Visiting Archivist for African American Collections
Emory University
Atlanta

Emory Libraries is seeking a Visiting Archivist for African American
Collections in the Rose Library to assist in making collections of
underrepresented groups and persons more accessible. This position will
include the opportunity to learn about all aspects of archives and special
collections librarianship, including but not limited to manuscript and
archival processing, from professionals throughout the Rose Library and across
the Emory Libraries system as well as through professional development
activities outside of Emory. We invite applications from recent graduates with
master's degrees in information studies or library/information science. The
Visiting Archivist will be appointed to a two-year term position with a
desired start date on or before August 1, 2016.

  
Reporting to the Head of Collection Services, the Visiting Archivist
participates in the processing, selection, and outreach activities for the
African American Collections in the Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, &
Rare Book Library. The Visiting Archivist is responsible for creating
descriptive tools for collections including MARC catalog records and Encoded
Archival Description (EAD) finding aids, as well as providing reference
services to researchers, which may include Emory students and faculty,
visiting scholars, and members of the public. The incumbent is expected to
provide outreach on behalf of the Rose Library, through engagement, social
media, contributions to the Rose Library publications, and/or the creation of
exhibits based on the collections. The Visiting Archivist will also work with
the Rose Library curators when appropriate. Specific duties include:

  
•Works with curators on acquisitions, collection development plans and
deaccessions; stewardship activities; inventories and the transportation of
objects; exhibit research, writing and installation.

•Works with curators to publish materials related to African American
collections, including journal and magazine articles, books, brochures,
pamphlets, etc.

•Helps in the development of new media platforms (websites, podcasts, blogs)
to support the recruitment of broader audiences to the Rose Library.

•Attends one to two national conferences annually to promote African American
collections to researchers. Helps organize presentation booths and
collaborates on panel presentations.

•Arranges and describes personal and professional papers from the African
American collections.

•Develops and implements work plans with proposed arrangement schemes and
timelines, and adjusts or modifies as needed.

•Performs basic preservation work such as removing rusty metal hardware,
unfolding and flattening documents, and transferring material to new, acid-
free folders and boxes.

•Writes finding aids for collections, describing the creator of the records as
well as the subject content of the collection. Finding aids also include
detailed box and folder inventories.

•Encodes finding aids in XML according to the Encoded Archival Description
(EAD) standard; loads and maintains XML records in the EmoryFindingAids
database.

•Creates MARC format bibliographic record for collection, which is included in
both WorldCat and the library's local catalog.

•Provides reference assistance in person and by phone to Emory students and
faculty, visiting scholars, and the public as needed and assigned, including
4-6 hours of weekly reference desk shifts and a rotating 8 hour Saturday
shift.

•Oversees reading room security by monitoring use of materials in the reading
room as well as working with researchers to explain the rules of care and
handling for special collections material.

•Coordinates with the digital curation team regarding the digitization of
materials within the collections.

•May collaborate with curatorial and exhibit staff in the planning, curation,
and design of exhibitions based on the collections.

•Writes articles and blog posts about manuscript collections, especially upon
completion of processing projects.

•Collaborates with research services to plan instruction sessions

  
**Required Qualifications:**  
  
•ALA-accredited master's degree in Library and Information Science or Archival
Studies OR equivalent education and experience (relevant subject expertise
combined with professional library education and/or experience).

•Knowledge of arranging and describing archives and manuscript collections,
preferably in a special collections library in an academic environment.

•Knowledge of issues relating to archives and manuscript collections.

•Knowledge of current national archival and descriptive standards and best
practices, including working knowledge of MARC format, EAD, DACS, and other
archival descriptive standards.

•Knowledge of conservation and preservation needs of archival collections.

•Ability to lift up to 40-pound boxes and to work in a dusty environment.

•Ability to build and sustain effective interpersonal relationships with
library staff, faculty and students, off campus faculty and administrators,
campus administrators, etc.

•Ability to work creatively, collaboratively, and effectively both as a team
member and independently and to promote teamwork among colleagues.

•Evidence of analytical, organizational, communication, project, and time
management skills and demonstrated ability to set priorities, meet deadlines,
and complete tasks and projects on time and within budget and in accordance
with task/project parameters.

•Commitment to fostering a diverse educational environment and workplace and
an ability to work effectively with a diverse faculty and student population.

•Capacity to thrive in an ambiguous, future-oriented environment of a major
research institution and to respond effectively to changing needs and
priorities.

•Demonstrated knowledge of current trends and issues in academic libraries,
higher education, and relevant subject disciplines.

•Evidence of participation in local, state, regional, national, or
international professional or scholarly associations.

  
**Preferred Qualifications:**  
  
•Educational background and experiences unique to Black African American,
immersion in the community and culture of the proposed work, and share a
unique relationship with the African American Video Oral History Archive.

•Familiarity with XML schemas and the use of XML editors (such as XMetal or
oXygen).

•Familiarity with the use of bibliographic information systems (such as Alma).

  
Additional Job Details Applications may be submitted online to our Faculty
Career site as Word or PDF attachments and must include:

  
1) Cover letter of application describing qualifications and experience;

2) Current resume/vita detailing education and relevant experience; and

3) On a separate document list the names, email addresses, and telephone
numbers of 3 professional references including a current or previous
supervisor.



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