University Archivist

University Archivist

POSITION DESCRIPTION

This position provides leadership and direction for activities that provide physical access to the unique resources of the NDSU Archives, a part of the NDSU Special Collections. Specifically, this position will administer, evaluate, perform and ensure consistency in processing and digitization policies and procedures. In addition, the University Archivist manages the NDSU Archives, including overseeing collection development, providing specialized reference and research assistance for users of the collections, and supervising graduate assistants, student workers, and volunteers

Specific Responsibilities Include:

Archives Management and Processing

• Plans, coordinates, and assigns work to graduate assistants, student employees, and volunteers
• Prepares monthly reports on NDSU Archives activities
• Arrange, describe, and process special collections and archival materials, with a focus on NDSU Academic Collections, and create finding aids using ArchivesSpace
• Collaborates with NDSU Special Collections Staff in the planning, management, and development of collection policies and procedures
• Collaborate with NDSU Special Collections staff for digitization and metadata for items placed on Digital Horizons and other online systems
• Appraises donated collections following NDSU Special Collections’ collection policies and procedures
• Appraises NDSU University Archives’ departmental record donations following NDSU Special Collections collection policy and procedures and incorporating NDSU Records Retention rules and policies, and identify collections that fall outside of the records retention policies while maintaining a historical connection to NDSU Special Collections policies and procedures.
• Serves on the NDSU Records Retention Committee.

Instruction and Engagement  

• Collaborate with faculty to develop and conduct instruction using NDSU Special Collections’ Institute for Regional Studies collections and/or NDSU University Archives collections and archival materials
• Engage with supervisor, faculty, and colleagues to create specialized instructional materials (online and physical) that promote the use of Special Collection materials in teaching and academic research
• Collaborates with colleagues, Archives staff and NDSU faculty in the designing and delivering hands-on learning experiences that highlight the history and culture of NDSU, North Dakota, and the Northern Plains.
• Collaborates with faculty, colleagues, and Archives staff in developing programs, workshops, resources, and lesson plans
• Coordinates class research visits to Special Collections with faculty and Archives staff
• Coordinates research visits with community clubs, businesses, and Archives staff

Reference and Scholarly Research

• Provides specialized reference assistance for NDSU Archives collections in person and electronically
• Locates information needed by other campus units
• Assists researchers in learning how to use information resources available through the NDSU Archives
• Collaborates with faculty and Archives staff with student research and historical preservation projects/papers collections
• Knowledgeable of scholarly research and writings that contribute to the promotion of relevant Special Collections policies, procedures, and collection missions

Exhibits and Informational Material   

• Collaborate with NDSU Special Collection colleagues and staff to curate and produce informational and educational exhibits
• Assist in the planning, promotion, and corresponding of programming for exhibitions
• Collaborate with NDSU Special Collections staff to provide engaging interpretive activities to visitors as needed
• Collaborates with Special Collection colleagues, faculty, and staff in the writing and preparation of informational materials for release in a wide variety of media

Serve on committees relevant to Special Collections and Archives and other tasks as assigned  

• Serve on appropriate Libraries committees
• Fulfill committee assignments as requested
• Engage in relevant professional development activities to maintain/advance current skills
• Participate on relevant Libraries’ Exhibit Committee
• Complete other special tasks as assigned

Preferred qualifications

• Additional advanced academic degrees - Bachelors and Master degrees in Library Science, History, Sociology/Anthropology, Political Science, Women’s Studies, etc.
• Familiarity with copyright and intellectual property issues relating to archives and special collections
• Experience in development of educational programs, such as exhibitions, and/or conferences that showcase special collections, and promoting research use of Special Collections/Archives in the academic community
• Experience with digital technologies in Special Collections

• Excellent interpersonal, organizational, written and oral communication skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment and work effectively both independently and collaboratively with a heterogeneous group of staff and external stakeholders. 
• Demonstrated initiative, flexibility, and commitment to professional engagement and continuous learning.
• Comfort with and ability to learn new technologies.

For more information and too apply, see the NDSU Jobs page at ndsu.edu/employment