Project Archivists (2 positions) - Three-Year Appointments
The Bancroft Library

The University of California, Berkeley is seeking two Project Archivists to process various manuscript collections that have been identified as priorities for access. These are temporary, three-year appointments. The successful candidates will have demonstrated skills in arrangement and description of manuscript materials, have strong writing and oral communications skills, and have demonstrated proficiency at meeting goals and deadlines.

The Environment

The UC Berkeley Library is an internationally renowned research and teaching facility at one of the nation’s premiere public universities that serves 23,000 undergraduates, 9,000 graduate students, and 1,500 faculty members. Current collections include approximately 10 million volumes and 56,000 current serial titles. Library facilities on the Berkeley campus include the Doe/Moffitt Libraries, The Bancroft Library, the East Asian Library and more than 20 subject specialty libraries and Affiliated Libraries that serve specific subject areas and the professional schools. The Library is a member of the Center for Research Libraries (CRL), the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), Online Computer Library Center (OCLC), and the Research Libraries Group (RLG), and is an active participant in the California Digital Library. The Library has a current operations budget of $58 million and a current collections budget of $22 million, and employs about 375 full-time staff and more than 600 part-time students.

The Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley, is one of the largest and most heavily used libraries of manuscripts, rare books, and special collections in the United States. As the primary center of special collections within the library system at Berkeley, Bancroft supports major research and reference activities and plays a leading role in the development of research collections. Bancroft holdings include over 500,000 volumes, 55,000 linear feet of manuscripts, 8 million photographs and other pictorial materials, 72,000 microforms, and 23,000 maps. Additional information regarding The Library and The Bancroft Library is available on the web at: http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/BANC/.

UC Berkeley librarians are expected to participate in library-wide planning and governance, to work effectively in a shared decision-making environment and to be active professionally. Professional contributions beyond the primary responsibilities are required for advancement in the Librarian series. The successful candidate will show promise or evidence of such contributions.

Responsibilities

In the course of a recently completed Manuscripts Survey Project, 166 collections (representing nearly 3000 linear feet of papers) were identified as having high research value and needing minimal work to make them accessible to researchers. The Project Archivists will be responsible for arranging and describing these 166 collections based on the recommendations of the survey team. The Project Archivists will report to the Supervisory Archivist, and will supervise student library employees as needed. The Project Archivists will work with the Associate Director to fulfill reporting requirements to the granting agency, and will work in consultation with curators in the processing of the collections. The Project Archivists will also work with the Principal Cataloger to update collection records and the Digital Collections Unit to ensure encoding of the finding aids and delivery to the Online Archive of California.

Qualifications

Required

• MLS from an ALA-accredited institution, or equivalent degree with a specialization in archival studies.
• Excellent analytical, interpersonal, and communication skills. Willingness to work in a team environment.
• Evidence of both professional initiative and flexibility.
• Demonstrated understanding of archival collections and principles of arrangement and description.
• Archival processing experience, including the authoring of a finding aid.
• Strong writing and oral communications skills.
• Familiarity with Encoded Archival Description.
• Familiarity with MARC data elements.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word.
• Ability to lift 40 pound boxes.

Desired

• Undergraduate degree in history (especially US or Western US history).
• Working knowledge of Spanish language.

Deadline:

Consideration will be given to applications received by September 30, 2011.