CENTRAL LIBRARY ARCHIVIST

Fulton County; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Fulton County Library System in Atlanta is seeking an Archivist to administer archival services, manage staff, and preserve historical materials at the Central Library.

The role requires a Master’s degree in history, humanities, or library science, plus ACA certification and a minimum of three years in archival work (two in supervision). GA driver's license may be required.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in history, humanities, library science or related field is required.
• Three years of archival experience in a library, museum or related setting with two years in supervision.
• ACA Archivist certification is required.

Responsibilities

• Supervises, directs, and evaluates assigned staff and manages schedules.
• Organizes work, prioritizes tasks, and ensures resources are available.
• Manages archival collections, finding aids, and exhibits preparation.
• Cultivates donors of papers and artifacts for collections.
• Maintains descriptive inventories and uses standards for archival formatting.
• Develops and monitors program budget and expenditures.
• Provides research assistance and public access guidance.

Skills

Supervisory experience

Archival knowledge

Education

Master's Degree in history, humanities, library science or related field

ACA Archivist certification

Job description

UNCLASSIFIED VACANCY IN THE FULTON COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM

BRANCH LOCATION: CENTRAL LIBRARY

Minimum Qualifications

Master's Degree in history, humanities, library science or a related field required; supplemented by three (3) years of archival experience in a library, museum, or related setting, including two (2) years supervisory experience.

Specific License Or Certification Required

May be required to possess and maintain a valid Georgia Driver's License. Professional certification as an Archivist issued through the Academy of Certified Archivists (ACA) is required.

Specific Knowledge, Skills, Or Abilities

Must be able to demonstrate proficiency in performance of the essential functions and learn, comprehend, and apply all county or departmental policies, practices, and procedures necessary to function effectively in the position.

Veterans’ Preference

Qualifying veterans will be given preference in the form of a guaranteed invitation to interview for any position to which they applied and have been found to have met the minimum qualifications. Veterans’ preference provides for hiring preference on initial appointment only.

Examination

The examination will consist of an evaluation of education and experience, accomplished by analysis of the application. Application must document that the applicant possesses the minimum knowledge, skills, education and experience as listed to be rated as qualified. If selected, an official, accredited college transcript is required, at time of employment, for all degrees/course work used to qualify for this position.

All applications must be completed in full before they are submitted. Please review all applications for accuracy and make all corrections before submittal because errors can result in not meeting the minimum qualifications. Additional information will not be accepted after applications are received by the Personnel Department.

Purpose Of Classification

The purpose of this classification is to perform duties related to administering archival services for the Library. Responsibilities include managing assigned staff and indexing, storing, and preserving archives, manuscripts, and other historically valuable records and documents.

Essential Functions

Supervises, directs, and evaluates assigned staff: makes hiring or termination decisions/recommendations; develops and oversees employee work schedules to ensure adequate coverage and control; compiles and reviews time cards; processes employee concerns and problems and counsels or disciplines as appropriate; assists with or completes employee performance appraisals; acts as a liaison between employees and management; and trains staff in operations, policies, and procedures.

Organizes, prioritizes, and assigns work; prioritizes and schedules work activities in order to meet objectives; ensures that subordinates have the proper resources needed to complete the assigned work; monitors status of work in progress and inspects completed work; consults with assigned staff to assist with complex/problem situations and provide technical expertise; and provides progress and activity reports to management.

Manages collections: oversees the processing of permanent and historically valuable materials to include accessing, arranging, describing, preserving, classifying, and referencing of archival collections; supervises the development and utilization of finding aids, such as registered indexes and filing systems; and selects and prepares materials for exhibits and publications.

Administers the cultivation of potential donors of personal papers, correspondences, diaries, historical documents, and artifacts to build a comprehensive archival collection to provide primary source materials for research: evaluates the relevance of manuscripts and other historical records; determines the proper storage and restoration of archival materials.

Administers a descriptive inventory of historical records and papers in accordance with professionally accepted standards and practices: evaluates the archived collection and individual subjects for appropriate formatting applications; and coordinates collaborative efforts in the use of technology to retrieve archival information.

Develops and monitors assigned program budget: reviews previous yearly expenditures; determines budgetary needs for staffing, supplies, equipment, services, and/or capital improvements; collaborates with non-profit organizations to support and enhance generation of revenue; monitors expenditures for budget compliance; and approves program expenditures prior to submission for payment.

Manages facilities and contents: monitors furniture and equipment to ensure availability and usefulness; monitors maintenance and other contracts applicable to Research Library; administers maintenance projects; reports issues to appropriate authorities; and coordinates/confers with Security personnel regarding Research Library needs.

Provides research assistance to scholars and the general public through the development of finding aids and other tools for retrieving information. Provides technical knowledge of the collection through research guides and one-on-one assistance. Provides written reports on various activities as required.

Additional Functions

Performs other related duties as assigned.

For Applicants With Prior Military Service

• Leadership Under Pressure: Demonstrates steady, effective leadership when managing archival priorities during high-volume periods, tight deadlines, or unexpected collection needs.
• Operational Planning & Execution: Plans, organizes, and executes archival projects with precision, ensuring procedures, timelines, and resource use are consistently followed.
• Adaptability & Rapid Problem‑Solving: Quickly adjusts to changing project demands, collection conditions, or technology issues and resolves problems with practical, timely solutions.
• Team Cohesion & Communication: Works collaboratively with staff, volunteers, and community partners, communicating clearly to support shared archival and public service goals.
• Safety & Risk Awareness: Identifies risks to people, materials, and equipment and follows established protocols to ensure safe handling, storage, and preservation of collections.

Performance Aptitudes

Data Utilization:Requires the ability to coordinate, manage, and/or correlate data. Includes exercising judgment in determining time, place and/or sequence of operations, referencing data analyses to determine necessity for revision of organizational components, and in the formulation of operational strategy.

Human Interaction

Requires the ability to work with others to coordinate the more complex programs and more complex problems associated with the responsibilities of the job. Often represents the department and/or organization when dealing with others.

Equipment, Machinery, Tools, and Materials Utilization

Requires the ability to operate, maneuver and/or control the actions of equipment, machinery, tools, and/or materials used in performing essential functions.

Verbal Aptitude

Requires the ability to utilize a wide variety of reference, descriptive, and/or advisory data and information.

Mathematical Aptitude

Requires the ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication and division; ability to calculate decimals and percentages; may include ability to perform mathematical operations with fractions; may include ability to compute discount, interest, and ratios; may include ability to calculate surface areas, volumes, weights, and measures.

Functional Reasoning

Requires the ability to apply principles of logical or synthesis functions; to deal with several concrete and abstract variables; and to analyze major problems that require complex planning for interrelated activities that can span one or several work units.

Situational Reasoning

Requires the ability to exercise judgment, decisiveness and creativity in situations involving broader aspects of organizational programs and operations, moderately unstable situations, or the direction, control and planning of an entire program or set of programs.

Equal Opportunity Statement

It is the policy of Fulton County that there will be equal opportunity for every citizen, employee and applicant, based upon merit without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, genetics, disability or sexual orientation.