Archivist for American Diplomacy, Yale University, New Haven, CT
Posted December 5, 2019
General Purpose
Manuscripts and Archives (MSSA) holds a premier assemblage of collections documenting American diplomatic history (1790-Present), including the papers of five former secretaries of state (http://guides.library.yale.edu/american-diplomacy-primary-sources). Reporting to the Head of Arrangement and Description, leads the selection, appraisal, and description of related manuscript and archival materials and supports teaching and research in the field of American Diplomacy. This position will be assigned a rank of Librarian 1 to 4 based on a combination of professional experience and accomplishments. (Librarian ranking information can be found at: http://bit.ly/YULRanksPromotions .)
- Serve as one of the points of contact for the Kissinger Papers.
- Examines files relating to the provenance of collections, reviews pertinent historical literature, analyzes materials to determine content and the appropriate level and type of arrangement and description needed, and develops plans for accomplishing the work, including estimates of resources needed, for newly acquired collections related to American Diplomacy.
- Arranges and describes archival material in all formats in accordance with approved plans; screens for potentially sensitive material; weeds extraneous material; recommends appropriate preservation and conservation procedures; and coordinates the copying or reformatting of materials for preservation and access.
- Prepares or updates finding aids and catalog records for all assigned collections, including the Kissinger Papers, according to national and departmental standards.
- Trains and supervises staff and student assistants assigned to arrangement and description projects.
- Provides reference services to patrons in person, by telephone and via email.
- Participates in departmental and interdepartmental bibliographic instruction and outreach activities and works with faculty to plan and promote classroom and research use of holdings in Manuscripts and Archives.
- May participate in building department holdings that support teaching and research in American Diplomacy and coordinate the transfer of personal papers and records from individual donors.
- Participates in the formulation and documentation of unit and departmental policy and procedures.
- Makes recommendations on personnel selection, staffing requirements, and equipment and supply needs.
- Participates in library-wide planning and committee work as appropriate.
- Contributes to the advancement of the archival profession and/or professional or scholarly knowledge relevant to the job.
Required Education and Experience:
Master’s degree from an ALA‐accredited library school or equivalent accredited degree, with formal training in archival theory and practice. In selected instances, a post graduate degree in museum studies or a related discipline in the humanities or social sciences may be substituted for a master’s degree in library science and formal training in archival theory and practice. Demonstrated excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communications and analytical ability. Demonstrated record of designing projects and bringing them to a conclusion in a timely fashion. Experience working collaboratively and independently with varied groups within a complex organization and rapidly changing, team environment. Yale University assigns ranks to librarian positions based on a combination of professional experience and accomplishments. Librarian ranking information can be found at: http://www.library.yale.edu/about/departments/lhr/rank.html
Qualifications:
- Demonstrated proficiency in archival appraisal, arrangement and description practices and standards.
- Demonstrated knowledge of and graduate coursework in 20th Century American history.
- Ability to readily adapt to change, exercise initiative, sound judgment, creativity and flexibility.
- Preferred Education and Experience: Experience in archival reference and instruction.
Application: For more information and immediate consideration, please apply online at http://bit.ly/YaleCareers-58997BR. Please be sure to reference this website when applying for this position.
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