Archives Assistant (Student)

American University; United States; On-site; USD 20,911 - 29,783; Part time

Job summary

American University’s AU Archives & Special Collections is seeking an Archives Student Assistant who will work on collections processing, drafting finding aids, rehousing and labeling, and supporting reading room activities. The student will assist with inventory, data entry, and reference requests under supervision, focusing on attention to detail.

The role is for 10 hours per week, in-person at the Spring Valley Building, with a pay rate of $18.40 per hour.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Excellent organization, analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, able to communicate verbally and in writing.
• Ability to learn new workflows, tools, and technologies.
• Reliable and responsive to communication and feedback.

Responsibilities

• Organize, arrange, and describe new and legacy collections using provided tools and workflows.
• Handle archival materials with care and perform basic preservation measures.
• Adhere to archival standards for arrangement, description, and preservation.
• Track and document project progress using MS Excel, Word, and Teams to meet deadlines.
• Assist with welcoming visitors and reference requests in the Reading Room.

Skills

Attention to detail

Organizational skills

Analytical thinking

Written communication

Verbal communication

Learn new tools

Teamwork

Education

High school diploma

Tools

MS Excel

MS Word

MS Teams

Job description

Work Where You Learn: Build Experience, Grow Skills, and Contribute to Your University Community. This position is available only to enrolled American University students. Most student positions at American University are eligible to use Federal Work Study (FWS) awards, with a few exceptions. FWS funds cannot be applied to janitorial, construction, partisan or sectarian positions. For information or questions regarding FWS funds, please contact American University's Office of Financial Aid.

Department: Archives Operations

Time Type: Part time

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Job Description: Summary: AU Archives & Special Collections is seeking applicants for an Archives Student Assistant who will work on assigned collections projects and tasks. Working under the supervision of the Associate Archivist for Collections Management, Access, and Discovery, the Student Assistant will be responsible for collections processing tasks including arranging and describing archival collections, drafting finding aids, rehousing and labeling collections, completion of basic preservation measures, inventorying and data entry, and researching using archival collections. In addition, the student assistant may welcome visitors when entering archives and help the office team maintain staff presence in the Reading Room as needed. This position is ideally suited for a student with a strong attention to detail and an interest in working with archival collections.

Essential Functions

• Organize, arrange, and describe new and legacy collections using provided tools, systems, and workflows.
• Handle all archival collections materials with care and perform basic preservation measures as instructed.
• Adhere to provided archival arrangement, description, and preservation standards.
• Track and document project progress using provided tools and project plans such as MS Excel, Word, and Teams, etc. in order to meet deadlines.
• Assist office staff with routine administrative functions such as welcoming visitors to Archives.
• Assist with reference requests by retrieving collections materials and staffing the reading room, as needed.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work: Part-time. 10 hours per week.

Salary Range: $18.40 per hour.

Required Education and Experience

• High school diploma or its equivalent.
• Excellent organization, analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, the ability to work collegially with others and independently, and the ability to communicate verbally and in writing.
• The ability to write clearly and legibly using provided formatting guidelines.
• Ability to learn and adapt to new workflows, tools, and technologies.
• Desire to contribute to departmental projects through independent and collaborative work.
• Reliable and responsive to communication and feedback in a timely manner.
• Ability to lift items up to 40 pounds and retrieve materials from shelves that are seven feet high.

Preferred Education and Experience

• Familiarity with archives and special collections and experience researching with primary sources.
• Hands-on experience with Microsoft Office 365 Suite applications, including Excel, Word, and Teams.
• An interest in learning about archival work.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications

Applicants must be able to work 10 hours per week Tuesday-Friday 9am-5 pm in-person in shifts of 4 hours or longer at the Spring Valley Building. The Student Assistant will be expected to maintain a regular schedule set with their supervisor. This position requires both legible handwriting and proficiency in using computer applications and web-based databases. The Student Assistant will be expected to use Microsoft 365 applications for work-related tasks and communication. The Student Assistant may need to bring and use their own laptop computer for work. If a personal laptop is not available, alternative arrangements will be provided. The office workspace temperature is regularly set at 63 degrees Fahrenheit.

Other Details

This position is available only to enrolled American University students. Please note this job announcement is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. American University is an E-Verify employer. Visit https://www.american.edu/hr/ for additional information about American University employment and benefits.

American University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution that operates in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. The university does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy), age, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, personal appearance, gender identity and expression, family responsibilities, political affiliation, source of income, veteran status, an individual’s genetic information or any other bases under federal or local laws (collectively "Protected Bases") in its programs and activities.

American University is a student centered research institution located in Washington, DC, with highly-ranked schools and colleges, internationally-renowned faculty, and a reputation for creating meaningful change in the world.