal, and acquisition of new collections.
Processes existing and incoming archival and special collections materials using best practices and current national standards, describing collections, and creating finding aids and related records in ArchivesSpace, the department’s archival management system, as appropriate.
Uploads completed finding aids to online public access catalogs including consortial online databases, such as the Online Archive of California, in coordination with the Metadata & Technical Services staff.
Integrates digital collections with finding aids and related records, as appropriate, in coordination with Digital Initiatives staff.
Participates in projects to revise, edit, correct and digitally publish legacy finding aids.
Identifies and carries out rehousing and preservation treatments in consultation with the Special Collections and University Archives’ Collections Management Librarian and Preservation Services Department.
In collaboration with the Special Collections and University Archives Public Services staff, provides advanced-level reference service to assist researchers, students, faculty, staff, and the community in identifying and using Special Collections and other library materials as indicated or requested.
Raises public awareness of newly processed collections through social media, web-based platforms, and other outlets as appropriate
Collaborates with/assists the Director of Distinctive Collections or other exhibitions curators to identify Departmental holdings that highlight particular interests.
Collaborates with/assists the Digital Initiatives Program Manager or other curators to identify Departmental holdings that are candidates for digitization.
Participates in the hiring, training, and supervising of para-professional staff, student workers and/or interns; leads a team of student workers.
Maintains knowledge of current best practices, trends and performs continuous assessment of innovative methodologies, technologies and approaches. Identifies opportunities for improvement and communicates them to Departmental leadership.
Participates in general Departmental, Library and professional activities as appropriate.
Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

Master of Information Science or Master of Library and Information Studies from an ALA-accredited institution, or equivalent; or a Masters in History with a specialization in Archives.
One or more years of job-related experience, preferably in a college library and/or archival environment
Demonstrated experience in arranging, describing and preserving complex manuscript and/or archival collections.
Demonstrated knowledge of and experience with Encoded Archival Description (EAD) and Machine-Readable Cataloging (MARC) formats.
Knowledge and understanding of library-based descriptive standards including Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) and Resource Description and Access (RDA).
Demonstrated experience providing reference services.
Coursework and/or training in archival theory, methodology, issues, and trends.
Knowledge of records management issues and best practices.
Ability to foster a respectful, cooperative, professional and courteous work environment, maintain confidentiality and employ tact and diplomacy.
Strong interpersonal, customer service, facilitation, and communication skills.
Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage and prioritize multiple tasks and projects, working cooperatively with others or independently.
Ability to perform accurate, detailed work.
Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience using ArchivesSpace, Archivists’ Toolkit, Aeon, Millennium, and/or other content management and library collections systems.
Demonstrated knowledge of Dublin Core
Supervisory experience.
Knowledge of at least one language other than English
Alma or another Next Generation Integrated Library Management System; Archon, Drupal or other standards-based web publishing environment, and Primo or another Next Generation Discovery layer.
UCR is a world-class research university with an exceptionally diverse undergraduate student body. Its mission is explicitly linked to providing routes to educational success for underrepresented and first-generation college students. A commitment to this mission is a preferred qualification.

Physical, mental and environmental demands:

Ability to lift materials weighing up to 30 lbs., shelve/retrieve materials from shelves at ground level up to six feet in height and perform light maintenance tasks.
Ability to bend, stoop, and push loaded book trucks weighing up to approximately 250 lbs.
Ability to travel to various campus locations.
Ability to bend to adjust or work with office and library equipment.
Dust and other allergens from books and archives may be encountered.
Interruptions and meeting with a variety of people will be required on a regular basis.

Salary and benefits:
Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience within a range of $60,843-$65,942. Appointment at Assistant or Associate Librarian rank dependent upon qualifications and experience. Advancement through the librarian ranks at the University of California is through a series of structured, merit-based evaluations, occurring every two to three years, each of which includes substantial peer input. Excellent retirement system, health and vacation benefits.

Application Information:
Please complete and submit the information requested in AP Recruit (resume, names and contact information of at least three references, and a letter of interest addressing qualifications and experience related to the primary duties of the position) as directed at: APRecruit (https://aprecruit.ucr.edu/JPF00856). The search will remain open until the position is filled; for best consideration application should be received by December 29, 2017.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

More information can be found here.