Assistant Archivist

Assistant Archivist

The American Song Archives manages the Bob Dylan Center® and the Woody Guthrie Center® in Tulsa, Oklahoma. These centers house the archives of Bob Dylan, Cynthia Gooding, Woody Guthrie, Harold Leventhal, Phil Ochs, Tom Paxton, the personal libraries of Ron Cohen, Harry Smith, and Izzy Young, and numerous other smaller collections.

At American Song Archives, our mission is to preserve the legacy of America's most enduring and inspiring songwriters. American Song Archives operates the Woody Guthrie Center and Bob Dylan Center. The Woody Guthrie Center celebrates the life, music, and artistry of the influential folk musician while seeking to ignite a passion for social change and foster a world where the values of justice, equality, and compassion prevail. The Bob Dylan Center inspires and celebrates fearless creativity by exploring the music and artistry of the Nobel Prize-winning singer-songwriter as a catalyst for personal expression and cultural change.

POSITION PURPOSE

Reporting to the Archives Manager, the Assistant Archivist works collaboratively within the archives team to support the day-to-day functions of the archives. This position will take a leading role in accessioning new archival acquisitions, providing stewardship for archival collections, accessioning both physical and digital materials in a variety of formats, and documenting provenance, original order, and/or context of creation gained during communications with donors. The Assistant Archivist oversees the creation of initial description for all holdings, ensuring administrative and physical control and intellectual access, providing the foundation on which future archival work will be built. The Assistant Archivist also assists with processing archival collections, creating and updating finding aids, assisting with reference services and reading room duties, and performing collections management activities. The successful candidate will have excellent organizational and time management skills, attention to detail, strong interpersonal skills with the ability to work both independently and collaboratively across teams and will demonstrate initiative and follow-through with projects and tasks.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Accessioning Duties

• Establishes baseline administrative, physical, and intellectual control over new and existing physical and digital acquisitions, including inventorying recently acquired materials and backlogged items, as well as creating accession records within ArchivesSpace according to best practices
• Frequently communicates with donors in possession of potential acquisitions, coordinates secure transfer of new acquisitions, and prepares and tracks donor gift receipts and deeds of gift through endorsement and finalization
• Oversees accessioning of new acquisitions, including pre-custodial interventions and stabilization of materials
• Identifies and implements preservation treatments as needed, including preservation assessments, rehousing and labeling, and assigning permanent locations to ensure proper management and accessibility

Processing Duties

• Works closely with archives staff, student workers, and interns on collection processing priorities, strategy, and decisions based on context gained during the accessioning process
• Maintains library and archival materials (papers, posters, books, periodicals, photographs, artwork, audio, film, video, ephemera, and digital files) ensuring proper inventory, arrangement, description, storage, and preservation
• Processes collections and prepares DACS-compliant finding aids in ArchivesSpace in support of reference, exhibition, and research needs among staff and researchers

Reference & Research Services

• Assists with reading room operations, including staffing the reference desk, administering and monitoring reading room rules and security, and providing reference support to researchers
• Assists in pulling and gathering materials for in-person researchers, tracking use of materials in the reading room, and refiling returned materials

Collections Management Duties

• Provides stewardship for archival collections and other physical and digital holdings, overseeing location management of materials in ArchivesSpace and Starchive (digital asset management platform) and tracking movement of materials across all physical and digital storage locations, as well as inbound and outbound movement of materials on display, on loan, and outsourced to conservation/preservation vendors
• Coordinates and collaborates with exhibitions and curatorial team members on the use of archival materials on display
• Assists exhibitions staff with re-filing archival materials on return from exhibition or loan
• Assists in space planning and projections to facilitate strategic utilization of physical and digital storage spaces
• Assists in monitoring environmental conditions in storage areas and reporting issues, such as changes in lighting, temperature, and humidity levels, that may impact the health and longevity of the materials

Other Duties

• Contributes to the development and revision of archival policies, procedures, and workflows
• Assists with managing, tracking, and ordering archival supplies
• Assists with mentoring and training volunteers, interns, and student workers in the completion of projects

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Master's degree or near completion of degree from an ALA-accredited library program with a concentration in archival studies or advanced degree in a related discipline with formal archival training by the time the selected candidate begins the job
• Knowledge of current issues and emerging trends in archives, including SAA's Archival Accessioning Best Practices and other standards and approaches to archival administration and preservation
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with ability to communicate effectively with donors and researchers
• Knowledge of and experience with archival theory and practice
• Knowledge of and experience with archival management systems such as DACS, EAD, and ArchivesSpace
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative, balance multiple projects simultaneously and independently, successfully manage projects, prioritize work, collaborate with colleagues, learn new technologies and systems, and solve problems
• Working knowledge of general museum practices, including museum display, object handling, condition reporting, and security measures
• Strong organizational and project management skills

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Knowledge of cataloging and metadata standards such as AACR2 or RDA, LCSH, Dublin Core, MODS, and PBCore
• Knowledge of library classification systems, especially LCC
• Experience providing reference services to researchers
• Strong interpersonal skills and confidence in working with the public
• Experience working with digital files in a variety of formats
• Experience working with digital asset management or digital preservation platforms
• Experience supervising student workers or volunteers
• Experience analyzing current workflows and processes and suggesting improvements that promote alignment and greater efficiency of operations and resources
• Experience with project management tools, such as Airtable

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Frequently sit to perform desk-based tasks, including repetitive data entry and handwriting; frequent standing and sitting while processing materials
• Occasionally climb and reach on ladders and step stools
• Ability to lift and carry or transport materials up to 40 pounds; ability to push and maneuver book carts or flatbed carts weighing up to 500 pounds
• Occasionally work with materials that may have been exposed to dust, pests, mildew, or mold

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND WORK STANDARDS

• Excellent written, verbal, listening, and interpersonal skills
• Organizational and record-keeping skills with attention to detail and accuracy
• Ability to independently analyze problems and recommend solutions, displaying a high degree of initiative, originality, and judgment
• Ability to collaborate effectively with team members and to carry out work independently on archives projects
• Computer skills, including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint), scanning software, and web navigation
• Familiarity with guidelines and best practices for the digitization of archival materials, including paper and photographic materials
• Ability to learn and implement new systems and techniques as required

HOURS AND LOCATION

• This is a full-time, in-person position based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Relocation may be considered for highly qualified candidates not currently residing in the Tulsa, Ok area.
• A typical work week is Monday - Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• The work week will occasionally vary with advance notice depending on scheduled programming and other events; may require evening or weekend hours for special events or tours

SALARY

• The starting salary for this position is anticipated to be $49,000.00 per year. The ultimate salary offering will be dependent upon prior education, experience, and job-related skills.

BENEFITS AND COMPENSATION:

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