The following might look a little familiar, but it is new as of July 21, 2014, we promise.
The Consortium Library at the University of Alaska Anchorage is pleased to announce a recruitment for a three year archival residency. We are looking for an energetic, motivated, and innovative professional to join us in offering superb archival services. This position is designed to provide a broad range of experiences in academic archival work in an environment supportive of professional exploration.
Why consider Archives & Special Collections at the Consortium Library for your first professional position?
We’re an established and well-supported small academic archives with a wide range of holdings and a diversity of users. Our faculty archivists are dedicated to access as the driving force in all the work we do. We can offer hands-on opportunities in everything from donor work to teaching research methods in university classes. You will gain experience in teamwork as well as independent responsibility for projects. We are committed to a collaborative, innovative and flexible workplace. More information about A&SC, including our mission statement, can be found on our website at: http://consortiumlibrary.org/archives.
The holdings include over 2000 collections of personal papers, organizational records, and university records in a variety of media including textual documents, photographic images, sound recordings, as well as moving image materials. The department also holds the Rare Books collection of Consortium Library. Archives and Special Collections has three full-time professional faculty positions as well as other grant-funded positions.
The priorities for the Archives over the next several years include:
- Increasing outreach efforts to all constituents
- Increasing engagement with constituent university groups through instruction, participation in curriculum development, and creation of discipline-specific descriptive material
- Increasing online access to digitized and born digital materials, including the development and implementation of a virtual research room for distance access
- Eliminating the backlog of undescribed collections
- Eliminating the backlog of legacy finding aids
RESPONSIBILITIES: The Archivist reports to the Head of Archives and Special Collections in the Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage. The person in this position shares in all aspects of the work of the department, primarily reference, processing, and outreach. Occasional weekend and evening hours may be required.
Duties include:
- Reference: assisting researchers in navigating the collection through use of online finding aids and other resource materials, maintaining the reference query tracking record, retrieving materials for researchers, and assisting researchers with appropriate equipment.
- Arrangement and description: processes and describes collections, writes subject guides, selects, digitizes, and catalogs materials for online access.
- Education and outreach: teaches archival instruction sessions, creates exhibits, and engages in other outreach activities.
- Other archives duties: collection management database maintenance, website maintenance and development, donor and appraisal work, supervising students, and participating in departmental and library planning activities.
This position is a term faculty position with the rank of Instructor.
Knowledge, skills, abilities and experience required:
- Graduate degree in archival studies (the required terminal degree for faculty archivists at the Consortium Library is a Master’s Degree that meets the Society of American Archivists’ Guidelines for a Graduate Program in Archival Studies). Degree must be awarded by date of hire, anticipated to be early November, 2014.
- Demonstrated knowledge of current and innovative archival theory and practice
- Reference or customer service experience
- Effective communication skills
- Computer skills, including word processing, web authoring, and database software
- Ability to retrieve and shelve boxed records in boxes weighing up to 45 lbs and to climb ladders
Knowledge, skills and abilities preferred:
- Interest in gaining experience toward career and professional goals
- Digitization and digital projects experience
- Experience processing/describing collections
- Experience with teaching a class, giving presentations, or leading tours
- Knowledge of EAD, DACS, XML, or other descriptive standards or codes
To apply and to see all other posting details, go to www.uakjobs.com and under Advanced Search, search for posting # 0069155. Upload a cover letter of application, resume or curriculum vita, a writing sample (minimum two pages), a graduate studies transcript (unofficial accepted) and the contact information for at least three professional and/or academic references. Resume listings for internships should include details as to the type of work performed within the internship. The resume should clearly indicate hours per week for non-full-time positions, including internships. In the cover letter, applicants must address what interests them in academic archival work and how this position would fit into their intended career path. All required knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience must be addressed in the resume or cover letter or the application will not proceed past first screening.
For any questions about this position, please contact the chair of the search committee, Arlene Schmuland, at abschmuland [at] uaa.alaska.edu.
Minimum salary: $53,300 annually. Relocation expenses supported. Excellent benefits package. Visa sponsorship for foreign nationals is unavailable.
CLOSING DATE: The screening committee will begin reviewing applications August 18, 2014. Candidates are encouraged to apply by the review date to receive full consideration as the recruitment may be closed without notice after August 22, 2014. Anticipated start date in November 2014.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT UAA, APU, AND ANCHORAGE:
- Consortium Library: consortiumlibrary.org
- Archives and Special Collections: consortiumlibrary.org/archives
- University of Alaska Anchorage: www.uaa.alaska.edu
- Alaska Pacific University: www.alaskapacific.edu
- Municipality of Anchorage: www.muni.org
APPLICANTS needing reasonable accommodations to participate in the application or interview process should contact Human Resource Services prior to the closing date. UAA is an AA/EO Employer and Educational Institution committed to diversity. Applicants must be eligible for employment under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 and subsequent amendments. Application for employment with the University of Alaska is subject to public disclosure.