University Archivist

Description

The University Archivist in Foley Library will provide leadership and direction for Foley Library’s University Archives and Special Collections using both forward-looking and well-established techniques for recruiting, managing, and processing collection materials in various formats, including born digital. They will also develop crucial relationships across campus, particularly academic departments, other galleries, libraries, and museums of the campus, and student organizations; with other archives, including the Jesuit Archives & Research Center; and with community members and groups, including regional Tribes.

Collections Management (30%)

• Plans and oversees the acquisition, processing, description, storage, preservation, exhibition, retention, digitization, and stewardship of materials in support of Gonzaga University’s history, present day, and future.
• Creates DACS and EAD compliant finding aids for collections.
• Creates policies and procedures for managing born-digital materials for ingest, storage, preservation, organization, description, and access.
• In collaboration with faculty, staff, and students develops and maintains digital collections and projects related to the historic and contemporary experience of various groups connected to Gonzaga University.
• Manages the archives ContentDM instance and future archival preservation platforms.
• Supervises student workers and graduate fellow assisting with collection management and reference services.
• Works with Dean to address infrastructure concerns, i.e., building humidity/temperature or digital system needs.

Leadership and Management (30%)

• Develops long term planning for archival practices and staffing that fit the strategic direction of the university and library in cooperation with the Dean of Library, the Digital Collections Librarian, the Metadata Librarian, and the Special Collections Librarian.
• In partnership with the Dean of Library, drives campus conversations on records retention and management protocols.
• Is a key campus partner for ideation and vision setting in a number of realms connected to archives, such as coordinated GLAM collaborations across campus, preservation of the Spokane Salish language, or approaches for archival collections in digital scholarship.
• Creates, recruits, and manages new positions in the area in alignment with library and campus strategic priorities.
• Contributes to assessment practices as necessary and for enhanced approaches.
• Participates in university governance, planning, and service.
• Assists with the development of grant proposals.
• Serves proactively on library-wide task forces, committees, and councils as appointed.
• Maintains currency with contemporary libraries and archives functions, resources, procedures, tools, and philosophies.

Relationship Development & Collections Recruitment (20%)

• Establishes effective relationships with campus organizations, regional communities, individuals, vendors, and colleagues for the purpose of developing collections.
• Leads relationship development and liaises with key external organizations, including Jesuit Archives & Research Center as well as regional Native American Tribes and facilitates connection in support of reconciliation and alignment with our university mission.
• Participates in strategic efforts connected to relationship development with benefactors as well as collections donors.
• Determines needs for collections acquisition and works with Dean of Library to implement.

Instruction and Research Support (10%)

• In partnership with Special Collections Librarian, provides specialized reference services and research assistance to the Gonzaga community and larger public, in-person, by phone, and electronically.
• In collaboration with campus academic departments, integrates primary source research into curricula utilizing UASC resources in a variety of ways (i.e., instruction, embedded archivist, contributions to assignment design, etc.).
• Designs and manages projects for student assistants and interns.
• Proposes, designs, and installs physical and web exhibits.

Other Functions

• Contributes to library-wide efforts as needed.
• Other duties as assigned by the department.

Requirements

Degree Required

Master's Degree

Knowledge Required

Specialist Knowledge in field

Years Experience Required

3-4.99 years

Minimum Qualifications

• ALA accredited Master’s degree with archival training.
• Ability to work with original archival records such as textual documents, photographs, maps, blueprints, and historical artifacts.
• Experience with processes for curating and preserving born digital content and growth mindset for staying current with developments in these processes.
• Demonstrated knowledge of archival description schema (e.g. EAD, RDA, LCSH, DublinCore, etc.).
• Ability to effectively communicate ideas and meaning in multiple modes (e.g., written, oral, visual).
• Willingness to work in a setting without direct daily external guidance.
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative and establish and meet goals.
• Demonstrated ability to learn new technology tools/skills.
• Demonstrated ability to support and mentor employees and students with diverse backgrounds and experiences.
• Evidence of inclusive, equity- and diversity-minded practices.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience with supervision, training and mentoring of student employees.
• Experience with at least one common archival storage, preservation, or presentation software (e.g., ContentDM, Omeka, Archive-it.org, ArchivesSpace, Archivematica, Preservica, Islandora, etc.).
• Experience with digitization initiatives and digital projects.
• Experience applying the “Protocols for Native American Archival Materials” to archival collections.
• Experience with project management.
• Knowledge of Inland Northwest History.
• Familiarity with Jesuit History and/or Ignatian Spirituality.
• Familiarity with ArchivesWest program.

Physical / Environmental Qualifications

• Ability to prep for and attend meetings and events across campus in various weather conditions.
• Regular exposure to dust and other elements of physical objects, esp. paper