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Senior Assistant Librarian – Digital Archivist, California State University Library (Long Beach, CA)

Posted February 5, 2025

Job Summary:

The Digital Archivist is responsible for conducting an assessment of the CSULB Special Collections and University Archives’ (SCUA) collections in order to identify and implement a program for digital asset accessioning, description, preservation, and access. The Digital Archivist will build systems and standards-based workflows for born-digital assets and manage the stewardship of digital assets produced through digital reformatting of analog collections in Special Collections and University Archives. They will identify and develop relationships with stakeholders at CSULB and advocate effectively for the use of digital collections in support of teaching, research, and community engagement. Activities may take the form of providing advice and training for stakeholders and library employees on best practices related to digital archives, providing instruction based on digital humanities collections, and coordinating on-demand digitization requests and programmatic reformatting. The Digital Archivist will keep abreast of digital preservation trends and developments, as well as intellectual property issues of digital archives and share that knowledge with the library as well as the wider campus community. This position is an active member of the SCUA team, collaborating on digital preservation initiatives, digital exhibits, and other opportunities that highlight the collections.

Duties:

  • Provide in-person and online reference services at a service-oriented and all-purpose research and information services desk including some evenings and weekends
  • Conduct programming / instruction for the digital archives 
  • Provide instructional support for Digital Humanities
  • Train colleagues on relevant current trends, standards, best practices, and technologies in digital collections and preservation
  • Manage, develop, and implement policies, workflows, and infrastructures for managing born-digital materials based on disciplinary standards and best practices for ingest, storage, preservation, arrangement, migration, description, and access to digital records on current and legacy physical media 
  • Assess, selects, implements, and manages new systems, equipment, and software for digital preservation and digital asset management in legacy, current, and emerging data formats, and manage these tools’ compatibility with existing systems including metadata requirements
  • Integrates appropriate tools to help ensure authenticity and preservation of digital archival materials when accessioning from a variety of storage media
  • Creates and updates finding aids for born-digital archival collections
  • Appraises, arranges, and describes digital, and hybrid collections in accordance with archival best practices and priorities
  • Develops policies and guidelines for digitization projects, in collaboration with library and/or campus colleagues
  • Manage statistical reporting, informed about emerging technologies, and monitors rapidly changing standards and practices for digital content creation and management
  • Participates in collection development in collaboration with University Library colleagues.
  • Maintains knowledge of relevant current trends, standards, best practices, and technologies through professional activities such as conference attendance and participation, service in relevant professional organizations, and ongoing training
  • Engage in research, publication, and presentation activities to meet the requirements for tenure and promotion
  • Engage in library and university governance including library and campus committees
  • Participate in service to the department, university, and community

Required Qualifications: 

  • Master’s degree in library science or equivalent (MSLS, MLIS, MALS) from a library school program accredited by the American Library Association. Degree at time of application or official notification of completion of degree by August 1, 2025. 
  • Demonstrated potential to achieve tenure through effective job performance and scholarly service activities. For specific requirements, please see the University Library’s Reappointment, Tenure, and Promotion (RTP) Policy
  • Ability to work collaboratively with academic librarians and staff, teaching faculty, and students in a rapidly changing information environment
  • Experience and/or demonstrated ability in reference and instructionally related activities
  • Understanding of the impact of copyright law on digital preservation and access
  • Demonstrated success working on digitization projects, managing digital collections, or other digital library-related work, including hands-on experience with related hardware and software
  • Experience working with disciplinary standards and best practices in one or more of the following specializations: digital archives, digital preservation, and/or digital asset management
  • Understanding of other key operations for born-digital archives, including appraisal, selection, and accessioning principles and practices
  • Demonstrated ability to keep current with standards and new and emerging digital technologies and services
  • Strong working knowledge of administrative, descriptive, and technical metadata for digitized and born-digital archival materials
  • Demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion and accessibility, and a commitment to and understanding of ethical and inclusive description and access strategies
  • Exceptional interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills
  • Willingness to advocate to and work with vendors and stakeholders, including but not limited to the Office of the Chief Information Officer, University Counsel, and Library Administration
  • Demonstrated ability to foster an environment of collegiality, respect, trust, and teamwork
  • Demonstrated commitment to working successfully with a diverse student population, including Black/African American, Latine/x, Native American/Indigenous, low-income, first-generation, and minoritized students.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Experience in a special collections library or similar institution
  • SAA Digital Archives Specialist certificate
  • Knowledge of records management best practices
  • Experience training or mentoring colleagues
  • Familiarity with digital humanities scholarship and/or praxis
  • Experience of successfully working with populations demographically and/or socioeconomically similar to the CSULB student body. 
  • Experience mentoring or supporting students with minoritized identities or experience using inclusive and culturally relevant teaching strategies in a diverse classroom.

Hours & Compensation:

  •  The start date is on or about August 18, 2025 (Fall Semester).
  • This is a Full Time, Tenured/Tenure-Track position.
  • The Senior Assistant Librarian (12-Month) classification salary is $85,524 to $182,532/per year (12 monthly payments per year).
  • The anticipated hiring range is $86,000 to $96,000/per year. Salary offered is commensurate with qualifications and experience.

How To Apply:

To learn more about the position and apply, please visit the official job posting, linked here.

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