What are the responsibilities and job description for the Digital Archivist position at NC State University Libraries?
NC State University Libraries invites applications and nominations for the position of Digital Archivist in the Special Collections Research Center (SCRC). The Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) collects, describes, preserves, and provides access to unique, rare, and historical information in support of the teaching, learning, and research mission of the campus community and beyond. Distinctive collections focus on areas such as the history of the university; agriculture and forestry; the history of computing and computer simulation; design; animal rights and animal welfare; veterinary medicine; zoological health; textiles; engineering; environmental justice; and rare books in related subject areas. This department is innovating archival services and collections through increasingly digital collections, inventive projects and user-focused services. The department collaborates with colleagues across the Libraries to explore and develop technology-enabled solutions for efficient processing, archival discovery, and long-term sustainability of collection materials.
The SCRC maintains a culture of collaboration, with a focus on supporting opportunities for professional growth and mentorship. The Digital Archivist will advance library services through contributing to the management and processing of collections and by maintaining and advancing departmental descriptive standards, tools, and workflows.
Responsibilities
The position is responsible for managing the daily operations of digital archival processing, including building and maintaining documentation in support of a sustainable digital preservation program. They coordinate the integration of digital special collections and archival materials into collection processing, discovery, and access; and contribute to longer term sustainability, discovery, and access of the Libraries’ digital rare and unique collections. They collaborate with colleagues in the Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) and across the Libraries to advise on community and researcher needs, and digital preservation strategies for supporting student success. The position explores technologies for technical processing, discovery, and access—especially pertaining to new and emerging collection materials—and leads the exploration of emerging areas for supporting web archiving initiatives. They also supervise and train student, temporary, and full-time staff working on digital materials.
This position is based in North Carolina. This position is eligible for flexible hours with a hybrid work environment, based on departmental and operational needs. This position will require frequent onsite work.
Required Qualifications
Applicants are encouraged to think broadly about and communicate how their skills and experiences transfer to the qualifications below in ways that may not be obvious, including how non-library-specific skills and experiences speak to the position qualifications and needs. We strongly encourage and welcome applicants with a range of experiences, backgrounds, and interests to apply for this position, including those new to the profession.
It is not required that candidates meet any of the preferred qualifications to be considered for this position. The following skills represent some of the areas in which this position could potentially grow and focus, based on the incumbent’s background and interests.
The SCRC maintains a culture of collaboration, with a focus on supporting opportunities for professional growth and mentorship. The Digital Archivist will advance library services through contributing to the management and processing of collections and by maintaining and advancing departmental descriptive standards, tools, and workflows.
Responsibilities
The position is responsible for managing the daily operations of digital archival processing, including building and maintaining documentation in support of a sustainable digital preservation program. They coordinate the integration of digital special collections and archival materials into collection processing, discovery, and access; and contribute to longer term sustainability, discovery, and access of the Libraries’ digital rare and unique collections. They collaborate with colleagues in the Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) and across the Libraries to advise on community and researcher needs, and digital preservation strategies for supporting student success. The position explores technologies for technical processing, discovery, and access—especially pertaining to new and emerging collection materials—and leads the exploration of emerging areas for supporting web archiving initiatives. They also supervise and train student, temporary, and full-time staff working on digital materials.
This position is based in North Carolina. This position is eligible for flexible hours with a hybrid work environment, based on departmental and operational needs. This position will require frequent onsite work.
Required Qualifications
Applicants are encouraged to think broadly about and communicate how their skills and experiences transfer to the qualifications below in ways that may not be obvious, including how non-library-specific skills and experiences speak to the position qualifications and needs. We strongly encourage and welcome applicants with a range of experiences, backgrounds, and interests to apply for this position, including those new to the profession.
- Knowledge of processing and description of born-digital materials
- Experience with tools for acquiring and assessing born-digital materials, including command-line applications and programs used for disk imaging, virus and privacy scanning, and file format identification
- Knowledge of basic preservation standards and collection care for digital materials
- Familiarity with accessioning and processing physical archives/special collections materials
- Understanding of privacy, confidentiality, and copyright issues regarding special collections materials
- Experience of computational thinking, as well as familiarity with operating systems and computer file systems
- Ability to foster an environment of belonging and well-being
- Ability to communicate clearly and knowledgeably
- Ability to work creatively, collaboratively, and effectively both as a team member and independently and to promote teamwork among colleagues
- Evidence of ability for ongoing professional development and contribution
It is not required that candidates meet any of the preferred qualifications to be considered for this position. The following skills represent some of the areas in which this position could potentially grow and focus, based on the incumbent’s background and interests.
- Experience supervising temporary, part-time, or full-time staff
- Project management experience
- Experience with web archiving capture and management tools
- Familiarity with scripting languages, such as Python or Ruby