University Archivist, Special Collections & Archives, Wesleyan, Middletown, CT
Posted June 22, 2018
Wesleyan’s Special Collections & Archives (SC&A) is the home of the University’s archives, local history, manuscript, and rare book collections, including more than 500 collections of archival materials and over 40,000 rare books. In addition to being the official repository for historical University materials, SC&A holds the papers of Lincoln Memorial architect Henry Bacon, avant garde musician John Cage, and biographer and popular historian William Manchester, among others. SC&A has a very active program of outreach and instruction, with 120 class visits in academic year 2017.
Reporting to the Director of Special Collections & Archives (SC&A), this position is responsible for all aspects of the Wesleyan archives, manuscripts, and local history collections in all formats, including born-digital materials. As a senior staff member this position participates in management of SC&A. As a member of the professional library staff, serves as faculty liaison to one or more academic departments and selector in one or more disciplines.
Responsibilities include:
TEACHING
Present archival, manuscript, and local history materials to classes. Work with faculty to design assignments and promote use of these materials.
As backup for the Director, present rare books to classes.
REFERENCE
- Respond to complex reference inquiries.
- Research confidential and complex aspects of Wesleyan history and policy for the University administration.
On a regular schedule, serve at the SC&A reference and reception desk.
COLLECTION MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT
- Develop policies and set priorities for archival technical services and acquisitions, transfer of University records to the Archives, and all aspects of born-digital records.
- Participate in oversight of Wesleyan’s institutional repository (IR).
- Develop policies for archival materials, including theses, in IR.
- Supervise the work of the Licensing Management Specialist related to IR and archival collections.
- Manage projects related to archival, manuscript, and local history collections.
- Lead departmental grant writing to fund such projects.
- Build archival, manuscript, and local history collections through acquisition, transfer, donation, and other means.
- Work with the Director of the Wasch Center and freelance interviewers and editors on the faculty emeriti oral history program.
- Interview subjects that require particular discretion.
- With the Director of SC&A, work with University Relations and with donors of major gifts to the Archives.
DIGITAL INITIATIVES
- Lead departmental digital initiatives and projects in accordance with library goals.
- Collaborate with Digital Projects Librarian on major projects.
OUTREACH
- Promote stewardship of archival materials to the Wesleyan community.
- Promote the University Archives through exhibitions, presentations, writing, and other means.
PROCESSING
- Manage all aspects of processing archival and manuscript collections.
- Maximize discovery and preservation of archival and manuscript collections in all formats.
- Delegate appropriate archival work to the SC&A Assistant and student workers.
- Train, supervise, and mentor undergraduate students with advanced skills, graduate interns working on tasks that require archival facility, and temporary project archivists.
OTHER DUTIES
- Serve as faculty liaison to one or more departments.
- Monitor recent scholarship trends and select materials in these and related disciplines.
- Conduct library instruction for groups and provide one-on-one research consultations.
- Actively participate in the University’s records management efforts.
- Serve the University through participation in committees and other activities, particularly those involving University history.
- Participate in library and archives professional organizations, locally, regionally, and nationally, through service on committees, presentations and publications, and in leadership positions.
Minimum Qualifications:
- ALA-accredited MLS or MA in history with a focus on public history or archives and at least 5 years’ of relevant archival experience or an equivalent amount of education, training and experience.
- Experience in academic archives.
- Experience teaching, reference services. and using collection management and/or digital asset management systems.
- Experience with digitization and electronic records.
- Experience processing archival collections and with archival and metadata standards.
- Knowledge of appropriate preservation practices for archival materials.
- Ability to work both collegially and independently.
- Effective communication and organizational skills.
- Ability to interact courteously with a wide variety of people, exercising diplomacy, discretion, confidentiality, and good judgment.
- Flexibility and ability to adapt to changing priorities.
- Ability to move boxes weighing up to 40 pounds with or without accommodation.
- Demonstrated commitment to work within a diverse environment and interact openly with individuals of different backgrounds.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Advanced degree in related field.
- Experience with rare books; course work may be substituted.
- Experience with grant writing and records management.
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