Sophia Smith Collection Archivist, Smith College, Northampton, MA

Posted April 29, 2024

Description:

Smith College Special Collections (SCSC) is home to Smith College Archives, the Mortimer Rare Book Collection, and the Sophia Smith Collection, and holds an encyclopedic 35,000+ linear feet of archival collections, rare books, and manuscripts. Fifteen full time staff work collaboratively in the newly renovated Neilson Library to steward collections from the donor to the researcher. The SCSC mission, vision, and values center access as the guiding principle of our work.

The renowned collections that comprise the Sophia Smith Collection (SSC) of women’s history stand out as one of the most substantial, interconnected, and diverse repositories of women’s history in the world. At its core, the SSC documents women working on behalf of other women and gender minorities, focusing on the documentation of gender justice over time. Composed of over 1,000 unique collections, the SSC is used by a wide range of researchers, numbering in the hundreds annually, and across the Smith College curriculum.

A dynamic role, the Sophia Smith Collection Archivist’s work is primarily divided into two areas: collection development and instruction. The successful candidate has the opportunity to build and shape the SSC activating the collection development strategy to identify people and organizations and to work with them to acquire records of enduring value. Similarly, the Sophia Smith Collection Archivist will work with highly engaged faculty across Smith College and the Five Colleges Consortium. A core teaching collection, the SSC receives significant instruction use, fueled in part by an active undergraduate Archives Concentration program.

The position is both autonomous and collaborative, independent and supported. Working as part of a highly skilled team of colleagues, the Sophia Smith Collection Archivist serves as a catalyst for collection growth, stewardship, and use. By highlighting the experiences of women, the SSC helps to challenge traditional narratives and promote a more inclusive and diverse understanding of the past. It also helps empower individuals to envision a more equitable and inclusive future.

We seek to pay competitively and equitably based on factors such as the position and individual qualifications. While actual pay will vary based on these factors, target pay is generally around 80k to 90k.

Essential Functions

Stewardship (40%):

Work with existing donors and establish relationships with new archival creators that strategically build the collection in support of the collection development strategy.
Build and maintain knowledge about the collection, women’s history, trends in scholarship, and trends in the curriculum related to women’s and gender studies.
Engage in field work to meet with donors, review materials, and otherwise oversee the transfer of materials to Smith. Some travel required.
Be the primary spokesperson for the collection in the press and social media, lectures, and similar public engagement.
Participate actively in collection appraisal, deaccessioning, and similar activities that affect the long term health of the collection.
Work with the Director of Special Collections on managing legal and donor related issues. Maintain documentation related to the SSC and donor management.
Work with faculty and other subject experts to consider potential acquisitions, networks, and projects that build the SSC or otherwise enhance its use.
With other staff, plan for and carry out events and projects, including exhibitions, that highlight narratives within the SSC across many different communities.

Instruction (30%):

Provide expert guidance of the Sophia Smith Collection to students and other researchers. Primarily, this entails teaching class sessions for the Sophia Smith Collection and working closely with faculty, preparing for instruction sessions, designing lesson plans and assignments, and contributing to learning outcomes.
As part of an emerging formal instruction program, work with other Special Collections staff to refine and cultivate existing teaching practices and workflows.
Promote inclusive teaching and learning practices.
Be engaged with pedagogical best practices, theory, and trends for a liberal arts college learning environment.
Work collaboratively across the Smith College Libraries to implement instruction, information literacy standards, and assessment tools.

Collection Management (10%):

Participate in and sometimes lead workflow and policy review, including documentation, legal forms, and standards-based practices.
Make recommendations for description improvement and enhancement related to the SSC collections.
Set priorities for arrangement, description, and preservation of SSC materials.

Other Functions

Other (20%):

Participate actively in the shared decision-making, resource management, program, and policy development in Special Collections.
Serve a minimum of one shift per week on the reading room reference desk.
Participate actively in the archival professional development.
Identify and assist with grant writing related to the collection.
Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications (knowledge, skills, education, experience, certifications, licenses):

Five years of relevant archival experience, or an equivalent combination of education, certifications, and experience required.
ALA accredited MLS with specialization in archives and/or rare materials or ACA Certified Archivist strongly preferred. Equivalent combination of advanced subject degree and library/archives related experience will be considered.
A strong academic background and/or knowledge of U.S. history, familiarity with U.S. women’s history required
Experience working with donors required
Strong evidence of working with students, faculty, and other scholars through instruction, research support, and outreach

Skills

Demonstration of superior cultural competencies and sensitivity, empathy, and care in working with widely diverse communities. Proven dedication to high quality teaching with and about primary sources, including archival literacies. Ability to work in a complex and dynamic institutional environment that values communication, flexibility, and collaboration — in special collections, Smith College Libraries, and across campus. Thoughtfulness and clarity concerning reference interactions and enthusiastic engagement in outreach.

Thorough knowledge of archival principles of appraisal, arrangement, description, access, preservation, reference, and collection development. Understanding of physical and digital content management best practices. Knowledge of, or experience with, archival collection management/repository systems, including ArchivesSpace, and metadata schema. Excellent research, organizational, verbal and written communication skills. Ability to establish and meet project goals, take professional initiative, and multitask. A strong commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.

Please attach BOTH a current resume and a cover letter in order for your application to be considered for this position . Be sure you have provided all attachments before submitting your application.

You will NOT be able to attach additional files after you have hit the Submit button.

Review of applications will beginMay 13, 2024

Compensation Grade:Grade H

Position Type:Regular

How to Apply:

Information about the Smith College Libraries, the position, as well as how to apply can be found here