5200 Archivist

POSITION IDENTIFICATION

TITLE Archivist

CLASSIFICATION NUMBER 5200

GRADE 42

CLASSIFICATION Exempt

IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR Head of Special Collections

MAJOR ADMINISTRATOR Dean, Library Services

GENERAL FUNCTION

The Archivist is involved with all aspects of collection development and collection care for Special Collections and Archives. The Archivist is actively involved with collection development decisions based on knowledge of regional history and culture, awareness of archival standards and trends, and understanding user needs. The Archivist recognizes the expanding role of Special Collections as a repository for a broad range of cultural resources. The Archivist is responsible for processing collections to archival standards, including the creation of modes of intellectual access to collections, such as finding aids. The Archivist is also responsible for initiating and participating in outreach, reference, and collection development activities for Special Collections and Archives. The Archivist leads and coordinates the University Archives.

MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE QUALIFICATIONS

Education: A Masters in Library Science (MLS) from an American Library Association (ALA) accredited program (or equivalent) or a graduate degree in history (or related discipline) is required. 

Experience: Experience in processing archival collections, including experience in arrangement, description, and online access is required. Experience with other aspects of archival work, including research assistance, outreach, and collection care, is required.

Skills: Effective interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills are required. Familiarity with various computer applications, as well as archival and metadata standards, is required. Knowledge of the wide range of collection formats found in Special Collections and Archives, including manuscript collections, organizational records, digital holdings, rare books, and artifacts is required. Supervisory experience is required. The ability to develop knowledge of, respect for, and skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds is required.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Initiates and perpetuates collection development by maintaining and cultivating donor relations, conducting field surveys, appraising potential collections, and acquiring/accessioning collections that meet the unit’s collection development policies.

2. Conducts oral history sessions as needed.

3. Serves as a key coordinator of archival processing at the appropriate professional level, works with other staff, students, and interns on processing and helps determine processing priorities, and collaborates with the Digital Archivist on digital material, including working with born-digital records an archival processing as it relates to digitization.

4. Using an understanding of environmental standards, appropriate housing of archival material an artifacts, an preservation techniques, helps to preserve the intellectual and artifactual value of archival material by determining the need for performing conservation procedures, such as document cleaning, repair, an humidification an assesses the performance and value of external conservation resources and vendors.

5. Provides access to archival collections by creating finding aids, collection-level records, and metadata descriptions and maintains a database on collections and storage space allocations.

6. Provides reference services for all collections in the Special Collections and Archives unit, conducts bibliographic instruction sessions including general introductions to archives and topic-specific sessions, and proactively promotes the use of special collections and archives by students, faculty, scholars, staff, and the general public.

7. Leads or participates in Special Collections cooperative arrangements with other cultural memory institutions and actively collaborates with other institutions on archival matters.

8. Assists in fundraising activities, developing endowment programs, and obtaining internal and external grant funding.

9. Promotes knowledge and use of the collections by making presentations, talks, and/or interviews to the media, University organizations or departments, library groups, historical societies, elementary through college classes, and other groups.

10. Coordinates and promotes exhibits in Special Collections and Archives and other established display locations on campus and develops displays focusing on Special Collections for special events outside the University.

11. Contributes to a work environment that encourages knowledge of, respect for, and development of skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds.

12. Remains competent and current through self-directed professional reading, developing professional contacts with colleagues, attending professional development courses, and attending training and/or courses required by the Head of Special Collections and Archives.

13. Contributes to the success of Special Collections and Library Services by performing all other duties as assigned.

SUPERVISION

The Archivist is supervised by the Head of Special Collections and assists in supervising the work of staff and student assistants.

OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES

REVISED DECEMBER 2017

JOB FAMILY 4

Factor 1: Professional Knowledge, Skill, and Technical Mastery

Level 2.0 - 900 Points: Entry-level professional knowledge of the principles, concepts, practices, and methods of non-technical administrative and managerial functions. Knowledge permits the employee to carry out basic recurring tasks and routine portions of assignments or to carry out less demanding professional elements of assignments in areas including communications, social sciences, art and design, education, and related functions while gaining in familiarity with the University's policies and goals, business practices and/or accounting systems. This level of knowledge permits the employee to schedule and carry out the steps of a limited operation or project to complete stages of a multi-phase project. Knowledge at this level is typically acquired through a combination of formal education and/or training and experience that includes a requirement for a college degree in an unspecified field or a specific background in a non-technical area. Knowledge requirements may also include a limited amount of related work experience.

Factor 2: Supervisory Responsibility

Level 2.0 - 130 Points: Regular, but limited, supervision, training, or directing the work assignments of (a) small numbers of student, part-time or temporary workers, or (b) one or more permanent, full-time employees. The nature of supervision is largely confined to scheduling work and assigning tasks. Supervision at this level typically does not include a full range of supervisory responsibilities, and supervisory duties typically do not consume a large portion of the work day.

Factor 3: Interactions with Others

Level 3.0 - 250 Points: The purpose of interactions is to advise or counsel others to solve recurring and structured problems, and/or to plan or coordinate work efforts with other employees who are working toward common goals in situations where relationships are generally cooperative. Interactions are moderately structured and routine and may involve employees in different functions, students, and/or the general public. These types of interactions require normal interpersonal skills.

Factor 4: Job Controls and Guidelines

Level 3.0 - 500 Points: The employee operates under general supervision expressed in terms of program goals and objectives, priorities, and deadlines. Administrative supervision is given through statements of overall program or project objectives and available resources. Administrative guidelines are relatively comprehensive and the employee need only to fill in gaps in interpretation and adapt established methods to perform recurring activities. In unforeseen situations, the employee must interpret inadequate or incomplete guidelines, develop plans, and initiate new methods to complete assignments based on those interpretations. Assignments are normally related in function, but the work requires many different processes and methods applied to an established administrative or professional field. Problems are typically the result of unusual circumstances, variations in approach, or incomplete or conflicting data. The employee must interpret and refine methods to complete assignments. Characteristic jobs at this level may involve directing single-purpose programs or performing complex, but precedented, technical or professional work.

Factor 5: Managerial Responsibility

Level 3.0 - 850 Points: Work involves providing significant support services to others both within and outside of the department that substantially influences decision-making processes. Work activities are complex and others rely on the accuracy and reliability of the information, analysis, or advice to make decisions. Work activities have a direct, but shared, impact on further processes or services, affect the overall efficiency and image of the department, and may have material impact on costs or service quality within the cost center. Incumbents may be responsible for identifying areas of need and for developing proposals that request funding to fulfill those needs.