CNAIR Reference Archivist at the Center for Native American and Indigenous Research at the American Philosophical Society

CNAIR Reference Archivist
American Philosophical Society
“Promoting Useful Knowledge since 1743”

The American Philosophical Society Library & Museum seeks to hire a Reference Archivist to join a growing team at the Center for Native American and Indigenous Research (CNAIR).

THE POSITION

The Reference Archivist will support CNAIR’s efforts to increase the accessibility of the Library & Museum’s Indigenous-related collections and to maintain and develop mutually-beneficial working relationships between the APS and Indigenous communities. This staff member will directly interact with people requesting digital and/or in-person access and information on the Indigenous-related collections, digitize materials for those requests and other projects, and work with CNAIR staff to ingest, catalog, and manage digitized and born-digital CNAIR-related collections in the APS Digital Library. More broadly, they will work as an integral member of a department that will support them in their professional growth, encourage their contributions to CNAIR’s approaches, and provide opportunities for self-directed and collaborative work with other staff and external colleagues. 

Essential Functions

• Play a primary role in managing CNAIR’s reference workflow by documenting and responding to incoming requests;
• Assist people in finding information about Indigenous-related collections and accessing them, especially requests from Indigenous communities;
• Digitize archival materials in response to reference requests and larger, ongoing projects;
• Create and/or enhance existing metadata in digitized records, finding aids, and reference guides;
• Facilitate the bulk uploading of digitized and born-digital materials and metadata to the APS Digital Library;
• Assist researchers in person at the Library, especially Indigenous community researchers and others visiting on CNAIR fellowships;
• Collaborate with other staff in developing projects and methods that advance CNAIR’s goals of improving access and ensuring people have a good experience doing archival research;
• Other duties as assigned. 

This is a full-time, onsite position with benefits. The Society offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, dental, life insurance, long-term disability, 403b with employer match, and paid days off.

Salary: Full-time, exempt, $50,000

ABOUT THE APS

The American Philosophical Society (APS), the oldest learned society in the United States, was founded in 1743 by Benjamin Franklin for the purposes of “promoting useful knowledge.” In the 21st century, it serves to advance knowledge and promote scholarship in the humanities and social, mathematical, life, and physical sciences. Members of the Society are elected from among the most eminent scholars and civic and cultural leaders in North America and abroad. More than 100 living APS Members are Nobel laureates.

The APS’s Library & Museum collections make it among the premier institutions for documenting and exhibiting the history of the American Revolution and founding, the history of science from Newton to NASA, Native American languages and culture, and the development of American anthropology. The Library houses over 14 million manuscripts, 275,000 volumes and bound periodicals, 250,000 images, fine art, and other objects. Museum exhibitions interpret these extensive collections for the regional, national, and international visitors who come to Philadelphia’s historic district. In so doing, the exhibitions aim to nurture the spirit of inquiry, promote critical thinking, and engender enthusiasm for object-based learning by using primary source documents and authentic objects. The Library & Museum also hosts a robust fellowship program, offering over 25 short-term and 10 long-term fellowships each year to scholars using its collections.

For Further Information on Library & Museum Collections visit:

https://www.amphilsoc.org/library  and  https://amphilsoc.pastperfectonline.com/

• MLIS or equivalent experience, with focus on archives preferred; 
• Minimum 1-2 years of relevant professional experience;
• Experience assisting people with archival research, especially first-time or non-academic researchers;
• Experience with digital repositories, such as Islandora, and digital object cataloging preferred;
• Knowledge of cataloging and descriptive standards; experience with metadata standards such as MODS, Dublin Core, and EAD preferred;
• Familiarity with issues and considerations surrounding access and use of Indigenous archival materials;
• Familiarity with digitization of diverse media types, especially paper and photographs;
• Familiarity with basics of digital preservation of audio and video (analog and born-digital) preferred;
• Strong interpersonal skills for working with a broad range of researchers, external audiences, and other staff;
• Additional language ability in Spanish or French is encouraged.

Please submit a resume or CV with a cover letter detailing your interest in and qualifications for the position to Interfolio. References will be requested for finalists.

We encourage those interested in learning more about the position to email Curator of Indigenous Materials, Brian Carpenter (bcarpenter@amphilsoc.org).