Archivist II

uottawa; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Ottawa is seeking an Archivist to oversee the integrated management of archives and special collections, including acquisition, appraisal, description, preservation and access. The Archivist will provide expert support to researchers, faculty and students by applying knowledge of policies and procedures and standards.

Responsibilities include arranging fonds, creating finding aids, and ensuring long-term access while collaborating with Library and IT staff to enhance access,

Qualifications

• Graduate degree in archival studies or related field.
• Minimum 3 years of relevant archival experience.

Responsibilities

• Archival arrangement and description of fonds and special collections.
• Manage collections, preservation, access and dissemination.
• Provide expert reference and research services to users.
• Develop donor relations and appraisal of donation offers.
• Plan instructional sessions and workshops for researchers and students.
• Collaborate with campus partners to improve access to collections.

Skills

Archival arrangement

Reference services

Donor relations

Instructional support

Relationship management

Access and copyright

Outreach activities

Education

Graduate degree in Archival Studies, Library and Information Studies or related field

Job description

The Archivist is responsible for ensuring the integrated management of archives and special collections through their acquisition, appraisal, classification, description, preservation, access and distribution in keeping with relevant principles, rules and standards.

The Archivist provides direct support and advice to researchers, faculty and students by utilizing expert knowledge of the collections, policies and procedures.

Typical Accountabilities

• Archival Arrangement and Description : Processes, arranges, and describes, in accordance with archival principles and standards, archival fonds and special collections in all media including audiovisual and digital archival documents, and creates standardized finding aids and other research tools in order to make them accessible to researchers.
• Collections Management : Implements procedures and makes updates and improvements when required to ensure effective and practical management of archival fonds and special collections in all media with respect to physical and intellectual organization, preservation and dissemination.
• Reference and Research Services: Provides expert reference and research services to users, which includes responding to requests about holdings; interpreting reference questions; helping to locate relevant sources; retrieving information to answer research questions; making on-demand digital reproductions while respecting relevant legislation; and responding to general information requests.
• Preservation : Ensures the proper storage and preservation of archival records and special collections in all media, including born-digital material, through expert knowledge of standards and best practices and helps to develop tools and strategies in order to secure long term access and preservation of unique assets.
• Donor Relations : Establishes professional and cordial relationships with archival donors, proactively helps to develop relationships with potential donors, and and assist in the appraisal of donation offers of archival documents to ensure relevance and appropriateness, in accordance with current guidelines, acquisition policies and mandates.
• Instructional Support : Manages and facilitates faculty and student use of the archives and special collections, including planning and designing instructional sessions and workshops, and develops instructional materials to highlight the collections, promote archival use in research projects, and support teaching activities.
• Relationship Management : Develops effective working relationships with campus partners including Library and IT staff and faculty to increase collection access and student engagement with the collections.
• Access: Determines the conditions for access to the archival documents and ensures that users are made aware of their responsibilities and requirements through expert knowledge of relevant access and copyright legislation, as well as imposed donor restrictions.
• Outreach : Designs outreach activities to enhance the collections, including on-site and online exhibitions, assists with the planning and hosting of conferences and other events, assists with the development and maintenance of websites and online tools, and engages with social media to increase awareness.

Knowledge, Experience and Skills

Essential Qualifications (cannot be modified)

• Graduate degree (Archival Studies, Library and Information Studies or related field)
• Minimum 3 years of relevant experience in archival setting

Other Qualifications (can be customized for posting purposes)

• Theoretical and practical knowledge and experience of the activities and services offered in an archival setting, including appraisal techniques, preservation, arrangement and description, and reference services.
• Knowledge and experience in archival descriptive and metadata standards, including RAD, ISAD-G, Dublin Core, METS, etc.
• Practical experience in the use of computer systems and software, including word processing, spreadsheet and presentation software, as well as databases for describing and disseminating information about the archival fonds and preserving digitized and born-digital assets.
• Knowledge of academic information sources and experience in historical research.
• Experience in writing texts and content for websites and promotional resources.
• Ability to analyze documents to apply appropriate rules and procedures for acquisition, selection and access, as well as good knowledge of the laws surrounding ac