LSC Archivist

Department: Library Special Collections (LSC)

Rank and Salary: Assistant - Associate Librarian ($56,170 - $75,337)

Position Availability: Immediately

Application deadline for first consideration: September 8, 2017

Description of Institution and Library

As one of the world's great public research universities, UCLA integrates education, research, and public service so that each enriches and extends the others. From its beautiful neighborhood campus in a uniquely diverse and vibrant city on the Pacific Rim, teaching and research extend beyond the classroom, office, and lab through active engagement with communities, organizations, projects, and partnerships throughout the region and around the world.

UCLA’s diverse community of scholars encompasses nearly 30,000 undergraduates pursuing 125 majors, 13,000 graduate students in fifty-nine research programs, and 4,000 faculty members including Nobel Laureates; Rhodes Scholars; MacArthur Fellows; winners of the Fields Medal, National Medal of Science, Pritzker Prize, and Pulitzer Prize; and recipients of Oscars, Emmys, Tonys, and Golden Globes. UCLA ranks tenth in the Times of London Higher Education World Reputation Rankings, twelfth in the Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and fifth in the U.S. by Washington Monthly. The National Research Council ranks forty of its graduate and doctoral research programs among its top ten.

To enable these accomplished students, faculty, and staff to create, disseminate, and apply knowledge for the benefit of global society, the UCLA Library is re-envisioning how it is acquired, synthesized, and shared across academic audiences and with the public.  It was among the first academic libraries to develop subject-specialist librarians and to launch a program to enhance students’ research skills. Its Special Collections pioneered the acquisition by public institutions of rare and unique books, children’s literature, pulp and detective fiction, works by or about women and minorities, screenplays, architectural plans, and Los Angeles-related materials and today leads the way in collecting archival resources in digital format such as emails and manuscripts.  It has launched innovative data management services and an affordable course materials initiative that have served as models for other libraries.

The Library serves UCLA students, faculty, and staff whenever and wherever they need its resources and expertise. Reconfigured, high-tech spaces and services in its ten campus libraries enable users and librarians to explore and work with print and digital materials collaboratively or individually, pursue new lines of inquiry, and develop new pedagogical approaches as well as novel forms of scholarship.  More than 3.5 million people visit annually, while an additional 3.4 million visitors enter online through its virtual front doors.

Whether on campus or online, the Library forms the intellectual heart of UCLA, a hub for cutting-edge discovery, scholarship, and instruction.

UCLA Library Special Collections actively builds and stewards collections including rare book and primary source collections to support and enrich research, teaching, and learning for UCLA’s students, faculty, and staff as well as an international community of scholars and the public. Its holdings encompass but are not limited to a significant rare book collection that includes an unusually large number of artists’ books, fine press editions, and examples of early printing, as well as more than 2,000 archival collections including born-digital content, with particular strengths in twentieth-century photography, literature, art, music, and Los Angeles history and culture. It also houses significant and growing physical, virtual and born digital international content and collections used in support of teaching and research.

Position Duties

Reporting to the Head of Processing and working closely with LSC Curators and User and Community Engagement, the Archivist facilitates access to special collections materials by taking a flexible and user-centered approach to arrangement, description, and preservation of non-print special collections materials. The Archivist has a blended portfolio that also includes other aspects of Library Special Collections, including oral histories, outreach and community engagement, instruction and reference services and collaborating on exhibits, social media initiatives, presentations, and fundraising and development activities.

Specific duties and responsibilities include:

• Creates description and discovery tools such as finding aids and catalog records in accordance with national standards and best practices.
• Rehouses materials in archival containers and prepares materials for storage.
• Serves as project manager for processing projects, including creating processing plans, determining appropriate levels of processing, setting goals, establishing timelines, and evaluating outcomes.
• Identifies, develops, and applies strategies to facilitate efficient processing.
• Works closely with UCLA Library Preservation and Conservation to survey and assess preservation and conservation needs of non-print materials.
• Prepares statistical, narrative, and visual reports suitable for reporting to administration, donors, granting agencies, and the public.
• Hires, trains, and supervises student assistants to complete special collections projects, including evaluating work and providing feedback.
• Contributes to the Collection Management division and the department by developing procedures and workflows that support accessioning, processing, cataloging, and preservation, and other activities as appropriate.
• Contributes to community and user outreach efforts such as events, exhibits, social media, and other programming.
• Works with Center for Oral History Research to develop oral history finding aids and/or to conduct oral histories in selected areas of expertise.
• Provides reader and reference services.
• Manages supply needs and maintains orderly work areas.
• Occasionally gives presentations to staff and/or the public about collections the Archivist has processed.
• Other responsibilities as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

• ALA-accredited Master's Degree in Library or Information Science OR significant graduate-level coursework toward such a degree OR equivalent education and experience (subject expertise combined with professional library education and/or experience).
• Three to five years of progressively responsible experience in archival processing and describing manuscript and distinctive collections including creating of finding aids for archival collections, preferably of a significant size.
• Minimum two years professional experience working in special collections in an academic or research library.
• Demonstrated experience applying efficient processing techniques in appraising, arranging, describing, and preserving archival collections of varying size and complexity.
• Demonstrated experience applying library and archival standards and vocabularies, including EAD, MARC, DACS, RDA, and LCSH.
• Experience supervising students in a special collections setting.
• Experience with archival content management systems, such as Archivists’ Toolkit or ArchivesSpace, and standard computer office applications such as Microsoft Office.
• Demonstrated knowledge, understanding, and ability to maintain an awareness of current developments, trends, and technologies in special collections.
• Basic understanding and ability to stay abreast of privacy, confidentiality, copyright and use policies associated with special collections materials.
• Ability to monitor and measure progress toward project goals and to complete projects within agreed upon deadlines.
• Ability to lift, shift, and shelve boxes weighing up to 25 lbs.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, organizational skills, and time management skills.
• Capacity to thrive in the exciting, ambiguous, future-oriented environment of a world-class research institution and to respond effectively to changing needs and priorities.
• Ability to initiate and maintain cooperative working relationships with co-workers, supervisors, and managers, and to represent LSC in a professional manner to relevant constituencies. Ability to work harmoniously and as a team player and team leader, thrive in a team-based environment, and skill in fostering teamwork among others.
• Ability to get to work reliably and on time and to be present in the workplace during normal working hours.
• Commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive educational environment and workplace and ability to work with a diverse student and faculty population.
• Enjoy teaching and sharing knowledge and skills and working in a team based environment.

Desired Qualifications:

• Evidence of professional engagement at local, state or national level.
• Familiarity with the Guidelines for Efficient Archival Processing in the University of California Libraries.
• Knowledge of current issues and trends regarding digital archives, digitization, and digital scholarship.
• Demonstrated experience processing digital archives.
• Experience and expertise in any non-English language.

General Information

Professional librarians at UCLA are academic appointees. Librarians at UCLA are represented by an exclusive bargaining agent, University Council – American Federation of Teachers (UC-AFT). This is a represented position. They are entitled to appropriate professional leave, two days per month of vacation leave, one day per month of sick leave, and all other benefits granted to non-faculty academic personnel. The University has an excellent retirement system and sponsors a variety of group health, dental, vision, and life insurance plans in addition to other benefits. Relocation assistance may be provided.

Appointees to the librarian series at UC shall have professional backgrounds that demonstrate a high degree of creativity, teamwork, and flexibility.  Such background will normally include a professional degree from an ALA-accredited library and information science graduate program.  In addition to professional competence and quality of service within the library in the primary job, advancement in the librarian series requires professional involvement and contributions outside of the library, and/or university and community service, and/or scholarly activities.  Candidates must show evidence or promise of such contributions.

Application Procedures

Anyone wishing to be considered for this position should apply here: https://recruit.apo.ucla.edu/apply/JPF03242

Applications must include:

• a cover letter describing qualifications and experience;
• a current resume/vitae detailing education and relevant experience; and
• the names and contact information for three professional references, including a current or previous supervisor.

Candidates applying by September 8, 2017, will be given first consideration for this position.  UCLA welcomes and encourages diversity and seeks applications and nominations from women and minorities.  UCLA seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce as a reflection of our commitment to serve the people of California, to maintain the excellence of the university, and to offer our students richly varied disciplines, perspectives, and ways of knowing and learning.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status.  For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see:  UC Nondiscrimination and Affirmative Action Policy at http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct

Under federal law, the University of California may employ only individuals who are legally authorized to work in the United States as established by providing documents specified in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.  Employment is contingent upon completion of satisfactory background investigation.