Archival Processing Assistant, Library

Pay Grade: 27N

Context of the Job:

The University of Delaware Library, Museums and Press inspires the intellectual, scholarly and creative achievement of our community. We are strongly committed to fostering safe, welcoming, and inclusive spaces and opportunities where everyone has an equal opportunity to learn, create, and grow. We collaborate with strategic campus partners to achieve these priorities, as well as with a host of national professional organizations.

The Division of Special Collections and Museums holds a broadly based collection and works in response to the growing interest in collaborative interdisciplinary research, and also supports research of primary sources, rare books and other publications, minerals and artwork. As a department in the Division of Special Collections and Museums, its holdings include manuscripts, rare books, maps, prints, photographs, broadsides, periodicals, pamphlets, and ephemera from the fifteenth century to the present. Manuscript collections span more than 10,000 linear feet and printed collections number more than 200,000 titles. The collections complement the University’s teaching programs and the Library’s general collections with particular strengths in the subject areas of the Arts; English, Irish, and American literature; African American history and Delawareana; politics; and print history. Special Collections actively engages with the University’s faculty and students, and communities more broadly to make use of its collections through its instruction, exhibition, and research services programs. Additional information about the Special Collections is available online at: http://www.lib.udel.edu/ud/spec/.

Under the general supervision of the Political and Public Policy Papers archivist, the Archival Processing Assistant will participate in archival processing activities for the analog and born digital records of Senator Thomas R. Carper (2001-2025). The incumbent will assist the members of the Senate Preservation Partnership Grant team to appraise, arrange, describe, and perform preservation activities on analog, digital, and audiovisual records found in the Carper collection. The Archival Processing Assistant position is an eighteen-month grant-funded appointment.

Major Responsibilities:

• Complete select processing activities of archival collections
• Perform audiovisual appraisal and reformatting
• Perform electronic record survey, ingest, file comparison, and data clean-up
• Perform file reproduction and review for access, including redaction
• Perform rehousing of archival collections
• Contribute to finding aid and other metadata work
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications:

• High school diploma or GED and three to five years of related experience, or Bachelor’s degree and one to three years relevant experience in research libraries, museums or cultural/historical institutions handling special materials and related records.
• Familiarity with archival standards and best practices for appraisal, arrangement, description, and preservation of archival records in multiple formats.
• Ability to use technologies to perform daily work including but not limited to word processing, spreadsheet, database and Web-based applications.
• Ability to exercise discretion and maintain confidentiality in carrying out archival responsibilities.
• Strong organizational skills and problem-solving skills.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy in work performed.
• Experience working or familiarity with various audiovisual formats (e.g., VHS tapes, cassette tapes), preferred.
• Experience working or familiarity with electronic records, preferred.
• Ability to thrive in a dynamic environment where responsibilities may shift based on organizational needs.
• Commitment to fostering a diverse educational environment and workplace and an ability to work effectively with a diverse faculty, staff, and student population.