Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies – Digital Archivist, UCLA, CA
Posted April 11, 2023
Description
The Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies is currently building the infrastructure to maintain digital archives and host a wide range of digital collections related to Black experiences. The Bunche Center is looking to hire a permanent Digital Archivist to lead the digital initiatives and build a strong archival program. This work will include processing, developing, documenting, and implementing digital workflows to ingest, catalog, preserve, access, store, and secure current and future materials held by the Bunche Library. This work will also include establishing policies and procedures of best practices for managing a digital archive program.
The Digital Archivist will report to and work closely with the Bunche Librarian to scale, support, and maintain digital preservation systems, services, and workflows for the digital resources stewarded by the Bunche Center. The Digital Archivist will participate in the identification, conception, development, and implementation of grant applications in support of the Bunche Library’s digital initiatives, including collaborations with UCLA’s ethnic studies libraries, such as our current efforts to archive the age of mass incarceration. The Digital Archivist will stay abreast of issues and tools related to the stewardship of digital materials and represent the Bunche Center for African American Studies on campus as well as national, regional, and local committees, conferences, and forums on matters relevant to digital collections management.
We highly encourage early career applicants to apply. The center is committed to supporting professional development, at any level, to build a robust digital archiving program. Career related and job-related professional development activities, may include but are not limited to: opportunities for on-the-job training, cross training, coaching, and internships; attendance at courses, workshops, seminars, conferences, institutes, lectures, and meetings; and participation in professional and technical associations.
We look forward to working with an individual who finds energy and inspiration from engaging, learning, and collaborating with others.
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:
• Overseeing Bunche Center archival collection, which includes processing and re-organization of materials.
• Establishing best practices for both physical and digital materials.
• Managing digital collections by establishing the metadata schema, controlled vocabularies, and exercising quality control of the software, equipment and metadata records.
• Developing and document digital workflows to support the preservation, access, and security of digital materials; recommending and utilizing digital processing tools and advising on preservation strategies and storage needs for digital materials.
• Collaborating with the Bunche Center Librarian to realize and implement discovery and access initiatives for digital materials.
• Participating in the conception and development of grant applications in support of digital initiatives.
• Working with content stewards across the IAC libraries to develop/support procedures and digital workflows.
• Working with metadata stakeholders to create collection models and metadata plans for batch ingest.
• Developing and implementing the Bunche Library’s content accessibility, metadata, and preservation strategy.
• Working with the Bunche Center Librarian to expand the department’s digital collections. Collections may include documents and ephemera from Archiving the Age of Mass Incarceration, materials from the Arthur Ashe Legacy projects, and other Bunche Center research initiatives.
• Working with the ethnic center librarians to create/update the digital preservation policies.
• Providing guidance and leadership for the archives and digital stewardship of the Bunche Library’s specialized and general collections including planning, implementation, and assessment of current systems and infrastructure, and new technologies.
• Coordinating the activity of the Bunche Center’s digital archive initiatives focusing on four main areas of digital library development: content accessibility, metadata creation, collection development, and preservation.
DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIT
The Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies, founded in 1969 as the Center for Afro-American Studies (CAAS), was renamed after Nobel Prize winner, scholar, activist, and UCLA alumnus Ralph J. Bunche in 2003, in commemoration of the centenary of his birth. The Bunche Center was established as an Organized Research Unit (ORU), with the mission to develop and strengthen African American Studies through five primary organizational branches: research, academic programs, library, special projects, and publications. The Bunche Center Library supports the mission of the center by developing collections that expand knowledge of African American history and culture and investigates problems that affect people of African descent.
The library is one of several affiliated libraries at UCLA. Affiliated status allows the library to independently manage collections and services for its core constituency.
The collection has over 8,000 monographs, serials, archival and audio visual materials on African, African American, and Caribbean history and culture.
The book collection is supplemented with subscriptions to academic journals, popular magazines, and African American newspapers.
The audio/visual collection consists of audiocassette tapes, VHS tapes, DVD’s, and other analog media. Its content includes classic movies, documentaries, campus events, and music. The archives collection includes vertical files, personal papers, and organizational records.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INSTITUTE
The Institute of American Cultures (IAC) is the administrative home of the four ethnic studies centers at UCLA – the American Indian Studies Center, the Asian American Studies Center, the Chicano Studies Research Center, and the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies. These organized research units (ORU) were established in 1969 and for almost 50 years have been involved in advancing research grounded in the experiences and issues of diverse communities in the greater Los Angeles area, but also throughout the United States and internationally and transnationally as well.
Together, the IAC and the four centers work to increase understanding of the emerging social and cultural realities in America through innovative research, events, fellowships, scholarship, grants, and civic engagement.
The research of the IAC reaches and draws from the entire university and through partnerships with many stakeholders and constituencies that literally span the globe.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Professional librarians at UCLA are academic appointees. Librarians at UCLA are represented by an exclusive bargaining agent, the University Council – American Federation of Teachers (UC-AFT). This is a represented position. They are entitled to appropriate professional leave, two days per month of vacation leave, one day per month of sick leave, and all other benefits granted to non-faculty academic personnel. The University has an excellent retirement system and sponsors a variety of group health, dental, vision, and life insurance plans in addition to other benefits. Relocation assistance may be provided.
Appointees to the librarian series at UC shall have professional backgrounds that demonstrate a high degree of creativity, teamwork, and flexibility. Such background will normally include a professional degree from an ALA-accredited library and information science graduate program. In addition to professional competence and quality of service within the library in the primary job, advancement in the librarian series requires professional involvement and contributions outside of the library, and/or university and community service, and/or scholarly activities. Candidates must show evidence or promise of such contributions.
UCLA welcomes and encourages diversity and seeks applications and nominations from women and minorities. UCLA seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce as a reflection of our commitment to serving the people of California, maintaining the excellence of the university, and offering our students richly varied disciplines, perspectives, and ways of knowing and learning.
The successful candidate will be committed to promoting and enhancing diversity through engagement with and promotion of the UCLA Principles of Community https://www.ucla.edu/about/mission-and-values.
CAMPUS INFORMATION
As a condition of employment, you will be required to comply with the University of California Policy on Vaccination Programs – With Updated Interim Amendments. All Covered Individuals under the policy must provide proof of receiving the COVID-19 Vaccine Primary Series or, if applicable, submit a request for Exception (based on Medical Exemption, Disability, Religious Objection, and/or Deferral based on pregnancy or recent COVID-19 diagnosis and/or treatment) no later than the applicable deadline. All Covered Individuals must also provide proof of receiving the most recent CDC-recommended COVID-19 booster or properly decline such booster no later than the applicable deadline. New University of California employees should refer to Exhibit 2, Section II.C. of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Vaccination Program Attachment for applicable deadlines. All Covered Individuals must also provide proof of being Up-To-Date on seasonal influenza vaccination or properly decline such vaccination no later than the applicable deadline. Please refer to the Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Program Attachment. (Capitalized terms in this paragraph are defined in the policy.) Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements. 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, disability, age or protected veteran status. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy, see: UC Nondiscrimination & Affirmative Action Policy.
Unit: https://bunchecenter.ucla.edu/
Qualifications
Basic qualifications (required at time of application)
ALA-accredited Master’s Degree in Library or Information Science required at the time of hire; OR Master’s degree (or other advanced degree) in Information Sciences or related field at the time of hire and work experience in a library setting.
Subject-area expertise or educational background in areas related to Black or Ethnic Studies.
Demonstrated experience working in archives or on archives project, which includes processing, preserving, describing, and delivering digital and hybrid archival materials in an academic, research, or community library setting.
Experience creating finding aids using EAD and DACS.
Experience managing metadata for archival collections, including data standardization, remediation, and repurposing metadata for reuse, as well as an understanding of metadata mapping.
Demonstrated knowledge of archival theory and practices
Organizational and project management skills.
Demonstrated evidence of initiative and flexibility.
Capacity to respond effectively to changing needs and priorities.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively, as a leader and team member, with colleagues.
Communication and analytic skills, including the ability to work well in a team-based environment.
Commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive educational environment and workplace and ability to work with a diverse student, staff, and faculty population.
Application Requirements
Document requirements
- Cover Letter – Describing qualifications and experience.
- Curriculum Vitae – Your most recently updated C.V. detailing education and relevant experience.
- References – Names and contact information for professional references, including current or previous supervisor; 3-5 required, contact information only.
- Statement on Contributions to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion – An EDI Statement describes a faculty candidate’s past, present, and future (planned) contributions to equity, diversity, and inclusion. Equity, diversity, and inclusion are key components of The University of California’s commitment to excellence. Thus, teaching, research, professional, and public service contributions that promote equity, diversity, and inclusion are encouraged and given due recognition in the evaluation of each candidate’s qualifications. Describe your past, and/or future contributions to equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism. Candidates are invited to review the following:
• UCLA EDI statement (https://equity.ucla.edu/edi-ucla/)
• Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Statement FAQs (https://ucla.app.box.com/v/edi-statement-faqs)
Reference requirements
- 3-8 required (contact information only)
3-5 required (contact information only) Names and contact information for three professional references, including current or previous supervisor
Apply link: https://recruit.apo.ucla.edu/JPF08318
Help contact: [email protected]
CAMPUS INFORMATION
As a condition of employment, you will be required to comply with the University of California Policy on Vaccination Programs – With Updated Interim Amendments. All Covered Individuals under the policy must provide proof of receiving the COVID-19 Vaccine Primary Series or, if applicable, submit a request for Exception (based on Medical Exemption, Disability, Religious Objection, and/or Deferral based on pregnancy or recent COVID-19 diagnosis and/or treatment) no later than the applicable deadline. All Covered Individuals must also provide proof of receiving the most recent CDC-recommended COVID-19 booster or properly decline such booster no later than the applicable deadline. New University of California employees should refer to Exhibit 2, Section II.C. of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Vaccination Program Attachment for applicable deadlines. All Covered Individuals must also provide proof of being Up-To-Date on seasonal influenza vaccination or properly decline such vaccination no later than the applicable deadline. Please refer to the Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Program Attachment. (Capitalized terms in this paragraph are defined in the policy.) Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements.
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, disability, age or protected veteran status. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy, see: UC Nondiscrimination & Affirmative Action Policy.
JOB LOCATION
Los Angeles, CA