Archivist, Digital Curation and Preservation at Wayne State University
Job Title: Archivist, Digital Curation and Preservation
Job Status: full-time
Location: Detroit, MI
Salary: $60,000-$75,000
Digital Curation and Preservation Archivist (Archivist II/III)
The Walter P. Reuther Library of Wayne State University seeks forward-thinking, creative, and collaborative applicants for the position of Digital Curation and Preservation Archivist. The successful candidate will join a user-centered community of colleagues pursuing innovative and transformative approaches to archival work. Reporting to the Reuther Library Director, the position will provide leadership and vision in developing sustainable digital preservation infrastructure, policies, and workflows, and work closely with peer Archivists to oversee the long-term preservation and use of born-digital and digitally reformatted collections.
The position is a full-time, regular, 12-month, benefits-eligible appointment as Academic Staff, and an AAUP-AFT represented position on Employment Security System (ESS) track with eligibility for promotion. The successful candidate will be hired at the rank of Archivist II or III with a salary range from $60,000-$75,000 according to qualifications and experience. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, employee/dependent life and long-term disability insurance, retirement savings plans, tuition assistance, wellness program, and generous paid time off. This is a majority in-person position based at the Walter P. Reuther Library.
The Walter P. Reuther Library, Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs is the largest labor archives in North America and is home to the collections of numerous unions and labor related organizations, as well as those documenting the political and community life of urban and metropolitan Detroit, the civil rights movement in Michigan and nationally, and women’s struggles in the workplace. The Reuther Library is also home of the Wayne State University Archives, established by the Board of Governors in 1958 in recognition of the importance and permanent value of the University’s official files, records, and documents.
Wayne State University is a premier, public, urban research university located in the heart of Detroit where students from all backgrounds are offered an enriching, high-quality education. Our deep-rooted commitment to excellence, collaboration, integrity, diversity, and inclusion creates exceptional educational opportunities preparing students for success in a diverse, global society. WSU encourages applications from women, people of color, and other underrepresented people. Wayne State is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.
Essential Functions:
Oversee long-term planning and preservation monitoring of digital collections
In consultation/coordination with peer archivists, finalize digital preservation workflows in new preservation infrastructure and cross-train colleagues in digital archives workflows.
Collaborate with peer archivists to transfer born-digital materials from donors, including the transfer of content from removable media.
Collaborate with peer archivists to accession and describe born-digital materials.
Complete collection assessment and inventory of digital surrogates and born-digital collections.
Collaborate with peer archivists to identify priority collections for format migration and preservation.
Coordinate Reuther’s Archive-It web archiving program, including working with peer archivists to create and monitor web crawls, and perform quality control checks.
Participate in the shared decision-making for library planning, resource management, and program and policy development.
Represent the library through active participation in professional associations and University committees.
Participate in Reading Room services.
Meet the physical demands of the position, e.g. lift heavy storage boxes, climb stair ladders, work in a sedentary position for long durations. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Qualifications:
Master’s degree from an accredited institution in library/information science, archival administration, or a related field.
Demonstrated experience administering preservation systems, such as Archivematica, including the ingest, arrangement, and description of collections.
Experience using archival collection management systems, such as ArchivesSpace.
Demonstrated knowledge of digital preservation issues, strategies, standards, and best practices.
Demonstrated experience developing, maintaining, and communicating technical documentation.
Familiarity with command-line interface.
Excellent interpersonal, organizational, written, and oral communication skills.
Ability to work effectively and collaboratively in both independent and team-based environments.
Ability to meet expectations for promotion and ESS as part of the Reuther Library academic staff.
Committed to fostering an equitable and inclusive workplace, and an ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholder communities.
Preferred Qualifications:
Possession of Python, Ruby, or other high-level / object-oriented programming languages or ability to learn. Experience developing and implementing policies and procedures related to digital preservation. Demonstrated understanding of the importance of digital file format analysis and documentation in digital preservation planning. Ability to manage large-scale and long-term projects, including developing workflows, writing documentation, and assessment.
School/College/Division:
H01 – University Libraries
Primary Department:
H6640 – Labor/History Archiv
Job Type: Full Time
Job Category:
Academic/Faculty
Funding/Salary Information:
Compensation Type: Annual Salary
Hourly Rate:
Salary Minimum: $60,000
Salary Hire Maximum: $75,000
Working Conditions:
Job Openings: 1
Reposted Position: No
Reposted Reason: None (New Requisition)
Prior Posting/Requisition Number:
Background Check Requirements:
University policy requires certain persons who are offered employment to undergo a background check, including a criminal history check, before starting work. If you are offered employment, the University will inform you if a background check is required.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:
Wayne State University provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. WSU encourages applications from women, people of color, and other underrepresented people. Wayne State is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.