Technical Services Archivist, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

Posted April 17, 2019

Cornell University Library’s Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation & Archives seeks qualified candidates for the position of Technical Services Archivist. Reporting to the Director of the Kheel Center, the Technical Services Archivist administers the intake of accessions, in all formats, and manages processing, preservation, and description of rare and manuscript physical collections and the records of the ILR School at Cornell to ensure their long-term care and discoverability. Additionally, the Technical Services Archivist maintains a collection management database, supervises 1 FTE and student assistants, and oversees on-site collection storage and technical services work areas.

The Kheel Center is at an exciting point in its 70 year history with strategic collection initiatives, virtually no processing backlog, and interest in new collection management systems and tools. At Kheel, the Technical Services Archivist will have opportunities to collaborate with colleagues, participate in priority-setting and decision-making processes, and create new initiatives. The successful candidate also will participate in an organization that champions staff development, empowerment, teamwork, practical innovation, and diversity and inclusion.

Key Opportunities:

Collaborate with the Gordon and Marjorie Osborne Textile Industry Curator to devise technical services workflows for the recently-acquired American Textile History Museum collections.
Collaborate with the Digital Archivist on workflows for digital acquisitions and for managing intellectual relationships between physical holdings and digitized surrogates.
Lead the Kheel Center’s evaluation of archives management tools and systems.
Initiate projects that improve collection preservation, management, discoverability, and on-site storage and technical services work areas.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Directly supervises and evaluates the work of 1 FTE and 2-5 student assistants.
Manages the documentation and workflows for accessioning and deaccessioning activities.
Establishes and documents workflows for processing, including appraisal, and ensures best practices are followed.
Maintains the collection management database for processing, tracking, metadata generation, and stacks management.
Creates and edits finding aids for inclusion in EAD guides and MARC records.
Identifies and suggests remedies for preservation issues for new and existing accessions, in consultation with Kheel Center and CUL colleagues.
Oversees collection management activities for on-site storage and technical services work areas, plans collection shifts, and conducts environmental reviews.
Works with vendors to maintain the mobile shelving system in on-site storage and collaborates with colleagues on space planning and remote storage usage.
Coordinates the ILR School’s records management program.
Maintains supplies for collection processing and storage.
Maintains activity in professional organizations and serves on appropriate CUL, ILR School, and University committees and groups.
Actively pursues scholarly interests in areas of archives, labor history, or other fields relevant to the position.

Required Qualifications:

Graduate degree in archival administration, library/information science, or the equivalent.
A minimum of 3-5 years of full-time, professional work in an archives setting.
Demonstrated knowledge of the principles of appraisal, arrangement, and description of personal papers and organizational records, across formats, including born-digital.
Demonstrated experience in applying current descriptive and metadata standards, such as DACS, EAD, Dublin Core, and MARC.
Knowledge of preservation best practices and standards for archival materials.
Knowledge of legal and ethical issues related to copyright, privacy, and records restrictions.
Superior analytical, writing, and organizing skills.
Strong interpersonal communication skills, flexibility, and ability to adapt to a rapidly changing environment.
Proven ability to cultivate an environment of diversity and inclusion.

Preferred Qualifications:

Archival experience, knowledge, or coursework in US labor history
Demonstrated ability to organize and prioritize work, with strong project management skills, and the ability to use considerable judgment and take initiative.
Knowledge of records management best practices.
Familiarity with Microsoft programming languages.
Knowledge of archives management tools, such as ArchivesSpace, or the demonstrated ability to learn new tools and systems.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Environment: The Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation & Archives is part of the Catherwood Library, the premier repository for the study of employment and the workplace, serving Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations.

The Kheel Center’s holdings include rich manuscript and media collections pertaining to labor unions, business history, management theory and practice, and labor relations. As part of the Martin P. Catherwood Library, Kheel supports the curriculum and research interests of Cornell’s ILR School and attracts scholars from all over the world. Catherwood Library is the nation’s most comprehensive library for workplace issues, specializing in labor history and law, human resources, collective bargaining, organizational behavior, and international and comparative labor movements.

One of the leading academic research libraries in the United States, Cornell University Library is a highly valued partner in teaching, research, and learning at the university. With an operating budget of over $58 million and a diverse and innovative staff of more than 400, the Library provides significant collaborative opportunities in support of 2,700 faculty, 22,000 students and 94 PhD fields. Its world class collections, expert librarians, and responsive services in physical and virtual library spaces inspire and nourish scholarship and learning.

Benefits: Cornell offers a highly competitive benefits package, including 22 vacation days, 12 paid holidays, health insurance, life insurance, university retirement contributions, a mentoring program, childcare and adoption assistance, and child tuition reimbursement. Professional travel funding is available to support research. The incoming academic rank will be determined by the qualifications and experience of the selected candidate, with an anticipated salary range of $55,000-$65,000.

How to Apply: The application deadline is April 19, 2019. All candidates must apply via the Cornell University Careers site. Please include one document that contains a cover letter, resume, and the names, phone numbers, and addresses for three references (pdf preferred).