Director of Barnard Archives and Special Collections

Director of Barnard Archives and Special Collections Director of Barnard Archives and Special Collections (BASC) provides visionary leadership for the Barnard Archives and Special Collections, advancing its role as a center for feminist archival practice, historical research, and digital preservation. Position Summary The Director of Barnard Archives and Special Collections (BASC) provides visionary leadership for the Barnard Archives and Special Collections, advancing its role as a center for feminist archival practice, historical research, and digital preservation. The Director ensures the long‑term stewardship, accessibility, and ethical care of materials documenting Barnard College and broader histories of feminist activism, art, and scholarship. About the Barnard Archives & Special Collections The Archives also provides access to researchers across the college and around the world through in‑person research appointments and class drop‑in sessions; remote reference over email; and our digital collections of highly used materials. The Archives manages digital collections through Archipelago, Barnard’s digital repository platform designed for open, flexible presentation and metadata‑rich access. In collaboration with the Barnard Academic Technologies and Learning Innovation Services (ATLIS) team, the Archives is in the process of implementing a sustainable digital preservation pipeline, ensuring long‑term management, authenticity, and accessibility of born‑digital and digitized materials in line with best practices in preservation, metadata standards, and feminist digital stewardship. The Archives engages broad audiences through exhibition, programming, and online outreach, all embeded in the teaching and functioning of the college, prioritizing students, faculty, and staff of the College in all our work. Key Responsibilities Strategic Leadership and Administration Provides leadership, vision, and management for the Barnard Archives and Special Collections, developing policies, setting long‑term goals, and ensuring alignment with the mission and strategic priorities of Barnard College. Responsible for overseeing the operations of the Archives, including hiring, training, and supervising professional staff, graduate assistants, and student workers, fostering a collaborative and inclusive work culture. Manages development, strategic planning, and grant‑seeking initiatives that strengthen the Archives’ resources and visibility. Develops and communicates policies and procedures for the use of materials housed in the Archives. Collection Development and Stewardship Leads efforts to appraise, acquire, process, document, and preserve Barnard’s institutional history and special collections materials in all formats, including born‑digital and hybrid collections, with adherence to standards and technical best practices. Develops and maintains sustainable digital preservation workflows, policies, and infrastructure in collaboration with vendors and Barnard Information Technology (BCIT) ATLIS staff. Manages archives software and systems, including locally‑hosted servers and cloud‑hosted/vendor‑supported digital collections. Manages the physical plant, monitoring humidity and temperature, and works with Capital Projects on space improvements. Access, Research, and Pedagogy Directs, plans, prepares, and promotes exhibitions, loans, and public programming of archival materials, in collaboration with faculty, librarians, and other campus partners. Collaborates with faculty across disciplines to integrate primary source literacy and feminist archival theory into the curriculum. Manages and conducts archival and primary source reference, consultation, and instructional services to faculty, students, administrators, and outside researchers. Engages Personal Librarians, Milstein Centers, faculty, and students as partners in integrating archival research and methods into the curriculum and exhibition work. Outreach, Collaboration, and Partnership Builds partnerships with feminist, activist, and community archives to advance collective documentation and preservation goals, regionally and nationally. Serves as the primary liaison to Columbia University Libraries’ archival and special collections community and coordinates with Columbia staff on the discovery of Barnard archival collections in Columbia systems such as FOLIO and ArcLight. Engages alumnae, donors, and the public in supporting and sustaining Barnard’s archival mission. Works closely with the Dean of the Library, senior management team, General Counsel, and the Office of Development/Alumnae Relations (DevAR) to create fundraising strategies, cultivate donors, and write proposals to support the Archives and Special Collections. Skills, Qualifications & Requirements Qualifications Master’s degree in library and information science (ALA‑accredited), archival studies, or a closely related field. Minimum 5‑7 years of progressively responsible experience in archives or special collections, including supervisory experience. Demonstrated expertise in archival theory and practice, including digital preservation and management of born‑digital materials. Basic understanding of command line interface, programmatic problem‑solving, and adapting open source tools to process, describe, and make archival materials accessible. Experience providing reference and instructional services in archives. Proven record of work in feminist, activist, or community‑based archives or collections. Strong leadership, collaboration, and communication skills. Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and ethical stewardship in archival practice. Preferred Knowledge of metadata and descriptive standards (e.g., DACS, EAD, MODS, Dublin Core) and digital preservation systems (e.g., Preservica, Archivematica). Knowledge of EAD, MODS or other metadata standards, ArchivesSpace or other archival management software, Archipelago or other digital asset management systems. Experience managing reference and/or instructional services in an archives. Experience processing archival collections, including born digital archival materials. Knowledge of Folio or other ILS, MARC description. Interest and participation in relevant professional organizations. Successful track record in grant writing and project management. Familiarity with metadata workflows and digital humanities tools that support discovery and access. Compensation and Benefits Salary range: $120,000–$125,000 annually, commensurate with experience. Barnard College offers a comprehensive benefits package including health, vision, dental, and retirement plans; generous paid time off; and tuition benefits. Preferred Application Deadline For best consideration, please submit your application by January 5, 2026. About Barnard College Founded in 1889, Barnard College is a distinguished liberal arts college for women, affiliated with Columbia University and located in the heart of New York City. The Barnard Archives and Special Collections document the College’s history and its community’s deep engagements with feminism, social justice, and the arts—ensuring that the histories of women are preserved, accessible, and activated for generations to come. Contact Shawn (ta) Smith-Cruz Dean, Barnard Library Barnard College View email address on click.appcast.io How to apply #J-18808-Ljbffr Code4lib