Job Summary

The Reference Archivist works as part of the Jesuit Archives & Research Center team to maintain records from the Society of Jesus, and to make these records available for internal and external research.

Reporting to the Director of the Jesuit Archives & Research Center, this hire will join a team preserving and providing access to records. The Reference Archivist will establish and regularly review policy standards for references services, including reading room guidelines, access policies, and other written guidelines necessary for providing quality reference assistance. The Reference Archivist will take the lead in responding to research inquiries and will produce regular reports developed from reference statistics collected. This individual will staff the reference desk, as well as schedule other staff members for reference shifts. The Reference Archivist will share the responsibility to coordinate exhibit planning with the Archivist for Collection Management, working with the entire Jesuit Archives team to fabricate exhibits which highlight the collections in the Archives.

Duties and Responsibilities

· Respond to reference inquiries received by online form, email, telephone, mail, and other means.

· Advise and assist patrons in the use of archival and library materials in research activities.

· Staff the archives reference desk, and schedule other staff members for Reading Room shifts.

· Compile data regarding the use of the collections via inquiries and in-person visits.

· Produce regular reports of collection use derived from reference statistics compiled.

· Draft and update written guidelines required for references services in collaboration with the Director.

· Manage the library collections, and update catalog records as required.

· Coordinate exhibit planning and fabrication.

· Promote collections through various other outreach activities.

· Assist with editing the Archives’ website.

· Perform digitization tasks, including imaging and metadata creation, as needed.

· Coordinate with outside vendors when necessary to have use copies of audio/visual materials produced.

· Manage student assistants, volunteers, and interns on assigned projects.

· Maintain professional knowledge base and skills through continued education and/or research; may represent Jesuit Archives at conferences and meetings.

· Perform other duties and special projects as assigned.

Required Experience and Skills

• A Master’s Degree in Library Science from an ALA-accredited institution.
• A minimum of three years of professional experience providing reference services.
• Demonstrated experience with Library of Congress cataloging practices.
• Experience with ArchivesSpace.
• Experience with content management systems, such as Omeka and CONTENTdm.
• Experience with basic document and artifact preservation techniques.
• A basic understanding of archival appraisal and collection development.
• Experience with the arrangement and description of personal papers, organizational records, and special collections.
• Experience with descriptive, metadata, and encoding standards, such as DACS, EAD, Dublin Core, AACR2, and RDA, as well as controlled vocabularies, such as AAT.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work creatively on complex projects and set priorities in an organization with multiple stakeholders.
• Ability to work independently, communicate effectively, and work in a team.
• Ability to ascend and descend industrial ladders.
• Ability to lift and move 40 pounds.

Preferred Experience and Skills

• Second Master’s degree in a related field, such as American history or theology.
• Experience with Jesuit collections, or collections of other religious orders.
• Demonstrated knowledge American Catholic history.
• Experience with rare books and knowledge of rare book cataloging standards and practices.
• Knowledge of or experience with digital preservation and curation practices.
• Reading fluency of Latin, German, French, or another Romance language.

The salary range for a candidate with the required qualifications begins at $50,000 with a midpoint at $56,000; salaries are determined by experience and internal equity. Benefits include health and dental insurance with the full premium paid by the employer, short-term and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, retirement plan with a 3% match, paid vacation time, sick leave, and holidays, and worker’s compensation. The successful candidate must be fully vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 and willing to receive boosters as needed.

We welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds. Familiarity with Roman Catholicism, the Society of Jesus, or other religious orders is valuable, but not required. Please send a cover letter and résumé with three professional references and their contact information as attachments on an email with the subject line “Application – Reference Archivist” to Ms. Maddie McDermott at jarcCollections [@] jesuits.org. The deadline for application has been extended to May 13th, 2024 at 5:00 PM; applications will be considered on a rolling basis.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: From $50,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Ability to Relocate:

• St. Louis, MO 63108: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person